Oronto will never betray you - Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has extolled the
virtues of Oronto Douglas, his special adviser
on research, documentation and strategy, who
died on April 9, 2015 after a seven-year battle
with cancer.
He was speaking at the commendation service
in Douglas’ honour at the St Peter’s Church of
Nigeria Anglican Communion, Yenagoa,
Bayelsa state, on Saturday.
Jonathan said: “Oronto is somebody who is so
dedicated to service, totally committed. If he
believes in you, he will never betray you. He
will stand by you until the end. Even if you are
dying, Oronto will want to die with you.
“In politics, most people will be with you when
things are okay but immediately when the wind
turns they will disappear. But Oronto is not that
kind of a character.
“I have worked with him as a deputy governor
when he was a commissioner. He has been
with me for eight years in Abuja. So I am one of
those who can clearly attest to the qualities of
Oronto. He was dedicated.”
He said he was particularly pained because
Douglas was committed to documenting all his
activities.
“When I moved to Abuja as the vice-president
(in 2007), I appointed him to be my adviser on
research and documentation. I am the most
documented president for now because of
Oronto. I don’t even know the number of
volumes he has written,” he said.
The president also recalled the last days of the
former environmental activist, who returned to
the country from the US on March 26 after his
doctors told him he had only a few weeks more
to live.
“I remember when Oronto came back from his
last journey to the US. When he was there and I
contacted him, he said the doctors told him that
he would die in three weeks and that he could
decide to stay back in the US and die and that
they would send his body to Nigeria for burial.
“He said if he wanted to come home, he needed
to come back a little early so that he would be
strong enough to board the flight. He told me
that he decided to come back because staying
in the US would incur more cost. People will be
paid to take care of you until you die. Of
course, bringing the body home too will be
more difficult. So he decided to come back.
“He came home and I visited him one week
after, that was two weeks to the time he was to
die and I expected to see somebody who would
be so sad, but not Oronto. All his discussions
with me were how to document this, document
that, to immotalise this.
“In fact, he was not talking as somebody who
was sick. He was very, very courageous, very
strong willed. Oronto was Oronto until the last
moment. You hardly see such characters. He
was selfless. In fact, he was not interested in
accumulating wealth,” he said.
Jonathan condoled the widow, Tari, and two
sons, Ogei and Daniel.
“Just be happy that your father is leaving at a
time that people appreciate him. Your father is
leaving without stains. Your father is leaving as
a noble person.
“If you appear anywhere today and tomorrow
and describe yourself as a son of Oronto
Douglas, people will know you. Most of us
know him across the Niger Delta and indeed the
rest of the country because of his involvement
in civil society activities.
“People are appreciative. That alone is a big
gift that silver and gold cannot get for you. As
long as we are alive, we will continue to give
any assistance that is required,” he said.
Douglas would have clocked 49 on August 6.