Akunyili threatens to sue Aondoakaa
By Chiawo Nwankwo, Abuja, Published: Wednesday, 10 Feb 2010





Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili


A new twist was added on Tuesday to the debate on President Umaru Yar‘Adua‘s ill-health as the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, threatened to sue the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mike Aondoakaa, for libel.

She has, therefore, given Aondoakaa seven days within which to refute an alleged libellous statement credited to him on her activities as the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control or face prosecution.

A media report on Monday (not THE PUNCH) quoted Aondoakaa as saying, “Let her (Akunyili) go and confront herself with what happened in NAFDAC.”

The report linked the tirade against Akunyili by Benue State-born Senior Advocate of Nigeria to a memo she presented to the Federal Executive Council last week Wednesday on Yar’Adua’s health.

The said memo was rejected by the FEC purported by because it was not circulated in advance to members.

The council meets today (Wednesday) but there were speculations in Abuja that tempers might rise among the members as the memo is believed to have been left out of the agenda of the meeting.

Forty-two ministers and other appointees of the President known as ‘professionals’ in Yar’Adua’s cabinet attend FEC meetings

Presidency sources told our correspondent that Aondoakaa and his counterpart in Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Abba Ruma, ensured that the memo was not listed.

Aondoakaa and Ruma are known to be leading pro-Yar’Adua ministers, who reportedly shouted down Akunyili when she first presented the memo last Wednesday.

However, it was gathered that ‘professionals’ in the cabinet had rallied round Akunyili, and assured her that her memo would be tabled under “AOB” (Any Other Matters.)”

The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, prepares memos or agenda for the council’s deliberations.

Pro-Yar’Adua ministers in the cabinet had vehemently opposed consideration of the Akunyili’s memo last week, on the grounds that it was not circulated to members in advance in line with established practice.

Our source said, “The Akunyili’s memo expected to be considered by council on Wednesday is not on the agenda of the meeting.

“Akunyili is very annoyed at this development, but the ‘professionals’ in the cabinet have reached out to her with an assurance that they would support the discussion of the memo under AOB.

“It is clear that that meeting will be hot; and even hotter than that of last week because the minister is no longer alone on the matter.”

Akunyili had in the controversial memo advised the President to comply with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution; whose activation would pave the way for Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to become acting President.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201002100511998