ThisDay SpyGlass: Mar. 27, 2010
SpyGlass By Lanre Alfred lanre_alfred@yahoo.com; 08055001807 (Text Only), 03.27.2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010

OBY EZEKWESILI TURNS DOWN MINISTERIAL OFFER

In spite of the intense lobbying for ministerial posts in the country, there are still people who prefer to keep their dignity and values in tact. One of such people is Obiageli Ezekwesili, vice president, Africa of the World Bank, who was wooed and courted by the Goodluck Jonathan administration but politely turned down the offer to work in the cabinet.

Oby, Spyglass was reliably informed, was first choice for the position of finance minister but turned down the offer for personal reasons. She was also concerned about giving up her comfortable job in Washington to come back to the uncertainty of a one-year job, fraught with all sorts of political intrigues. Even though the government tried its utmost best to convince Oby to return, she turned down the offer. Even interventions from very close friends who once worked her in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration could not make the strong-willed lady change her mind.

When the government realised it was hitting a brick wall with Oby, it settled for Olusegun Aganga, the London-based investment banker who works for Goldman Sachs, UK. In taking up the low paying government appointment but which could open a new vista of opportunities for Aganga, he will be giving up at least $10 million in annual bonuses he gets from running Goldman Sachs in the Square Mile.

JENNIFER ATIKU’S NEW RESOLVE

Jennifer Atiku the wife of the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, is not a happy woman at the moment. She has been in a bitter mood for some time now. The reason adduced for her sadness is not far from the fact that some of her friends with whom she has been close all along have been found to be the ones spreading malicious information about her and her husband. It is now crystal clear to her that those people she has been calling friends are fiends in the true sense of it.

This beautiful former journalist and doctorate degree holder has always been involved in one controversy and the other since her husband’s stint as vice president. The information at our disposal indicates that the tremendously affable mother is so miffed that she has vowed to severe her ties with most of her friends believing strongly that her problem would only be solved if she gives them a wide berth. The irony is that these are the same people that Jamilah Atiku Abubakar, also known as Jennifer Douglas and/or Jennifer Douglas-Abubakar, has assisted immensely, financially and materially, when the chips were down.

BOBBY EKE ESCAPES DEATH

Happy days are here again for Lagos celebrity hair-stylist and owner of Bobby Signatures, Bob Eke. Bobby as he is fondly called by his friends and clients, is building up his strength. The handsome dude suffered a major stroke and was hurriedly ferried to India for medical treatment. His absence at that time caused some apprehension, as stories of his rumoured death rented the air. It took the intervention of his friends to dispel the wicked rumour by breaking their silence and educating the anxious public that he was receiving treatment in far away India.

Today, the good news is that he is recuperating steadily back at home. Thank God and few well meaning Nigerians who bankrolled his travel expenses. Since the light-complexioned guy is back on his feet, tongues have been wagging about why this guy has remained single at well over 40 years of age. The general belief is that Bob is only taking his time to search and find Miss Right who has been elusive. Whatever the reasons are, there is every reason for Bob to be filled with feelings of gaiety. The fine-looking man is getting his groove back though he has never been romantically linked with any lady in the past.

DANJUMA GOJE’S LOFTY DREAM

Often times, Nigerian politicians are roundly condemned for their insatiable crave for power and political relevance even in the face of overwhelming popular dissention against their ambitions. Not ones to gauge the pulse of the electorate or make wide consultations about their social or political acceptability, they just wake up one day and throw themselves up for positions of power and influence. The situation becomes more ridiculous when the vulnerably unsuspecting electorate digest their resumes with the gusto of a gourmand, then subsequently vote them into office.

If unchecked, such might be the case of the executive governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje whose ambition to take over the reins of power in Aso Rock come 2011 may have begun in earnest. Danjuma Goje, who made a tacit entry into the political ring with his bold posters adorning strategic areas in Abuja and other northern states, has been seen by some quarters as another political greenhorn whose antecedents and achievements, if any, are only known to him and his circle of friends and subjects in Gombe rather than Nigerians.

Once beaten, twice shy they say, Nigeria is not prepared for another spell of presidency spearheaded by a man with limitations. While many believe that he is unknown and reclusive like the incumbent sickly President Umaru Yar’Adua, his aides have been spending heavily, printing posters and co-ordinating the Alhaji Muhammad Danjuma Goje for President 2011 campaign. Only time will tell if this is not another lofty dream.

FESTUS ODIMEGWU’S GAFFE

It started like a child’s play, and now it has grown beyond the stature of a monster. The act of kidnapping, which was perfected by the Niger-Delta militants in registration of their grievance and agitation, is fast becoming a tool of socio-economic malice. If not, then how else can one classify the unfortunate incident, which befell the family of Chief Festus Odimegwu whose wife was kidnapped two Sundays ago?

Feeling dejected and apprehensive, the former managing director of Nigerian Breweries Plc worked his phones and his vast network of friends before he could get his beloved wife released from the dungeon of her assailants. On the very first day, the supposedly rich man made overtures and financial promises to whosoever could give information about his wife’s whereabouts, yet it appears this gesture was perceived as bait that no one was willing to fall for.

While it is being expressed in some quarters that Lolo Stella Odimegwu’s kidnapping had political undertones as a result of her dream to be the next chairman of Orsu Local Government Area, others are of the opinion that the wife of the proponent of tenure elongation for Obasanjo was either accidentally kidnapped or whisked away for economic reasons.

The Odimegwus, after all, are known to be flamboyant and recently graced a funeral in Anambra State with two Rolls Royce cars. The irony is that during his time of need when Odimegwu negotiated the return of his wife, he told anyone who cared to listen that he didn’t have the N100 million ransom demanded by the abductors and sought for their financial support.

The political conspiracy theory, however, was given fillip when Odimegwu who was probably distraught over his wife’s kidnapping, sent a text message to the National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau and others accusing his state’s governor, Ikedi Ohakim of engineering Stella’s abduction. The accusation caused so much outrage that Odimegwu was counselled to call Ohakim and apologise for the bizarre allegation. Odimegwu who under the best of circumstances is loud and is known for his some times unpleasant antics was forced to swallow his words and begged Ohakim to assist him get his beloved Stella back, which the governor had no choice but oblige.

To those in the know, Odimegwu’s accusation was baseless because Stella’s political pedigree is so weightless that no one would have dreamt of kidnapping her for political reasons, as she is not perceived as a threat to other candidates vying for the same post. They maintain that she is only relying on her husband's clout which may not translate to electoral success at the poll. Now that Stella has since been released to the arms of her husband, perhaps Odimegwu will fret no more.

NNENNA UKEJE’S WORRIES

Saying that Honourable Nnenna Ukeje is being confronted with many battles at the moment will amount to expressing a serious issue in mild language. It is not about politics or marital felicity this time, information reaching Spyglass indicates that her father, has been in and out of hospital in search of a lasting solution to a debilitating ailment that has troubled him for long. The old man, Spyglass hears, is fast recuperating as Nnenna is running helter-skelter to get him back on his feet. It has been a tale of woe for the highly urbane legislator.

Just a few weeks back when the House of Representatives constituted a six-man delegation to Saudi Arabia on a goodwill visit to ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua hidden away then in a Jeddah-based hospital, Honourable Ukeje, who was a member of the team originally, just woke up few days to the the departure date to be told that her name had been dropped from the delegation. She was informed that there were discrepancies in her documentation and marital status though she expressed she was left out of the trip as a result of high wire politics played by some unscrupulous elements both in the executive and legislative arms of government.

However, the other members of the delegation sent by the House to Saudi Arabia returned to the country without seeing President Yar’Adua. Just when she was getting out of the embarrassment caused by the Saudi rejection saga, news came from her constituency about Progressive Peoples Alliance’s moves to get her ousted from the lower chamber come 2011. Ukeje, who is the chairman, Committee on Donor Funds, comes from Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State, PPA’s spiritual home and stronghold, and the only state held by PPA.

Benjamin Kalu, founder of BenKalu Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization based in Abia State is being groomed by the party to wrestle the seat from the delectable and fair-complexioned lady. Ben Kalu is a Special Adviser to Governor Theodore Orji on Millennium Development Goals.

NDUDI ELUMELU SAVOURS FREEDOM

The water appears to have runneth over Honourable Ndudi Elumelu; he is now seen at every point where jollification is the order of the day. Now free from the tight fist of the law just like a bird just released from captivity. The handsome dude has been frolicking parties and other social events. Though the full weight of justice is still expected to be brought to bear in his case, which can best be described as that of the hunter turning out to be the hunted, Ndudi is no doubt savouring his momentary freedom with great abandon.

Full of cheery smiles, the Aniocha North/Aniocha South/Oshimili North/Oshimili South Representative was at Femi Gbajabiamila’s mother’s birthday recently in Lagos. He now goes about showing everyone that he is back on the scene and having undiluted fun. In fact, the former director of Nigeria Ports Authority shows his hard-earned freedom in the same manner a new bride would flaunt her wedding band to envious spinsters and disturbing admirers. Ndudi Elumelu, one would recall, ran into trouble waters when he was mandated by House of Representatives to probe and unravel the hydra-headed menace bedevilling the power sector, especially the National Integrated Power Projects under the Obasanjo administration.

But things began to nosedive for the former chairman, House Committee on Power, when EFCC, in October last year, unfolded an amended 130 count-charge against him, Senator Nicholas Ugbane and seven others for defrauding the government to the tune of over N5.2 billion in the Rural Electrification Agency project. Though his committee opened many cans of worms during the probe, he later got entangled in the intense prosecution that followed. The prosecution would later confine the honourable member to the EFCC dungeon for some time. He marked his 45th birthday in detention on February 23, this year.

ABOUT EMEKA ETIABA’S DIVINE COMPENSATION

If Emeka Etiaba had been losing sleep over his unsuccessful bid to become governor this year, the arrival of their first child and son, Neluchukwu Mmelichukwu Chiedozie (named after his late father, BMC) has come as solace. The lawyer-turned-politician has, since his gubernatorial loss, turned his attention to nurturing the first fruit of his marital union, which germinated 15 years after tying the nuptial knot with his Nnewi-born wife, Barrister Joy Etiaba. The couple was blessed with BMC Jnr sometime back, roughly a month after it became clear that Emeka was not going to make a success of his political expedition.

Twice he made spirited attempts to shake the political establishments of Anambra State and occupy the Awka-based government house; twice he was made to swallow the bitter pill of defeat. The first lesson of politicking was forced down his throat when his then party, APGA, fielded the incumbent governor, Peter Obi as its gubernatorial flag-bearer. So disenchanted and short-changed was Emeka that he swore that Obi had his good days behind him and that he (Obi) would cease being governor in February. Obi later won overwhelmingly in the election, acknowledged by many as a disenfranchising election.

He would later cross-carpet to Progressive Peoples Alliance where he was subjected to another round of political tutelage. This son of Anambra State ex-deputy governor, Virginia Etiaba, was once again trounced and made to eat humble pie, this time around by Hon. Uche Ekwunife who had earlier been described by Emeka’s camp as a feather weight who could pull no crowd. Betrayed and aggrieved, Emeka would later join forces with Andy Uba who came a distant fourth in the election proper.


http://odili.net/news/source/2010/mar/27/220.html

One man's meat na another man's poison. I guess she doesn't want to lose her job for something that will not last for more than one year.

Well that could be a way to look at it, i still insist she wants to keep her white linen intact! Even the Pope would have his cassock (or whatever apparel he adorns) eternally stained by merely working with the Nigerian Government.
Poor Madam Dora, she was just too greedy and ambitious! hope she learns!