http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/11319-okonjo-iweala-omobola-duke-pepple-in-last-eight.html

Okonjo-Iweala, Omobola, Duke, Pepple in last eight
By Yusuf Alli 1 hour ago


Barely 48 hours after returning from the African Union (AU) meeting in Equatorial Guinea, President Goodluck Jonathan has closed consultations on his cabinet.

He has sent the names of his last nominees to security agencies for screening before presenting them to the Senate tomorrow.

Besides, there were strong indications yesterday that the return of 12 ministers to their old portfolios is temporary.

The President may reshuffle portfolios after he has fully constituted his cabinet, a source said.

Since the President returned from the AU meeting till early yesterday, he had been holding meetings on the last eight ministerial nominees.

Jonathan had earlier sent a list of 34 to the Senate, leaving out the “controversial” eight.

The battle for the last eight was hot in Kaduna, Ondo, Cross River and Plateau states as well as the four geopolitical zones.

The geopolitical zones are the Southsouth, the Southeast, the Northwest and the Northeast.

Some of the nominees are a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ms Amal Pepple (Rivers, Southsouth), a former spokesman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Chief Edem Duke (Cross River), Nurudeen Mohammed (Northwest), a former member of the Presidential Advisory Council, Mrs.  Omobola Johnson (Ondo), ex-Petroleum Techonology Development Fund (PTDF) Executive Secretary Yusuf Hamisu Mai Rago (Kaduna), a Managing Director of the World Bank, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Southeast) and Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochepe (Plateau), who is a former Chairperson of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

A Presidency source said: “The pressure was much on the President, but he decided to exercise the prerogative powers conferred on him by the constitution.

“At least, six more names were sent to the State Security Service (SSS) and other agencies by the President on Saturday.

“The last batch of nominees will get to the Senate on Tuesday.”

The President picked the Southsouth nominee from Rivers State, following a strong case made by Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

“By implication, the President has turned down the agitation of the zonal slot for Delta State by Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark,” the source said, adding:

“But, in order not to hurt Chief Clark, the President was also careful in ignoring any of the candidates recommended by the governor. We learnt Amaechi had wanted his Chief of Staff, Nelson Nwike.

“What is important is that Amaechi succeeded in securing Southsouth ticket for Rivers State.”

“According to the source, the Ondo slot went to Mrs. Omobola Johnson, daughter of Chief Bayo Akinnola, who he described as “a committed leader of the PDP since 1999 who has never benefited from the party”.

“The President bowed to the demand of Governor Jonah Jang by approving the nomination of Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochepe (Plateau), who is a former Chairperson of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

“Although Mrs. Sarah is a Berom, like the governor, the choice of the nominee led to the dropping of Dr. Jonah Madugu and ex-Minister Josephine Tapgun, earlier recommended.

“In Kaduna, the godson of the Vice-President, Yusuf Hamisu Mai Rago, is retained as the state’s nominee. But the state lost the battle to take the slot meant for the Northwest, which has gone to Nurudeen Mohammed from Jigawa State.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The President has plans in his team for ex-Minister of Information Prof. Dora Akunyili, ex-Defence Minister, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode(SAN), ex-Deputy Governor Ada Okwuonu, ex-NDDC Chairman Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, ex-Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Josephine Anenih and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs,  Odein Ajumogobia (SAN).

“He will unfold these plans in the next one or two weeks.”

On why the President returned the 12 re-nominated ministers to their portfolios, the presidency source said: “It is temporary”.

“Once the President gets the cabinet in place, he will reshuffle all the portfolios. What he did on Saturday was an interim measure to keep the government machinery running.”

Concerning the jettisoning of a Government of National Unity (GNU) earlier proposed by the President, the source said: “The idea was foreclosed based on legal advice since the Congress for Progressive Change is still pursuing its case before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

“Counsel to the President advised him to be careful about the GNU matter because the CPC can raise issue at the tribunal on why he opted for GNU if the April presidential poll was free and fair.

“So the Legal advice given to the President was that he should be wary of technicalities that could be raised before the tribunal.”

The National Association of Yoruba Students (NAYOS), Lagos State chapter, yesterday said a former Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, is a bonafide citizen of the state.

The President of the association, Comrade Adamson Oluwatosin Ayinde, issued a statement, saying: “So, the orchestration that Aganga is not from Lagos can only be a negative move which we know will fail. He is a bonafide Lagosian, there should not be any controversy about this. 

“He has so far done his best for the PDP in Lagos State and we thank Mr. President for nominating him again. We also appeal to the National Assembly to clear him on behalf of the youths in Lagos State. The Yoruba must not be denied the position in the economic team as we lost out in the contest for House of Representatives’ Speaker not too long ago. We want our brothers and sisters to think the way we are doing. This is another opportunity for us which we must embrace.

What will happen to Aganga from '''Lagos State'''?
Will he become deputy minister to the almighty amazon, Ngozi? Demotion? I dey laugh oh!!!

Looks like Dora will make a comeback, one way or another.

This cabinet is packed with lots of technocrats. I wish them good luck in trying to turn naija around.

And Again you failed to supply the source link.




Source: http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/11319-okonjo-iweala-omobola-duke-pepple-in-last-eight.html

Plot against Okonjo-Iweala thickens *gets threat text messages from Nigeria

Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja
Sunday, July 3, 2011

A fresh plot aimed at stopping the nomination of the Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from being nominated as minister of the Federal Republic has been flagged off in Abuja.



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Top level sources in the polity told Sunday Tribune that a plot was flagged off late last week following the meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and Okonjo-Iweala in Abuja, where the woman agreed to work as a Minister of the Federal Republic.

"Some faceless people (mostly opposition political figures) are parading Abuja with a plan to stop the nomination of Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala. They are lobbying some well known political figures on why Iweala should not be nominated as Minister," a source said, adding that some of those involved also include a team of businessmen who are afraid her appointment could hamper their businesses.

The source further said: "There are those who are doing this for commercial reasons, patronage or business. Some of them are afraid that her hot knife could slice off their usual butter. It is a serious matter."

It was gathered that when reports of Iweala's meeting with President Jonathan became public knowledge last week, those behind the plot intensified their lobbying and that they also started sending threatening text messages to her in the United States.

"They also started sending such threat messages to her people. The simple political reason for all that is their fear that her appointment will be of a great advantage to government of President Jonathan," the source said.

A former Minister, who is said to be strongly opposed to Iweala's coming into the cabinet was said to be coordinating the plot against her at the weekend.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that Iweala's name may be sent to the National Assembly on Monday, even without a formal security report. Sources said that though the security agencies were still expecting her name at the weekend, the top echelon of the agencies have confirmed to the government that they were yet to receive a petition against her since she left office in 2007.

A source said that such information confirmation could facilitate the sending of her name directly to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/jul/3/632.html

ZnO:

What will happen to Aganga from '''Lagos State'''?
Will he become deputy minister to the almighty amazon, Ngozi? Demotion? I dey laugh oh!!!

You need to start crying because you will be disappointed when your rookie economist failed to make the list, we are talking of Real Economist not theoretical economists that destroy the world economy with their/her cluelessness!

seanet02:

You need to start crying because you will be disappointed when your rookie economist failed to make the list, we are talking of Real Economist not theoretical economists that destroy the world economy with their/her cluelessness!

Let's wait and see. It is a matter of days and we see who be master between Aganga and Ngozi. This time woman go beat man.lol

Okonjo-Iweala, Aganga and Soludo all deserve to be in govt. but should be running different portfolios.

What has aganga done to be anywhere near Abuja let alone government?

How about pat utomi for commerce ?

Donald duke for tourism ?

Return soludo to central bank and mk terrorist sanusi EFCC chairman.
That way he cud watch and scrutinise excesses.

Past NBL chairman- odimegwu. He is a very accomplished man, with a proven record.


Sincerely there is no one in that cabinet so far that is reassuring.

Can someone tell me why Ngozi Okonjo Iweala is representing the south but Dieziani Allison Maduekwe is not representing Anambra state.