Plot to discredit Jonathan uncovered *How ministers will be made to fight Okonjo-Iweala *The Umaru Yar'Adua, 2015 angle

Written by Olawale Rasheed, Abuja
Sunday, October 16, 2011

Plot to discredit theJonathan administration has been uncovered with three separate influential groups said to be behind the agenda whose implementation is already underway.


Findings by Sunday Tribune revealed that the plan is being financially backed by three groups, with each collaborating to ensure a discredited federal administration before the 2015 general elections.

The first group was allegedly linked to some loyalists of the late President Umar Yar'Adua who were said to be bitter about the fall- out of the succession plan.

The second group was reported to be affiliated with some retired generals of northern extraction who are said to be miffed by the refusal of President Jonathan to make expected concessions to them as a placatory gesture.

The third, Sunday Tribune findings showed, centred around an amorphous group from across the federation who are dissatisfied with the emerging economic and fiscal programme of the administration.

Sunday Tribune reliably gathered that the implementation of the agenda was already afoot with the planned removal of fuel subsidy said to be the strategic take-off point for a full blown onslaught on the administration.

Specific aspects of the agenda, Sunday Tribune learnt, included driving a wedge of discord within the federal administration by pitching the president against his deputy and by pitching the ministers against the coordinating minister for economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala.

Other areas of the agenda included deliberate misinformation about federal policies and programmes, arousing tribal suspicion through allegations of South-South domination and the portrayal of the Jonathan presidency as anti-people and a puppet of both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The expected goal of the plot was said to be the total discrediting of the president and his team that "they will be in a very weak position before a nation that would be clamouring for a change as a prelude to the 2015 poll."

A specific aspect of the plot, the creation of rift between the president and the vice president, was said to be on-going with two recent reports and incidents which portrayed Vice President Namadi Sambo as being in cold war with his boss over assignment of roles and the 2015 succession game plan.

Sunday Tribune was told that the incident at the North West zonal meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party was a major attack on the unity of the presidency as the Vice President unknowingly walked into a zonal meeting where political traps were already laid for him.

With branded campaign vehicles and posters of 2015 presidential ambition, the schemers, it was alleged, had hoped to portray the Vice President as disloyal and therefore create a wedge and conflict in the heart of the presidency.

"The agenda is on. Soon more reports will circulate of the Vice President's anger against Dr Iweala.The plan is to consistently peddle lies of frictions with the hope that in due course, it would soon become a fact that will pitch the president against his deputy",a source noted.

While some ministers had issues with the powers allocated to the coordinating minister for the economy, Dr Iweala, Sunday Tribune was told that those behind the agenda would soon raise more questions about power relations within the Federal Executive Council, with the goal of splitting the council along the line of pro and anti-Iweala.

Another top source stated that "a general climate of misinformation is part of the agenda ", noting that "many false stories that are capable of setting the country ablaze or against the president will soon be emerging.

"You read of the foreign refinery issue, the alleged focus on Niger Delta alone. More are coming and the public and the media should be wary of such unfounded stories'', adding that "there will even be an attempt to pitch some Niger Delta leaders against the president."

Meanwhile, the governor of Benue State, Honourable Gabriel Suswam has risen in stout defence of President Jonathan, describing him as "a firm leader " who nonetheless believes strongly in "democratic tradition, due process and the rule of law".

Speaking with Sunday Tribune in Abuja, Suswam berated critics of the president whom he accused of working to thwart on-going national reformation and transformation agenda capable of changing the fortune of the nation for the better.

While urging Nigerians to rally round the president, Suswam expressed apprehensions over the attitude of some Nigerians to their leaders and called for a change of attitude so that the leadership would deliver on good governance.

"I urge Nigerians to rally round the president as he is doing his best to take the nation out of the woods.

"Because the president is humble and democratic does not make him weak. When we had Obasanjo, we called him an autocrat. Now we have a believer in due process and democratic application of state power, we say he is not firm. What exactly do we want?," the governor asked.



http://odili.net/news/source/2011/oct/16/621.html

Nigerian politics is not for the faint hearted. If the President can not stand the heat, he should get out of the kitchen.

danjohn:

Nigerian politics is not for the faint hearted. If the President can not stand the heat, he should get out of the kitchen.

This doesn't make sense. Nigeria is currently a phucked up jungle because our politics is a place for murder and lying, a place without morals, yet here you are telling the first person to introduce some semblance of civilisation to exit the place for the usual animals.
Of course, I expect you to also be at the front of the train hypocritically calling for changes; thats the "Nigerian" way.

Beaf:

This doesn't make sense. Nigeria is currently a phucked up jungle because our politics is a place for murder and lying, a place without morals, yet here you are telling the first person to introduce some semblance of civilisation to exit the place for the usual animals.
Of course, I expect you to also be at the front of the train hypocritically calling for changes; thats the "Nigerian" way.

Beaf that is not what I am saying.  I am saying that the President needs to take on the fight like a man.  Politics is a tough sport.  Politicians do not make new friends; hence they have to stick closely to their old ones.  Sambo is not the President's friend neither is Okonjo Iweala.  They are allies.  Allies are not selflessly loyal because they also have their own agenda.  The President needs to use his political skills to make the people around him to see how accomplishing the President's agenda will help them achieve their long term political goals.  Politics is a dirty sport with lots of back stabbing and lots of "what's in it for me".  Yes I know that the term "what's in it for me" in 9ja usually means bribe.  In this case that is not what I am referring to.  Even some of the most progressive politicians will ask what's in it for me in terms of: "how does this boost my name recognition?", "how does it provide me access to some key power brokers?", "will my geo-political region approve of this?", "will I get credit for this? or will the President take all the credit?",  "will I get a photo op with the President" etc. 

Sambo knows that the chances of the Presidency being zoned to the North are very high and he is trying to play his cards.  The other ministers want to be more relevant.  They feel like Okonjo Iweala has been made Prime Minister.  In addition, her being a high profile figure sucked all the air out of the room.  Many Ministers do not feel like they got a boost from their appointments.  Most of them have yet to get an increase in name recognition.  I know that all this sounds petty but that is how politicians think my brother.

Yes I have become a big critic of the President almost to the point where if the President said "the sky is blue", I will look for a way to say his comment is false.  However, this article has a whining tone.  It almost sounds like it was planted by the President's allies to make people to know what the President is up against.  However, what I read here is simply political hardball (9ja style). 

For one second let me take off my critic hat and be a pragmatist.  Although the President promised sweeping change, he still has to deal with the rough terrain of 9ja politics which his lack of experience did not prepare him for.  As a result of this, he had to bring in people like Anenih who know the terrain to teach him how things get done.  Although Anenih is a master strategist, there is a strong perception around that he is a very corrupt man.  This puts the President in a difficult situation.  If he does not have people like Anenih showing him how stuff gets done, he will have a hard time.  However, having Anenih around makes it hard to prosecute other corrupt officials in the country. 

The President campaigned as a reformer.  Hence he should have expected this.  Change is not going to come easy.  The status quo is going to fight back with everything its got.  It is the President's job to sharpen his political skills and fight back.  A President with weak political skills can become irrelevant.  My unsolicited advice to the President is to always make sure that he has a carrot he can point to.  Yes the problem of insecurity will take a long time to resolve but he needs to find something that can neutralize his declining public support.  E.g. he needs to make the repair of all the federal interstate highways a top priority.  That is something that people can see.  That is something that his allies and supporters can use as a counter punch when critics like me want to criticize the President for saying "the sky is blue". 

The President said in the campaign that he wants to strengthen our political institutions.  However, to do so he needs political capital.  He needs to make sure that he has developments that people can see whilst he engages in the necessary political battles to save our country.  In addition, he needs to pick his battles carefully.

In conclusion, my previous comment was a knee jerk reaction to the article's whiny tone.  All I am saying is that the President needs to man up and fight for our country.

^
You didn't make any sense with your first response and the long prose above just makes you seem confused, because you have admited to being biased; not that it is a surprise, its the new fad and the new "cool."
Enjoy yourself, bruv.

@Beaf
First, I don't think Jonathan has done such a good job for you to call him "the first person to introduce some semblance of civilisation". I have no idea what you are talking about, [size=14pt]AND NEITHER DO YOU[/size] - glib propagandist talk, if you ask me.

On the point of discrediting GEJ, there are two points:
1) He's being doing a good job of discrediting himself - what with all the lopsided appointments, utterances, and now attempts to pull the fuel subsidy using a con-job.
2) He will be discredited by do-no-gooders unless he establish a firm channel of communication with the Nigerian people. You can't sit in Abuja like you are hiding away and then come out to complain about being discredited.

As for do-no-gooders discrediting others, you ( Beaf) should know - since that is the entirety of your performance here on NL

Beaf:

This doesn't make sense. Nigeria is currently a phucked up jungle because our politics is a place for murder and lying, a place without morals, yet here you are telling the first person to introduce some semblance of civilisation to exit the place for the usual animals.
Of course, I expect you to also be at the front of the train hypocritically calling for changes; thats the "Nigerian" way.

^
Dude, your head is so far up your scary arse that there is no reasoning with you.
These days, you are so occupied with your Yoruba project under a drug baron that you don't even know you are headed for the woods. All you ACN folk do is try hard to subvert govt for bigoted reasons and then pop up to make tainted arguments. Lol!

Who do you think you are fooling?

Abeg, stick to defending Tinubu, Aregbesola and other criminals.

Beaf:

^
Dude, your head is so far up your scary arse that there is no reasoning with you.
These days, you are so occupied with your Yoruba project under a drug baron that you don't even know you are headed for the woods. All you folk do is try hard to subvert govt for bigoted reasons and then pop up to make tainted arguments. Lol!

Abeg, stick to defending Tinubu, Aregbesola and other criminals.

[size=16pt]BIGOT!!!!!!!!!!!![/size]

wow - will gej arrest himself  

he's doing a bang up job of discrediting himself and making himself a laughingstock with his increasingly bizarre uteerances

i mean come on

it is nigeria's turn fot terrorosm
i am not a lion
i am endorsed by bongo
we are building shipyard
on top of the situation

fuel subsidy, botched minimum wage, tenure elongation - and this within 6 months

^
Silly.

What does "the first person to introduce some semblance of civilisation" mean?

As for the rest of your gibberish, your reverse psychology doesn't work over here - so jump in the ocean with your cooky theories or choke on a piece of thick bone-fish - your choice.

Beaf:

^
Dude, your head is so far up your scary arse that there is no reasoning with you.
These days, you are so occupied with your Yoruba project under a drug baron that you don't even know you are headed for the woods. All you ACN folk do is try hard to subvert govt for bigoted reasons and then pop up to make tainted arguments. Lol!

Who do you think you are fooling?

Abeg, stick to defending Tinubu, Aregbesola and other criminals.

Excellent analysis, danjohn.

WHo can discredit Retardeen when he has already done it for himself

koruji:

What does "the first person to introduce some semblance of civilisation"?

As for the rest of your gibberish, your reverse psychology doesn't work over here - so jump in the ocean with your cooky theories or choke on a piece of thick bone-fish - your choice.

What does the question or sentence in bold mean. Are you speaking Tiv or Hausa, abi na just shak you shak till eyes red?

Dude quit the verbal staggering, you are very tired and your battery has failed. Go back to praise singing and fanning Tinubu's horrid arse. I might even send you a toy talking drum to complete the package, do you like the design below? You can use it for other occassions, including parties and owambe's.

He he he he he. Just keep running - it fits you just fine.

Beaf:

What does the question or sentence in bold mean. Are you speaking Tiv or Hausa, abi na just shak you shak till eyes red?

Dude quit the verbal staggering, you are very tired and your battery has failed. Go back to praise singing and fanning Tinubu's horrid arse. I might even send you a toy talking drum to complete the package, do you like the design below? You can use it for other occassions, including parties and owambe's.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” But, becoming a great leader isn’t easy. Successfully maneuvering a team through the ups and downs of starting a new business can be one of the greatest challenges a small-business owner faces.

Leadership is one of the areas that many entrepreneurs tend to overlook, according leadership coach John C. Maxwell, whose books include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (Thomas Nelson, 1998) and Developing the Leader Within You (Thomas Nelson, 1993).

“You work hard to develop your product or service. You fight to solve your financial issues. You go out and promote your business and sell your product. But you don't think enough about leading your own people and finding the best staff,” Maxwell says.

It turns out, the skills and talents necessary to guide your team in the right direction can be simple, and anyone with the determination can develop them. Here’s a list of 10 tips drawn from the secrets of successful leaders.

Yeah, Leadership is not about whining, and  throwing of tantrums when everyone else don't want to play your game anymore.

Beaf:

^
You didn't make any sense with your first response and the long prose above just makes you seem confused, because you have admited to being biased; not that it is a surprise, its the new fad and the new "cool."
Enjoy yourself, bruv.

I was trying to sound nuanced and I was trying to present my argument in a way that will make you to see that I am not overly callous about your sentiments.  I was also trying use a hyperbole to make you to see that I understand that sometimes you may view attacks on President Jonathan as being unfair.   Nonetheless, I am a critic of the President because his performance has not won me over.  My expectations are not even too high.  If in 2014 I see that all our interstate highways have been given a face lift; if Nigerians can boast of 18hrs of electricity every day in 2014; if insecurity and terrorism are abated; and if some genuine high profile EFCC arrests are made, I will stop being a critic of the President.   If the President goes above and beyond what I mentioned above I will strongly consider becoming a supporter.  I cannot be on the President's bandwagon because he is from the SS.  Neither can I be on his bandwagon because his name is Goodluck.  He has to prove himself.  He has to make us know that "Khaki no be leather".  Take care my brother.

Phantom plot

When it comes to GEJ, beaf is not objective, arguing with him is just a waste of time, GEJ should deliver and stop whining.

Mehn, If Ijaw man, GEJ,  becomes bonesless and wimps, I feel sorry come 2015. A SE go hear whiiiiin.
And Yorubas have not even started with GEJ yet, they're still trying to reason with him.


BTW, Sambo is one uselesssssssssssssssssss vice president. How come he can't control his miserable Northerners? I thought Northerners bounded together or sth like that.

If sth happens to GEJ, that's the day Nigeria divides because we all know the North and SE will be fighting for presidency like two fat kids over beef jerky.

ekt_bear:

Excellent analysis, danjohn.

Thanks!!!

@Danjohn, ride on.

Given our history and the way our country's contemporaries have left her behind, Nigerians must be courageous to keep their so-called leaders on their toes.

Afterall, when (the leaders) fail, which happens frequently, who suffers? - it is the people who suffer and not the failed leaders.

It baffles me at times why a government would be so consumed by who wants to discredit it,even if there is no visible enemy in sight.It is only an unserious government that would conjure a fictitious enemy as an excuse for non-performance.You can fight your so-called enemies by out-performing.

Ileke-IdI:

Mehn, If Ijaw man, GEJ,  becomes bonesless and wimps, I feel sorry come 2015. A SE go hear whiiiiin.
And Yorubas have not even started with GEJ yet, they're still trying to reason with him.


BTW, Sambo is one uselesssssssssssssssssss vice president. How come he can't control his miserable Northerners? I thought Northerners bounded together or sth like that.

If sth happens to GEJ, that's the day Nigeria divides because we all know the North and SE will be fighting for presidency like two fat kids over beef jerky.

Is something going wrong with you?
kilon se?

No nigerian reads tribune again criminal journalist are in charge there ,so what they specialise is spin and twist and a hatchet job for some pdp looters

R101

Look, if you cant speak Yoruba properly, it's really not a must to speak it.
English for now okay.
Thank you.

So what were you trying to get my attention to @ the bolded part?

I speak and write better yoruba than you.
I know why I write in broken yoruba.

Broken Yoruba indeed.
Be a good boy, let's stick to English for now.
What a gentleman you are, because I know you'll listen.

Na, mon lon su.
Odaro.

Relax101:

Na, mon lon su. ==> mo n lo sun
Odaro. ==> odaaro

smh.

You see why I said broken yoruba.
I invented broken yoruba and broken Igbo.

Just go and sleep.
I hope the scorpions bites.