ECOWAS leaders to replace Yar’Adua as chairman - ‘His tenure, the worst ever’ - Presidency confused over supplementary budget
From Taiwo Adisa and Christian Okeke
Monday, December 21, 2009

THE failure of President Umaru Yar’Adua to return to the country, 28 days after he left for a medical treatment in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has taken its negative toll on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government Summit which was scheduled to be held today (Monday).




http://odili.net/news/source/2009/dec/21/615.html

President Yar’Adua was elected chairman of the organisation in Abuja on December 19, 2008 for a period of one year after President Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso served out the final leg of his third non-consecutive tenure which lasted from 2006 to 2008. His first tenure was in 1990.

Before the unavoidable shift of the date for the summit to January 18, 2010, the heads of state were expected to consider the performance of West Africa’s economy and the 2009 work programme of the institution, which is articulated around five priority areas of activity and expected to be presented to them by the President of the Commission, Dr. Chambas, as part of the 2009 annual report.

The priority areas are the completion of work on the creation of a customs union, negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA), the development of agricultural and environmental policies as well as the state of peace and security in the region.

Apart from those areas, the summit was also to consider the Council of Ministers’ report which, among other things, includes recommendations on various sectoral programmes from such meetings as the ECOWAS Ministers of Health, Culture, Justice as well as Telecommunications and ICT.

It would have also considered the guidelines for the preparation of report on the ECOWAS multilateral surveillance mechanism. The ministers had ended their meeting in Abuja on Saturday, November 21, in preparation for presentation of the report to the heads of state.

The regional leaders were expected at the botched summit to sign some supplementary acts and decisions, including such areas as telecommunications and information, communication and technology (ICT) as well as the establishment of a regional copyright observatory.

A major event at the summit, the Nigerian Tribune gathered, would have been the replacement of President Yar’Adua who emerged the sixth Nigerian leader to chair the organisation in 2008 after Olusegun Obasanjo (1978), Muhammadu Buhari (1985), Ibrahim Babangida (1986 - 1988), Sani Abacha (1996 - 1998) and Abdulsalam Abubakar (1998 - 1999).

Indications emerged that the regional leaders will, in January, not give in to any move to re-elect President Yar’Adua for a fresh mandate under any guise, owing to what sources mainly termed his “leadership without direction.”

A source told the Nigerian Tribune that the tenure of President Yar’Adua was one of the worst to be experienced by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Commission, which was set up by Article 7, 8 and 9 of the Treaty and which defined its composition and functions.

Meanwhile, the presidency is said to be confused on what to do to stop the N353 billion 2009 supplementary budget from lapsing as a result of the failure of President Yar’Adua to assent to the budget bill.

The 1999 Constitution stipulates that the President can only hold on to a bill passed by the National assembly for 30 days after which the lawmakers can override the veto by securing two-thirds majority of the two chambers.

Sources told the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday that the presidency had toyed with the idea of taking the bill to Saudi Arabia to secure presidential assent but that members of the kitchen cabinet advised against that bid after securing vital information on the true state of health of the president.

Again, sources said that the Presidency had contemplated sending a letter from Yar’Adua to the National Assembly, to pave the way for Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the bill but that other members of the cabinet decided against it with the hope that the President would have returned to the country last week.

But it was confirmed that the Presidency is also suffering from the effects of non signing of the budget as the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta has become the first casualty.

While the House of Representatives passed the supplementary budget on November 18, 2009, the Senate passed it on November 23.

But it was gathered that the clean copy of the bill actually got to the President’s table on Tuesday, December 8, 2009.

Going by the legislative procedure, the bill could be deemed to have spent its 30th day in the presidency on December 23, thus paving the way for the National Assembly to override the presidential veto.

Sources, however, said that some presidential aides were planning to send an emissary to the National Assembly to calculate the days from December 8, when the National Assembly’s bureaucracy actually presented the budget to Aso Rock.

Senators and members of the House of Representatives as well as officials of ministries and parastatal agencies have been lamenting the inability of the system to effect some payments as a result of the failure of the president to sign the budget.

The House of Representatives had said on Friday that it was aware of what to do to get the budget to become law.

Senate spokesman, Mr. Ayogu Eze, also said on Sunday that the Senate, which began its on recess on Thursday, was actually on standby.

“We are on standby. We are strictly not on holiday, if we are called we will come back,” Senator Ayogu Eze said.

A source in the National Assembly said that the presidency might actualise the delivery of the letter that would ensure that vice-president Goodluck Jonathan takes over in acting capacity to the National Assembly this week.

The source said that though the letter had not been sent as at Sunday, top members of the legislature were aware of the possibility that this might happen this week.

If the letter is sent, the vice president would be able to assent to the budget and other pending issues, including the swearing- in of the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Wahala dey o!

The world is a continuum, and eventually not any single individual can put a cog in the wheels

Thanks for your good gesture, He is not fit due to health status.

Hope Nigeria should learn from this, the VP should take over.

Who you think say we be.you think say every body get time read all those jargons

They ought to have replaced him a long time ago

As my football friends would say, we are gradually losing form in Nigeria (international community)
what a pity, giant of Africa my A*s!

By the grace of God our President shall return hale and hearty to continue the good work he has been doing and there will be shame to the fifth columnists.

yaf1423:

By the grace of God our President shall return hale and hearty to continue the good work he has been doing and there will be shame to the fifth columnists.

Examples.
1.Uninterrupted power failure by december 31st 2009, outcome voice mail
2. Security of life and property,outcome increased rate of armed robbery and insecurity
3.7 point agenda,outcome,after 2yrs,not a point was achieved
4.Electoral reforms,outcome voice mail
4.Turnaround in health facicilities and institutions[b] outcome,president patronising saudi hospital non stop[/b]
5.Fight corruption,Amnesty and TI report
6.Good roads,outcome,punch headline 22december 2009,no federal road was built in 2009,Minister of works

yaf1423:

By the grace of God our President shall return hale and hearty to continue the good work he has been doing and there will be shame to the fifth columnists.

I can guess u are a northerner that is why u made such comment.

yaf1423:

By the grace of God our President shall return hale and hearty to continue the good work he has been doing and there will be shame to the fifth columnists.

Fifth Columnists
A fifth column is a group of people who clandestinely undermine a larger group, such as a nation, from within, to the aid of an external enemy.

It does not take 2cents to know that something is awry with His Excellency, The President of the Federation of Nigeria.
1: Admittedly he has a debilitating ailment that required the trip to Saudi.
2: Doctors announced that he was fine and needed rest and recuperation
3: He has neither spoken, wrote or appeared on camera to calm the nerves of Africa's largest nation the past 28 days
4: He has sent several not-so-credible emissaries to tell Nigerians he loves kunu and would like to have a sip before he comes back to eye-ball what FEC have beendoign recently

I doubt we have enemies that we need to aid by internally under-mining our President's heath status.
Knowing politics in Africa, there is already a vacuum that is causing pre-emptive political decisions that historically have caused chaos and civil kata-kata,let him just youtube a video of him smiling and sipping kunu so we can all go back to our daily lives

yaf1423:

By the grace of God our President shall return hale and hearty to continue the good work he has been doing and there will be shame to the fifth columnists.

you must be an aboki

yaf1423:

By the grace of God our President shall return hale and hearty to continue the good work he has been doing and there will be shame to the fifth columnists.

ode

@yaf1234 , sir it is not the fifth column keeping our dear president AWOL, the man is just ill, which happens to us mortal. When people are ill, they take sick leave, in his own case this may not be possible because of [1] the nature of his job, he is the president of a huge country ,which can not run on auto pilot for to long, because they are things to be sign etc. [2] the nature of his ailment is not going to give him that luxury.

Simply put Mr president is sick no matter how long his family and friends hide , the executive powers would eventually be given to the vice president,that is what the constitution says. So people lets stop being silly. This is bigger than us, other 's are involved and they are watching us making monkeys of ourselves.

Hmm Hmm

Good work indeed

My point has been completely understood out of the context in which it is expressed. The good work mr president is doing does not preclude among other things the ills still plaguing this country. In his own right he has been dexteriously up to the task but only dat the sickness has really hampered quite a lot of things deserving achievement. Never in this country has someone used the kind of technique in solving niger delta arms struggle. We know dat certain lapses still exist and such can't be unplugged overnight. The idea that he has not done anyting should be jettisoned even obj did what he could only dat complacency was his problem.

FOR YARADUA HE IS TRYING HIS BEST and i see no reason why he should resign now since he is recuperating.

the best thing mr. president can do for himself is to give his life to jesus christ and his healing will come speedily. he will live longer than expected. doctors don't have absolute cure for diseases.

yaf1423:

My point has been completely understood out of the context in which it is expressed. The good work mr president is doing does not preclude among other things the ills still plaguing this country. In his own right he has been dexteriously up to the task but only dat the sickness has really hampered quite a lot of things deserving achievement. Never in this country has someone used the kind of technique in solving niger delta arms struggle. We know dat certain lapses still exist and such can't be unplugged overnight. The idea that he has not done anyting should be jettisoned even obj did what he could only dat complacency was his problem.

FOR YARADUA HE IS TRYING HIS BEST and i see no reason why he should resign now since he is recuperating.

I am tired of reading this (apologies in advance) garbage and trite over and over again. Please list Mr President's achievements for us to see. What is this "good job" he is doing. List please and let us grade him right here. I just don't understand why this lame argument continues to persist. Mr President was sick before he got into power, since he did not see it as a problem, why should we? Please take the pity party elsewhere, this man is holding a whole nation's development hostage. John McCain and Obama had to produce their health history and report during campaigning, Yar Adua had to be hospitalised during his own "campaign" and the issue was ignored. If you cannot list Yar Adua's achievements then please stop feeding us such garbage, it really is sickening.

yaf1423:

By the grace of God our President shall return hale and hearty to continue the good work he has been doing and there will be shame to the fifth columnists.

If I may ask, what good works?
Non let Allah or God spit for ur face o!!!!!

yes that's very good pls

things fall apart the center cannot hold, mere anarchy is loosed upon the world

yaf1423:

By the grace of God our President shall return hale and hearty to continue the good work he has been doing and there will be shame to the fifth columnists.

what "good work"?

yaf1423:

My point has been completely understood out of the context in which it is expressed. The good work mr president is doing does not preclude among other things the ills still plaguing this country. In his own right he has been dexteriously up to the task but only dat the sickness has really hampered quite a lot of things deserving achievement. Never in this country has someone used the kind of technique in solving niger delta arms struggle. We know dat certain lapses still exist and such can't be unplugged overnight. The idea that he has not done anyting should be jettisoned even obj did what he could only dat complacency was his problem.

FOR YARADUA HE IS TRYING HIS BEST and i see no reason why he should resign now since he is recuperating.

Mr Yaf, I no wan comment but you are forcing my hands. Be warned!!!  If you have nothing better to do then shut the hell up.

yaf1423:

My point has been completely understood out of the context in which it is expressed. The good work mr president is doing does not preclude among other things the ills still plaguing this country. In his own right he has been dexteriously up to the task but only dat the sickness has really hampered quite a lot of things deserving achievement. Never in this country has someone used the kind of technique in solving niger delta arms struggle. We know dat certain lapses still exist and such can't be unplugged overnight. The idea that he has not done anyting should be jettisoned even obj did what he could only dat complacency was his problem.

FOR YARADUA HE IS TRYING HIS BEST and i see no reason why he should resign now since he is recuperating.

Where do you live cos it seems you don't even know what is happening in Nigeria or around you?

am suprised it took them this long, am impressed

dont mind us nigerians (WE ARE JOKERS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER)

when some people believe that the country is their personal property .

others are simply telling us that time waits for no man_country .

if the job of an Ecowas chairman is this demanding , to the extent that other heads of state feel that the president can't function in his role,then imagine the horror job of a Nigerian president with all the political vultures, spiritual wolves and domestic headaches and cultural kidney problems , state wahala, nnpc brouhaha, FEE DEE FEE imbroglio , international heartproblems!!!!!!!!!! and some people still  deem the man capable??!!!


we need the hand of God in this country

Mr Yaf or whateva ur name is jst stop blabbering, what gud works are u talking about?u mentioned the niger delta issue in one of ur posts, do you know how many students lost their lives and properties when d ex-militants being rehabilitated around d environs of uniport protested?d skul wz shut down 4 one week and u r telling us that ur sick president is working.the guy should just resign jor Naija is too big for one man.

let him just youtube a video of him smiling and sipping kunu so we can all get back to our daily lives

nikkykay:

I can guess u are a northerner that is why u made such comment.

What is the meaning of this?

hmm , i hope he comes back in one piece
Mean while who would read PHELLO Nigeriannnns on the 1st

By the grace of God our President shall return hale and hearty to continue the good work he has been doing and there will be shame to the fifth columnists.

you must be getting something from him. Aboki