FRESH facts emerged yesterday on how the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has been sharply divided over the powers of the Acting President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, with 12 them who referred to themselves as wise men wrote a strongly worded memo to the Acting President to maintain the status quo.

The wise men also cautioned the Acting President to avoid any attempt to refer to the current administration as Jonathan administration, insisting that it remains YarAdua administration till 2011.

This formed part of the contents of the memo the 12 wise men were said to have submitted to the Acting President on Wednesday before the beginning of the Council meeting.

They also advised the Acting President against dissolving the cabinet and reasoned that since the ailing President Umaru YarAdua is in the country, the Acting President does not have the power to either dissolve the cabinet or tamper with the office of the Service Chiefs.

According to them, 'any attempt to move against the existing structure will fail'. They advised him not to see himself 'running a new presidency'.

The memo also warned of the grave dangers ahead if the Acting President should make moves to become a substantive president. Such moves, they reasoned 'will fail', and heat up the polity.

The ministers were said to have earlier met at the office of the Defence Minister, Gen Godwin Abbe (rtd) to fine tune their position. They also frowned at the composition of the Presidential Advisory Council headed by Gen T. Y Dajuma without consulting them and the Presidential Monitoring Committee on Federal Projects which they see as a threat to deal with the ministers who are not allied with the ambition of the Acting President.

They were also said to have met some governors who reasoned along with them for what a source called 'their political survival strategy.'

The source said the search light on the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources where projects worth N30 billion are being investigated was part of their major fears.

It was not surprising that the position of the governors when they met with the Acting President on Wednesday was not entirely different from some of the contents of the memo which the ministers had earlier submitted to the Acting President,” the source said.

The 12 'wise men' include, Senator Adamu Aliero, Dr Ibrahim Lame, Demola Seriki, Rilwan Lukman, Shetimma Mustapha, Shamsideen Usman and Chief Ufot Ekaette.

Others are Gen Godwin Abbe (rtd), Sam Egwu, Dr S. Abba Ruma, Prof Babatunde Osotimehin and Taminu Kurfi.

But other members of the cabinet were said to have faulted with the memo and reasoned that it was an attempt to remove all executive powers from the Acting President and make him a lame duck executive officer.

The Acting President should not be made a lame duck; he has the powers to exercise all the executive functions including dissolution of the cabinet and do whatever he feels will move the country forward,” they said.

Some of the cabinet members who spoke to defend full executive powers for the Acting President include the Secretary to the Federal Government, Yayale Ahmed, Ojo Maduekwe, Godsday Orubebe, Remi Babalola and Dora Akunyili.

A source close to the presidency said: The resolution given by the 12 wise men is an affront to the Acting President. Nigerians should be curious as to what gives them the courage to do this against constituted authority. Should the sanctity and respect of the constitution bow to self-serving interests that have not achieved any tangibles for the ordinary man on the street?”

http://www.nigerianewspapersonline.net/maintain-status-quo-twelve-ministers-write-jonathan

I swear i dey miss Obasanjo, who can dare this rubbish with him. Hw will first of all slap shit comot for their body and Call Nuhu, their case file will be ready in EFCC by noon, yeye Wise men

@Aisha2,
nigerians need a strong man, GJ is not in that pool, that is why he need danjuma badly. I hope he will act anyway, as jos is boiling right now.

So if acting president has no power, why is he acting . . . .Should then be referred to as powerless-President?

These guys feel soo entitled and out of touch.

jumobi1:

These guys feel soo entitled and out of touch.

Lol to the out of touch

Jonathn should not disgrace us.

He has the option to be:

1. Scared- to make change so as to save his life from possible danger, in which case I advise that he resigns and allow Mark to do it.
2. Greedy- try to just be there as a toy, use the opportunity to steal money for himself and just leave without making any impact.
3. Bold-shun the govs, sack the cabal and make a change, afterall he is not planning for re-election.