THE Director-General of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation Senator Dalhatu Tafida Thursday accused those condemning President Goodluck Jonathan’s handling of the Abuja explosions of plotting to take over power by force.

Tafida spoke as doubts were expressed over the Al-Jazeera interview in which militant leader Henry Okah said an associate of Jonathan wanted him to implicate Northerners.

South Africa security services were said to confirmed to their Nigerian counterparts that "at no time did we allow Okah to make such telephone contact."
"Following the suspicion raised about the authenticity of the interview, we contacted South Africa to confirm its validity but were shocked to find out that at no time did such interview take place," the source also said.

Investigations within the security services in Nigeria and South Africa revealed that the interview with Mr. Okah, might have been faked to deceive the Arab cable news network as South Africa and Nigerian secret services maintain that there is a great deal of doubt about the authenticity of the telephone contact between the media organisation and the embattled militant leader.

Said a top security source: "Following suspicion raised about the authenticity of the interview, we contacted South Africa to confirm its validity but were shocked to find out that at no time did such interview take place.

But Al-Jazeera denied the interview was fabricated. Spokesperson for the organisation, who pleaded not to be named, said last night: "I can assure you it (the interview) is not fake or fabricated.

Al-Jazeera maintians the highest standard of integrity and professionalism. Henry Okah contacted our headquarters in Doha and I can confirm the interview is one hundred per cent true".

The Al-Jazeera source added that in South Africa, a detainee could make and receive calls.

Also Thursday, Southsouth Elders and Leaders Forum, led by Chief Edwin Clark, attacked former Finance Minister Adamu Ciroma and other leaders of the Northern Political Leaders Forum for asking Jonathan to quit office over his handling of the blast.

Tafida said: "Instead of some of the elders who are vicariously responsible for the frustration of many of our youths to be sober, they are desperately trying to milk this national tragedy for political gains.

"While the security agencies are busy trying to unearth the details of the natural tragedy, the provocative comments of some of our yesteryear men, laced with demeaning ethnic chauvinism, suggest that they do not mind if Nigeria explodes if they don’t acquire power at all cost in the 2011 primaries and general elections," he said.

Tafida said no matter the situation, President Jonathan would not lose focus but remain on track as "no amount of blackmail, regionalising or bringing religion will stop the President from moving forward."

The Campaign DG advised that time to play politics had not yet come but added that much as saying the Jonathan/Sambo camp would want President Jonathan to win the PDP ticket, if however his opponents win, "we will follow them."

"A presidential election is not a game of life and death. I therefore enjoin all members of the PDP in the race to remember that there is politics after presidential election. Let us be careful. "Whatever religion you belong, let us remember that it is the Almighty God and He alone who gives power to whom He likes and takes away power from whom he wishes," he added.

He said: "Many suffered in the cause of the struggle without looking for any personal reward. Many died so that we, their children, could have a good life.

They built roads, they provided hospitals, they set up universities that competed with the best anywhere in the world. This was the Nigeria they handed over to us.

"But what do we have now? Regrettably, most regrettably, almost everything they worked for, they laboured for, for which they kicked out the British colonialists, has been compromised. Much of the compromise and decline occurred during the period of the military rule when people had no say in the choice and conduct of governance.

"As a result of consistent struggle for democracy, Nigeria has achieved democratic governance at last. We should, therefore, sustain these gains and jealously guard them."

The Southsouth Elders and Leaders Forum said they viewed the statement made by the NPLF, led by former Finance Minister Adamu Ciroma, as "a brazen seditious threat to the unity of the country".

After an emergency meeting held at the Abuja residence of its leader, Chief Edwin Clark, the forum demanded an apology and retraction of the statement, which they said slandered the President and the people of the Southsouth.

Briefing reporters on the outcome of their meeting, the Secretary of the Forum Chief Ayakeme Whisky described the statement as highly inflammatory, adding that the NPLF was only trying to whip up sentiment within the military .

"The Forum views the reckless and unguarded vituperations of the northern leaders as an attempt to whip up dangerous sentiment within the military by insinuating that it was the recent widely-acclaimed changes in the nation’s defence hierarchy that led to the tragic event of October 1.

Wondering if there had not been mysterious bombings, fundamental breaches of human rights and other high-level security breaches even on the watch of respected military leaders from the north such as the 2011 Presidential aspirant General Ibrahim Babangida.

"We can understand their sense of frustration and despair because we know as a matter of fact that these are people who live and survive only by clinging to power because they see it as their exclusive birthright.

What more! We are not really surprised at the brazen threat because we know it is in the culture of these self acclaimed apostles and new face of democracy to always subvert and undermine legitimate and constitutional governments.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/15489.html

So where is the proof?

Yes?
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Here's the proof.


A report from a Nigerian Daily newspaper:

The Chief of Staff to the President Mike Ogiadomhe has not been detained or even sacked in connection with the Independence Day twin bomb blasts in Abuja, a Presidency source said yesterday.
The source also described as fake the interview relayed by Al Jazeera Tuesday with the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Mr. Henry Okah.

Okah alleged in the interview that a top aide of President Goodluck Jonathan telephoned him in South Africa  and asked him to get MEND to retract its claim that it carried out the Independence Day bombing in Abuja so that the President could blame the blasts on some unnamed northerners.

The President’s men immediately denied the claim but the next day rumours began to filter out in Abuja that Ogiadomhe was in fact the top aide of the President who placed the call to Okah, and that he had been detained by the State Security Service. The rumour persisted when the Chief of Staff was said not to be in the office on Wednesday.

In denying the arrest, the source, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said it was the handiwork of political detractors who are bent on causing disaffection in the system.

“Yesterday it was the arrest of Oghiadomhe, today it is his sack and who knows what they will cook up for tomorrow? It is a sad way of playing politics and we encourage politicians to come out to face pure competition instead of resorting to unholy ways of pulling down political opponents.

“If they think they can be president, they should go out in very civil way and not by slandering and telling outright lies that can give them the Presidency,” the source said.

The source said the motives of these “political jobbers is designed to justify that Jonathan actually directed one of his aides to persuade embattled MEND ex-leader Henry Okah, to implicate northern political leaders, which the president never did.

“The group is also interested in destabilising the polity with a view to discrediting the ability of the President in running the affairs of government. They are not interested in the survival of our hard earned democracy. They are evil and agents of darkness,” the Presidential source added.

On the interview with Al Jazeera, the source said it was faked to deceive Nigerians.

The sources said investigations within the security services in Nigeria and South Africa revealed that the interview with Mr. Okah, may have been faked to deceive the television, Nigerian and South African intelligence services.

The source maintained that since his arrest, Okah has not made any telephone contact with the media organization, as the South Africa security services are said to have confirmed to their Nigerian counterparts that, “at no time did we allow Okah to make such telephone contact.

“Following suspicion raised about the authenticity of the interview, we contacted South Africa to confirm its validity but were shocked to find out that at no time did such interview take place.” On why it took the government so long to cross check the information, the source said it was because the government wanted to be thorough.

The sources added “the South African government has been waiting for such security inquiries from their Nigerian counterpart before revealing the veracity of the interview since the content does not concern them directly.

Daily Trust learnt yesterday, the government had complained to the South African authorities on why Okah was allowed to talk to Al Jazeera while he is in detention.

However, a senior security official told Daily Trust yesterday that under South African law, Okah as a mere suspect, is entitled to his phones and is permitted to make two phone calls each day.

In fact, the security official said, it had been made clear to the Nigerian government that Okah could be released on his next court appearance unless the government presents credible evidence linking him to the blasts. Some rights groups in that country had already started campaigning that Okah’s rights as a suspect must be respected.

Their concern was heightened by the manner of his arrest in which about 20 armed policemen stormed his home to take him into custody. Few days later his house was searched again but that no incriminating evidence was found.


GEJ and his camp should stop fooling 9jans. Okah was a suspect and the 9ja (GEJ) camp are yet to present any concrete evidence against him. In civilized societies, suspects are still allowed to make phone calls. The guy simply made use of the opportunity available to him.

The last time I checked, Jonathan said Okah's allegations were those of a drowning man. And now, they say the interview was a fake. Very inconsistent and immature. GEJ should pull his house together