- FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed in dilemma

THE maxim which admonishes: ‘be kind to the people you meet on your way up because you may meet them on your way down,’ is true after all. Hajia Turai Umaru Yar'Adua might have started reaping the fruits of her (mis) conduct when her husband, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who was the President of Nigeria took ill necessitating her being the most powerful individual in Presidential Villa, Asokoro, Abuja. During the over twelve months of her husband's last struggle with the ailment that eventually killed him, Turai was purported to be in charge of giving the final authority or any official matter or contract award which ordinarily is the prerogative of President Umaru Yar'Adua.

National Daily learned that the former first lady is seriously worried about the consequences of incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan's decision to review some of the multi-billion naira contract awarded during the last month of Yar'Adua's life particularly those awarded when he had been incapacitated and was unable to personally discharge his official responsibility. The president's intentions has received the backing of the senate.

- Usurpation

Competent sources affirmed that as was demanded by the constitution Jonathan was not allowed to take over the President's responsibility when he could no longer be effective for a long period until the senate intervened and pronounced Jonathan the acting president.

Turai was said to be at the head of the Cabal who seized the apparatus of government and took vital decision which in most cases served only selfish and parochial interest.

Following intense pressure from concerned groups and individuals, the senate resolved to probe into certain projects that touches on the infrastructural development and welfare of Nigerian's in the project area.

Among the progress currently under review is the Zuba-Mpape Road, Abuja, new residences for the Senate President, his Deputy, Speaker of the House of Representatives and his Deputy. The issue of 7 hectares of premium land she acquired on Airport Road, Lugbe, Abuja and the N10billion she raised purportedly to build her cancer centre is causing some furor between her and the new FCT minister who sources said is bent of retrieving the land.

- Retribution

National Daily learned that the current persistent effort to review inflated contracts and uncover abandoned ones said to be awarded under the influences of the former first lady was not only sanctioned by President Jonathan but was given a more sharpened teeth by the incumbent first lady, Patience Jonathan who is said not to have forgotten How Turai humiliated her husband when she was “Mama Excellency” of Aso Rock.

“The first lady is still recriminating the ordeal Jonathan was made to face by Turai when Yar'Adua was incapacitated instead of being made to hold brief for the former President, Jonathan was sidelined on the instructions of Turai. Jonathan spent hours in the office reading newspapers” an inside source said, adding: “the first lady is unhappy that Turai seized the opportunity to enrich herself through dubious projects and inflated contracts. She wants future first ladies to learn a lesson about humility”

The Senate in its determination to encourage prudent management of public funds, accountability and to drive the federal government's anti-corruption crusade empowered its committee on Federal Capital Territory headed by senator Smart Adeyemi to review some contracts awarded in the last days of Yar'Adua's administration. Among the contracts include Zuba-Mpape road dualisation which was awarded to CGC at the whooping cost of over N50 billion.

The committee reviewed the contract down ward and demanded that the contractors refund N30, billion paid as mobilization fee to the federal government.

- Sordid details

Competent sources disclosed that Turai and Adamu Aliero who was Minister of Federal Capital Territory were those that directly influenced the award of contract to CGC, a company said to represent Turai's interest.

The senator Adeyemi committee has so far made startling revelation of abandoned contracts in the FCT. “There's a case of four contractors that had been mobilized to build new residences for the Senate president, his deputy, speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy for N3,044,675,974.54. The contract was awarded to Bussdor and company Limited, Persons Science Engineering Co. Limited, Shelter Development Limited. And Independent service Nigeria Limited but there was no visible progress on the contract execution.

Another dubious contract is the design and construction of the official residence of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which was originally awarded in October, 2009 at the cost of N7billion and reviewed upward to N16 billion. The senate committee discovered that the sites for the construction of these projects are non-existence.

“It is judgment day for Turai. It is time for her to account for her deeds as de facto president of Nigeria for the 12 months her husband was indisposed. She was absolutely in charge of decision making process and this affected appointments, contract and oil lifting license. During this period, the vice president (Goodluck Jonathan) was shut out. She was very hostile to the vice president, his staff and his wife, Patience. The incumbent first lady who was the wife of the vice president then, has not forgotten that experience. Now that her husband has become the president, she wants to cut the former first lady down to seize that is why she is influencing her husband's supporters in the senate to uncover Turai's fraudulent contract awards “our source said.

National Daily learned that the specific target of the probe are the contracts awarded by the FCT while the late President was either away in Saudi Arabia for treatment and when he was invalid in the presidential Villa.

Senator Smart Adeyemi, Senate Committee Chairman on the FCT is said to be vested with the responsibility to coordinate other “friends” of the first lady the senate to galvanize support for the senate to pass a resolution to review all contracts awarded by the FCT administration during the entire Yar'Adua years.

The executive arm of the “contract Review Project” is said be under the coordination of Senator Bala Mohammed, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Mohammed according to sources, has began moves to retrieve the land by cancelling the previous documents concerning the 7 hectares of land awarded to Turai by his predecessors, Adamu Aliero.

- Dilemma

However, when Information filtered into her, Turai was said to have made desperate effort to show that “there is work in progress at the site” and that the project has not been abandoned. It sources said that Mohammed is under pressure to confiscate the huge expanse of land a situation which is said to have turned a dilemma for the FCT minister whose appointment into office was said to have been influenced by the incumbent first lady. Mohammed's dilemma is allegedly heightened by the fact that he desires to run as governor of Bauchi State which he had the support of his state godfather, Governor Isa Yuguda. However, Yuguda is Yar'Adua's son in-law being married to one of his daughters, Nafsat, Yuguda will not support Mohammed to undo his mother in-law, Turai, so, Mohammed is in torn between loyalty to his Aso Rock benefactor and to his future ambition.

http://www.nationaldailyngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2490%3Aturai-in-multi-billion-naira-contract-mess&catid=310%3Acurrent-edition&Itemid=542

Turai is a criminal and should be tried.

Don'y you all worry, nothing and i repeat nothing will happen. Mark my words.

I am certainly sure that nigeria will break. .nigeria is for them not for the masses.

dustydee:

Don'y you all worry, nothing and i repeat nothing will happen. Mark my words.

juman:

I am certainly sure that nigeria will break. .nigeria is for them not for the masses.

GBAM