₦airaland Forum

That car will retaliate if you attack it!

Any list without Babangida, is rubbish!

This is the cabals idea of fighting the swearing in of ministers today. These folk ("owners" of Nigeria) are getting more and more ridiculous with each passing day; some id!ots even put up campaign posters for Yar'Adua 2011! Damn! Are they so evil that they can't let a sick man rest?

Boy! What weak actions sha!

newmaster:
until oyedepo says a word, i will never believe all this reports. we re watching the drama nollywood part 2

Who cares what he says, is he a doctor? Can he prove that he saw Yar'Adua?
Those "Christian" leaders have made themselves second class to the Imams anyway. They were only invited after questions were asked if Imams are more important than Jonathan, David Mark and Bankole who are yet to see the so called Yar'Adua.

babapupa:
^^^^^Little things troubles shallow minds like yours.

babapupa:
Olodo,

He sent you a memo say na sarcasm abi you just rummaged trough his soul to figure out.

Abeg go sidon for corner if ya blokos dey itch, it's not by force to open mouth.

babapupa:
Abeg don't mind the dufus,

babapupa:
lol. This owl too dey yarn ugly,

Wonders shall never end,

. . .Sounds more like a stressed thug to me.

^
You're not the only thats biased toward a driver.
I've always been biased toward McLaren drivers (they only have to get in the seat). I used to root for Alonso too, he is one of the best out there; but I turned firmly against after he single handedly tried to blackmail McLaren into making him number 1, using the details of some Ferrari knowledge McLaren had "acquired". All teams spy on each other.
Yes, he was affected by the gearbox problems. It was evident a couple of times when he ran wide, because he couldn't downshift and outbrake others at the same time. I really doubt he would have made it past Massa though.

This is a better map. There are large Christian populations in some of the places beyond the "Berom Wall" (good name ).

ziga:
It might be a good policy for now when things are unstable, and the ND population is being marginalized.

But looking far into the future, it might not be too good for healthy competition and productivity.

Take the UK for instance where foreigners with very good qualifications are working in unspecialized positions.

Oil is going to dry up very soon, so those positions and any other means of compensation will not last long, therefore looking any distance into the future is not helpful. The options on the table right now are affordable to the country and the easiest way out for us all. The damage to the Niger Delta has to be paid for, there are high levels of skin deceases, cancers, asthma and other respiratory deceases affecting large proportions of the ND population due to polution; employment will not cure this things, just as it won't repair the damaged ecosystem.
If anything, the Niger Delta is really losing out out, the current initiatives are just damage limitation.

I pity the Nigerian economy. What were people thinking when they put a person like Sanusi in such a position. The man is so bush that he is lost in the sophisticated World of high finance, unfortunately the Nigerian economy is getting lost with him.

The suspect, who is being interrogated at the Criminal Investigation Department of the police command, he added, had been feigning madness.

He said: ”Because the attack was not successful, his behaviour at this preliminary stage of our interrogation was expected. We know he is just feigning madness. We know he is just acting a script. He will eventually tell us the truth. The earlier he tells us the truth, the better for him because we must get to the bottom of this matter.

”No madman could have done what he did. He drove a car crashing through two security gates and headed straight for a boarded aircraft. In the process, he even did a U-turn and squeezed the car underbelly and now he is claiming to be mad. We cannot be deceived.”

When did police men become psychiatrists?
I fear fear that mans life. Maybe the police think they can beat the "truth" out of him.

@Ziga
Bear in mind that the Niger Delta is by far the most polluted oil producing region in the WHOLE WORLD; the alternative is payment of compensation. It is obvious that Nigeria cannot afford that, plus it would be unfair to other regions who like the ND, haven't benefitted from our oil wealth, and thats because 99% of it goes straight into private pockets.

So leave matter for mata.

Very incriminating interview. She will surely see jail.
That is one Ibori down, more to go.

. . .But how was the police interview obtained? Was it played loud in the court and someone recorded it or is the whole story made up?

. . ."The source said". . .
Tomorrow is Tuesday, e no far again! Lets see who will go in what position.

[size=14pt]FEC: Jonathan bars lobbyists[/size]
By Sola Adebayo, Warri, Published: Monday, 5 Apr 2010
     
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan may have barred lobbyists from his residence and office, less than 48 hours to the inauguration of the new Federal Executive Council.

Our correspondent learnt that Jonathan took the action amidst pressure from some governors, political and zonal leaders on him to assign juicy portfolios to ministers who are their ‘candidates.’

Sources said on Sunday that some of the governors, political and zonal leaders had temporarily shifted base to Abuja ahead of the inauguration of the cabinet either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

One of the sources in the Presidency said the lobbyists had been making frantic efforts to secure audience with Jonathan to discuss the distribution of portfolios to the new ministers.

The source said the godfathers were specifically averse to the appointment of their ‘candidates’ as ministers of state.

The source said Jonathan had limited the number of visitors to his home and office to those ready to discuss serious issues on national development.

Findings further revealed that the Acting President was not willing to discuss and make the allocation of the ministries public until Tuesday.

Our source said, “It may interest you to know that a lot of foremost politicians and business men as well as governors and leaders of the six zones of the country have moved to Abuja to influence the Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to deploy their ‘candidates’ in particular ministries.

“The godfathers and some governors are in their various homes and hotels in Abuja , where they make frantic telephone calls to the Presidency, requesting to speak with the Acting President or to book an appointment to see him on the allocation of ministries on Tuesday.

“The lobbyists want ministries where their nominees would be able to patronise them by way of award of mouth-watering contracts and they are not leaving anything to chance at all.

All of them want full cabinet ministerial slots for their godsons.

“The pressure on the Acting President on the FEC matter is becoming unbearable and because of that, he (Jonathan) has limited his visitors to those on patriotic mission to discuss measures to move the country forward.

“The Acting President is interested in posting right persons into the right ministries. He is avoiding pressure from any godfather that will force him to take a wrong step.

“For the Acting President, it is like Tuesday should come very fast to enable him discharge this important national assignment to the best of his ability.

“But he has vowed not to see any big man, who is coming to discuss ministerial posting and he has warned his aides not to facilitate the visit of any unwanted guest to him.”

Efforts to speak with Jonathan’s media aide, Mr. Ima Niboro, did not succeed as he neither answered calls nor replied a text message sent to his telephone.

The text message sent to him reads, “Good day and happy Easter. Please confirm the report that prominent Nigerians, including governors, have moved to Abuja to influence the posting of their nominees into FEC to juicy ministries by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Kindly confirm also that the Acting President has barred lobbyists from his residence and office due to pressure. Thanks.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100405350187

If you are writing for Windows, the only thing you need to learn is how to write autorun.inf. After that, you can write your Flash as you like.

OAM4J:
lol 

omg, what a picture. so he had to make white men carried him on their shoulders?

to prove what 

He also once invited some British envoys and welcomed them in a hut with a low door through which the "British officers were obliged to crawl". . . Idi Amin declared that the British had knelt before him!

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,913231,00.html

princekevo:
Actually could not finish reading this article, just got upset by the first 2 paragraph. Only In Nigeria they will acknowledge that a ministry collected over N3trillion within jst 5yrs which never reflected in the federal account yet nothing is being done to bring the head of this departments, ministry to explain this. Does it mean this ministries and departments were headed by unknown ghost without names? A very Big shame on Nigerian leaders.

Its not just that alone. How can we be proud to say that in 50 years, we don't even have a figure for the amount of oil pumped out of the wells?
The level of corruption in the country is mind boggling.
We need to demand that the oil sector be put on the right footing. People need to be in jail!!! Lets clear the prisons out and put them in.

Sa'eed decried the situation where in the last 50 years of engaging in commercial oil processing, Nigeria is yet to know exactly how many barrels of oil that are produced in its shores.

Jesus!

MRbrownJAY:
i was so gutted when Alonso engine blew as he was passing Button!!!!!

Hamilton drove beautifully until he got behind Alguersuari LOL PRICELESS!

this season really looks like its going to be exciting to watch.
my predictions are still firm on Alonso as he clearly showed some fantastic skills today knowing that his car was written off from the get go!

hopefully Shanghai will be a better race for Ferraris!

It was Sutil that put a royal fullstop to Lewis conquering run, not Alguersuari.

Na, if you watched it on BBC, they have always been very biased toward Alonso and Button. They made a mountain of Alonso's problems; over the years, other drivers have been through similar or worse and in some instances, even gone on to win races. Indeed Alonso was unhampered enough to set some quick times, and thats because he only had downshift problems.
All in all, he did quite well, but nothing really fantastic.

Yeah, it does look like the season might turn out exciting; what with diehards like Petrov! Lets not forget the exciting Alguersuari who you mentioned as well.

OAM4J:
Only the Almajiris will believe Yaradua is running in 2011.

As bad and foolish PDP as a party is I dont believe they will field Yaradua for 2011

That is even IF he is still alive or he recovers well enough to stand for 10mins.

For me, Yaradua is no longer a threat or an issue. Those who should know, know already that he is long gone.

if there is any possibility of his comeback, Jonathan will not do all he did.

What concerns me is not the PDP, it is the almajiri's, quark Imams and other lowlifes.
The whole Yar Adua issue is being moulded into a psuedo-religious personality cult that is meant to target and fire up the very same Northern elements that have been known to engage in mindless religious violence.

OAM4J:
Ok, the piece is too long, cant finish reading it.

But why the agitation?

Let us forget this Yar Adua and move on.

Jonathan has all he needs to perform. He no longer has any excuse.

The cabal is no longer in government & Yaradua is no longer a problem,

it doesn't matter what people say about him, he is not likely to come back to power.

Are you joking? Seriously his 2011 campaign has already kicked off in Kaduna! http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/3564-yaradua-posters-flood-kaduna.html
Almajiri's don't think like normal people; thats where the concern lies and why Yar Adua's health is beginning to assume security risk dimensions for 2011. Some people might be preparing for another Jos.

^
[size=14pt]You seem to be hawking for a job with the cabal, talking braindead BS.[/size]
Fool.
Of course govt people should sit back, simply sipping wine and chopping oil money; while their slaves, the citizens of Nigeria break their backs on their behalf.

Ikengawo:
LMAO that's why it's called the FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA you crippled spermatozoa LOL

You really are genuinely daft, ain't you?

Its for the same reason you call thieves "leaders".

Ikengawo:
man, im sick of this 'enabling environment' talk

who provides electricity in the US? the US government? NO
Private energy companies
who provides water in the US? The US government? NO
Private water companies

EVERYTHING the government of ANY country tries to run that's naturally a private enterprise fails.
even schools, is public schools in ANY country to private schools accross the street, There's no comparison

the government is here for your security and to maintain order, everything else is up to YOU.

Nigeria has no energy cause nigerians don't start electrical companies. and if they do they start it in Belgium
mind you there's no where with more demand for energy then Nigeria, then when the energy is there, nigerians don't pay tax and don't pay bills. I've never heard of a nigerian in my village paying electricity bill.


Nigerians don't understand nations and capitalism. Your government isn't there to save your life, it's there to make sure you're alive, which it's doing, poorly, but your alive so cool, the rest is up to you.

[size=14pt]The US practices federalism, Nigeria does not.
If you want to compare both, Nigeria will first have to practice federalism. Call for a national conference or shutup.[/size]
Why not compare Nigeria and China? Ode.
Stop peppering us with your ignorance.

[quote author=paddy_lo link=topic=424626.msg5831411#msg5831411 date=1270437280]No he is actually stating the truth, not pro anybody, American Govt doesnt create jobs,
Steve Jobs in AAPL creates jobs, Google,Boeing, Intel, GE, JPMorgan, and so on create jobs

From The big to the lil private sector guy, he is the one that creates jobs
our problem in Nigeria is we dont understand how capitalism works.
and our leaders have even fewer understanding

What exactly do we have to offer the world? Oil?, well no country has grown rich off selling some mineral accidentaly found in the ground
The Fastest growing economy in the middle east is Israel, not Saudi-Arabia

The point is dont come here moaning about what the Nigerian Govt has not done with a measly $30billion a yr in oil Revenue for 150million ppl
when Apple alone has $26 billion dollars in cash, Google has $24 billion and so on. . . .

The Nigerian private sector has to be in the forefront, like UBA owning banks in uganda
or Dangote owning cement companies in Zambia,

Thats how we build Nigerian based companies that can compete first in Africa, then worldwide
thats how u get your ppl wealthy,[/quote]How will the private sector get to the forefront without an enabling environment that equates to the creation of job opportunities?
With the provision of Electricity, potable water, policy direction, anti-corruption, communications, ease of business startup, beaurocracy, transportation, laws etc. There is actually a lot the govt needs to do.

The comparison of the capitalist systems in the US and Nigeria's is very flawed for the simple reason, that the US practices true federalism while Nigeria masquerades Unitarism as federalism.
Its like comparing oil and water, in Nigeria everything flows from Abuja to the states; in the US, nothing flows from Washington to the states. For that reason Nigerian private sector initiatives must be 100% in tune with Abuja or risk being scuttled or waste time steering up dust and achieving nothing; this makes it impossible for high risk areas like high tech and research to survive in Nigeria; whereas there are hugely initiatives like Lockheed Martins and Silicon Valley in the US. These things don't come by miracle.

Worldwide, the creation of job opportunities and an enabling environment are measures of a govts effectiveness and a nations economic prowess.

^
Fool

@topic
This presents a great opportunity to smash the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging movement. They will think they can revenge. . . Then boom!

Hopefully, this will also signal the end for Danbazau.

These are very interesting times for PDP. It seems the party will soon be hemorrhaging several of its "icons".
It looks like war.

[size=14pt]2011: PDP governors move to checkmate Jonathan [/size]
Monday, 05 April 2010 01:20 Tunji Olawuni

…as party’s NEC meeting holds this week

The standoff between governors of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Acting President Goodluck Jonathan seems far from been over as the governors have resolved to checkmate him ahead of the release of the party’s guidelines for next year’s elections.

The party will this week hold its first National Executive Council (NEC) meeting this year and the first to be attended by Jonathan as leader of the party in the absence of ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Sources weekend disclosed that the 28 governors of the party having been caught unawares by the actions of the acting president especially by the return of Aliyu Gusau as national security adviser (NSA), dissolution of the cabinet and the nomination of some people without recourse to the leadership of the party, now want to ensure that the acting president is not allowed to have his way in the preparation for next year’s general election.

The National Central Working committee of the party led by its national chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor, had last month met with Jonathan and put before him the proposed timetable for the 2011 polls, but Jonathan was reported to have rejected the move and directed that the status quo be maintained.

Ahead of Thursday’s meeting in Abuja, the 28 governors of the party are plotting with the leadership of the party to prevent Jonathan from tampering with the zoning plan of the party. They would want the presidency to remain in the north.

The guidelines for the 2011 elections will top the agenda of the Thursday NEC meeting and the governors, last week, held a closed door meeting for several hours at the Kwara Lodge in Asokoro with the national secretary of the party, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, in attendance.

Sources at the nocturnal meeting disclosed that 19 governors of the party and five deputy governors were in attendance.

BusinessDay also gathered that at the highly charged meeting presided over by Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki, who also doubles as chairman of the Governors’ Forum, the recent actions of the acting president were the subject of the meeting.

The governors, it was learnt, took a position to do everything within their powers to frustrate the acting president from tampering with the existing arrangements within the party ahead of 2011 elections.

The governors at the meeting, according to inside sources, resolved to hold firm to the party’s machineries and structures in their respective states as a way of checkmating any move by the acting president.

The governors were reported to have discussed extensively the perceived influence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and retired General Theophilus Danjuma over the acting president.

According to the governors, the actions taken so far by the acting president were made possible by the confidence he got from Obasanjo and Danjuma and they considered the two as stumbling blocks to their aspirations for 2011.

It was, however, learnt that this week’s NEC meeting of the PDP may be rowdy as some state chairmen of the party are demanding explanation from Ogbulafor on how he handled the affairs of the party before, during and after the National Assembly empowered Jonathan as acting president.

http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9814:2011-pdp-governors-move-to-checkmate-jonathan-&catid=85:national&Itemid=340

"Sacred" heads will roll.

[size=14pt]Nigeria yet to reap full benefits of oil exploration, says Jonathan[/size]
Over N3 trillion federal revenue missing, says Bankole
From Collins Olayinka (Abuja) and Charles Coffie-Gyamfi (Abeokuta)

ACTING President Goodluck Jonathan has decried what he described as the inability of Nigeria to fully tap the economic advantages inherent in oil and gas for speedy economic emancipation of Nigeria after 50 years of commercial exploration of the products began in the country.

He spoke yesterday just as the Speaker of the House of Representatives disclosed that over N3 trillion collected by Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) within the last five years landed in private pockets as they were not remitted to the Federation Account as provided for by the Constitution.

According to a statement released at the weekend, Jonathan spoke at a roundtable meeting organised by the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) in Abuja last week.

The Acting President noted that while oil has served as a catalyst for development in other oil endowed countries, the case in Nigeria is different as the country is yet to know whether the commodity is a blessing or merchant of death and underdevelopment.

Jonathan, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Sani

Mohammed, said: "However, 50 years after, the promise of oil is yet to be realised. As is the case with most mineral-rich countries, valuable resources have not translated to sustained improvements in living standards."

He submitted that for Nigeria to begin to move towards harnessing the potentials of the oil industry to the fullest, the government has in the past few years introduced measures that were aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the sector.

Jonathan highlighted that the signing of NEITI bill into law by the Federal Government in 2007 signifies the commitment of the Nigerian government to promoting transparency in the extractive sector.

He underpinned the importance of NEITI to the Nigerian economy thus: "The comprehensive process, financial and physical audit of the oil and gas sector periodically carried out by NEITI has significantly improved information flow. With the pioneering 1999-2004 and 2005 audit reports, unprecedented amount of revenue information has been brought into the public domain, with Nigeria recovering millions of dollars from under-payments of taxes and royalties by extractive industry companies."

The Acting President declared that the strength of NEITI lies in its representation of diverse stakeholders, establishing a new model of collaboration between industry, government, and civil society, and creating a forum for them to interact.

He added: "This multi-stakeholder structure of the NEITI and its

participative nature means that all stakeholders - governments,

industries and civil society groups - are actively involved in

designing, steering, and governing the process."

He stated that it is only when government is able to allow revenues of all sectors to be monitored and publicised and the citizenry is able to see how earnings from their natural resources are being utilised, that resources from extractive industry can actively translate to good schools, hospitals, roads and food and other means of livelihood.

In his remarks at the event, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Haruna Sa'eed, said the high level of poverty among Nigerians clearly betrays the nation as an oil endowed one.

He said: "Looking at our natural resource endowment both in the oil and gas sub-sector and the solid mineral sub-sector, it is clear that Nigeria has no business with poverty. It is sad that we are

categorised today among countries that have been plagued with the so called natural resource curse. And I make bold to say this is

reversible."

Sa'eed stated that the signing of NEITI by the Federal Government demonstrated its commitment to reversing the worrying trend.

He opined that the stakeholders' driven nature of NEITI allows for frank conversations on how best to collectively make progress.

Sa'eed revealed that audit reports conducted so far have highlighted areas of anomalies which NEITI is working on to correct. However, he was quick to explain that the exercise is not a witch-hunting one.

He said: "We have put together a remedial action plan to ensure that the recommendations of the auditors for improvements are implemented. This process is still on-going. Let me commend all of you who have been working with us in this regard. As I say from time to time, the NEITI audit is not a witch-hunting exercise. A more transparent extractive industry in Nigeria is a win-win situation for everybody and that is what we are promoting."

[size=14pt]Sa'eed decried the situation where in the last 50 years of engaging in commercial oil processing, Nigeria is yet to know exactly how many barrels of oil that are produced in its shores.[/size]

However, Bankole who made the stunning disclosure in Abeokuta yesterday, further revealed that "similarly, our investigative hearings revealed that only N11 million of about N548 billion generated by the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) within a given period was remitted to government coffers."

He stated that one of the major factors militating against full budget implementation is the "habit of little or no attention to outcome by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of approved development projects."

The Speaker, however, stated that the National Assembly has further strengthened the budget process in Nigeria by enacting the fiscal responsibility Act to provide for prudent management of the nation's resources. The Act, he said, also aims at ensuring long-term macro-economic stability of the national economy, secure greater accountability and transparency amongst others.

Bankole spoke in Abeokuta after he had been inducted as a member of the prestigious Abeokuta Club.

Apparently to prove wrong his opponents who accused him of non-performance in office, Bankole reeled out his achievements as a Speaker. Said he: "Under my leadership, the House has shown a clear vision of where Nigerians would like the nation to be since we have lost so much time and resources as a result of prolonged dictatorship and insensitive leadership."

According to him, thorough performance of oversight functions by the House Committees had revealed that the nation had lost trillions of naira through the manipulation of the unspent funds and outright manipulations. His words: "Our commitment to oversight activities as it relates to tracking and monitoring of budget implementation led to the recovery of over N450 billion and N300 billion unspent funds from the 2007 and 2008 budget respectively."

He listed his other achievements to include construction of block of classrooms, ICT centres, and an administrative block at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB) at a cost of N200 million.

He further told his kinsmen: "As your elected representative, I have not forgotten my roots nor have I forgotten that you sent me to Abuja to represent your interests."

Explaining that even before he became the Speaker he had sponsored the purchase of NECO forms for over 11,000 indigenous students.

"Only three weeks ago, I facilitated the release of N100 million for educational infrastructure to Ogun State from the ETF (Education Trust Fund). In addition to the above personal and constituency projects in my constituency, it is to the glory of God that I have been able to attract over 54 Federal projects to Ogun State", adding that such projects cut across power, roads, water, skills acquisition, ecological and solar street lights.

"It's on record that as an ordinary member of the House from 2003 to 2007, I directly facilitated/assisted in projects worth N700 million. In 2008, the figure was N1.8 billion and in 2009 it was N20 billion," he added.

According to him, this is apart from influencing the appointment of indigenes as ministers and members of Federal Boards and agencies. At present, he said, he is the President of the Afro-Arab parliament. Bankole hinted that what the House was focusing on as far as the review of the constitution was concerned was to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be financially autonomous.

He assured his audience, which included Egba monarchs, that he would not let them down as he would always strive to preserve and promote the integrity of the House and the entire legislature.

The House, he said, was committed to pursuing the necessary ideals of making laws for peace, order and good governance.

The President of Abeokuta Club, Chief Edward Koleoso in his speech, commended the leadership style of Bankole, saying the record of his performance in office had been a source of inspiration to many Nigerians, especially the youths.

According to him, the Speaker is a man born great with a fountain of knowledge and wisdom, "an icon shinning among his peers."

According to him, the club was founded in 1972 with the main objective of developing Egbaland and its people.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article02/050410?pdate=050410&ptitle=Nigeria%20yet%20to%20reap%20full%20benefits%20of%20oil%20exploration,%20says%20Jonathan

[size=14pt]Senators agitate, insist on seeing Yar'Adua[/size]
Beware of fake Yar'Adua, ACF chieftain warns
Invoke Section 144, says CNPP
From Alifa Daniel, Asst. Political Editor, Abuja

CLAIMS by a group of Islamic clerics that they met and prayed with President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua at the Presidential Villa in Abuja have sparked new agitation over the true state of the health of the ailing number one citizen.

While a group of senators under the aegis of National Interest Group (NIG) are meeting today while they are expected to insist on seeing the President in person, the coalition of opposition parties, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has called for the invocation of Section 144 of the 1999 Constitution which spells out the handling of the president's and vice president's health status.

However, a chieftain of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mohammed Abdulrahaman, has cautioned that some of Yar'Adua aides are so desperate that they could have presented a "fake president" for the Islamic clerics.

President Yar'Adua has not been seen in public for over 130 days, amidst speculations that he would resume duty soon.

Curiously, most of the speculations appear when the weekly Executive Council of the Federation (EXCOF) is at the corner. "This time I suspect it is because a new EXCOF is about to be inaugurated and some people are nervous," a source said in Abuja.

The new EXCOF is expected to be sworn in tomorrow.

The National Interest Group of Senators (NIG) is billed to meet today to discuss a wide range of issues, including the visit of the clerics and its implication on the national polity.

The NIG, according to one of its members, would also ask to see the nation's Number One citizen since he is now strong enough to receive visitors, but the source would not give further details of the meeting or exactly where it would hold.

"If he is healthy enough now to receive visitors we also want to see him and talk to him," he said.

But the secretary of the NIG, Senator Smart Adeyemi, was not forthcoming with the agenda of the meeting when he was reached on phone yesterday. He would not also confirm if the NIG is meeting today at a location in Abuja.

However, the CNPP, through its spokesman, Osita Okechukwu, noted that the reported visit of the Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Ustaz Mohammed and other Moslem clerics to the President "has once more brought to the front burner the imperative of the new (EXCOF) to invoke Section 144 to avail Nigerians of the true state of his health."

Section 144 of the Constitution states:

"144. (1) The President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office, if - by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of all the members of the Executive Council of the Federation it is declared that the President or Vice President is incapable of discharging the functions of his office; and

(b) the declaration is verified, after such medical examination as may be necessary, by a medical panel established under sub-section (4) of this section in its report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(2) Where the medical panel certifies in the report that in its opinion, the President or Vice President is suffering from such infirmity of body or mind as renders him permanently incapable of discharging the functions of his office, a notice thereof signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be published in the Official Gazette of the Government of the Federation.

(3) The President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office as from the date of publication of the notice of the medical report pursuant to sub-section (2) of this section.

(4) the medical panel to which this section relates shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, and shall comprise five medical practitioners in Nigeria:-

(a) one of whom shall be the personal physician of the holder of the office concerned; and

(b) four other medical practitioners who have, in the opinion of the President of the Senate, attained a high degree of eminence in the field of medicine relative to the nature of the examination to be conducted in accordance with the foregoing provisions.

(5) In this section, the reference to "executive council of the Federation" is a reference to the body of Ministers of the Government of the Federation, howsoever called, established by the President and charged with such responsibilities for the functions of government as the President may direct".

The CNPP statement said further: "CNPP reasons that like the Imams, Nigerians earnestly and eagerly want to know whether President Yar'Adua is still capable of discharging the functions of the high office of the President and C-in-C of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"The invocation of Section 144 is imperative, for going by the statement of the Chief Imam, the capacity of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to discharge the functions of his high office is questionable; moreso when the visit was not made public nor either the Acting President or the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives were offered the golden opportunity accorded the Imams.

"In the absence of doubting the veracity of the Imams' visit, the state of the health and indeed the permanent capacity of the President to discharge the functions of his office cannot be measured or determined by any other scale except the one clearly stipulated in the 1999 Constitution - Section 144.

"Consequently, CNPP challenges the new EXCOF to, as a matter of urgent national importance invoke Section 144 and break the gridlock and the paralysis of a Divided-Presidency."

In a move observers saw as intended to further compound the political tension in the country, and urge Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to get ready to vacate his position, the Chief Imam of the National Mosque in Abuja, Ustaz Musa Mohammed, said that he and two other Islamic clerics visited President Yar'Adua at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday, and from their observations he has recovered and is now fit enough to resume duty.

The Abuja Chief Imam who spoke on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa Service added that although they were not able to sit close to the President, they prayed for him and he raised his hands while joining them to say Amen.

He said the President sat down when they were with him and was dressed in jumper and trousers with a cap to match.

Besides, the Islamic leader who said that he was on the visit together with Dr. Datti Ibrahim Ahmad, President of the Supreme Council of Sharia in Nigeria and one Sheik Musa Pantami, explained that they sought permission from the President's family to see the ailing President and not that they were invited to see him.

"We met him sitting down with his wife while his ADC stood behind him. Although we could not hear what he said, from where we sat, we could see his mouth saying Amen, together with us when we prayed for him. In fact, contrary to rumours that he was seriously ill, we saw that he had improved tremendously and we believe he would be able to resume work any moment from now."

Asked why they did not try to talk to the President, he said they were not politicians and as Islamic clerics, they were there to pray for him and see with their eyes the President whose state of health had generated so much controversy in recent times.

His words: "When we were ushered in, we met the President and his wife seated side by side while his ADC stood to his left side. He shook hands with each one of us beginning with Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, then myself and the other person. We then proceeded to the prayer session where we all raised up our hands and prayed with the President. After, he shook hands with us again and we left at exactly 6:13 p.m."

He said they were all happy with the situation they met the President who had gained enough strength that would enable him to resume work.

Another of the clerics, Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, told a newspaper (not The Guardian) that though Yar'Adua shook hands with them and prayed together with them, he didn't talk to them.

Dr. Ahmad, who is the president of the Supreme Council of Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), warned that Yar'Adua's powers must not be taken away from him.

"We met the President around 5.00 p.m. late in the afternoon. Contrary to what some people have been saying, the president is not in a situation where he is almost dead; he is only sick.

"He was sitting down on a dinning chair when we came in and met him. He was not being supported by anybody but himself, he was sitting down calmly. He did not look like someone who is almost dead.

"When we entered, we were not sure of what we were going to meet. So we entered and stood at a respectable distance and greeted him. He extended his hand to us and we shook it one by one. This is contrary to the view of those who keep saying he doesn't know where he is.

"After that, we prayed for his health. He joined us in the prayers, raising his hands the way we raised our own; his lips were moving. When we finished, we told him we only came to greet him. He shook hands with us.

"We did not wait as such after that. However, we told him that we just wanted to see him to know the truth from the lies that they have been telling us that he is dead, no longer able to recognise anyone and all the lies that you and I have heard before.

"Obviously, he has lost some weight and he is a bit weak. But he was sitting down calmly. He shook our hands on arrival and when we prayed with him for his quick recovery, he again shook hand with us.

"I wish to warn that there is need for people to be careful in the utterances being made about incapacitation, taking the presidential authority and giving such to other persons.

"Some people had to reflect before they stage a civilian coup against him. President Yar'Adua has his deputy who could act for him while he is not there. He knows that he is alive and is only unwell at this point in time.

"However, nobody should take over his position because he is not available. The President still has a good chance of recovery. Nobody should take over his post and create problems for the country. Those who are thinking of doing that are playing with fire.

"I will suggest that Dr. Jonathan continues to act as president till Yar'Adua is fit enough to resume. If he does not get well by 2011, election will take place and another person will emerge through a democratic process.

"But if any person attempts to seize that presidential authority now, the consequences will remain with the country for a long time.

"It will not be a wise decision and not in the interest of even younger generations of Nigerians", he said.

Chieftain of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and one-time Vice President of the Kaduna Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahaman, has warned that the Federal Government should subject Yar'Adua to serious medical test if the family and aides eventually present him as fit to continue in office as the nation's President.

Besides, the ACF chieftain faulted the account of the Abuja Mosque Chief Imam, Ustaz Musa Mohammed and prominent Islamic clerics who said they met with Yar'Adua at his Aso rock resident, with his family.

Abdulrahaman said in an interview in Kaduna at the weekend, while reacting to the visit of the Chief Imam and other Islamic leaders, that the Government should be on guard, "because these people (the family and aides of Yar'Adua) are becoming so desperate such that they could go and perform plastic surgery on anybody and present him as president Yar'Adua", stressing that "the account of the clerics which suggests that Yar'Adua was now hail and hearty but could not speak should be given serious medical investigation whenever he appears".

"This whole story of Yar'Adua appearing and the account of the Imam and clerics that they saw him and shook hands with him, I believe these people are becoming more desperate over this matter. And when people are desperate they can go to any length. You see, people who can afford to hide this man from Nigerians for so long, if they are allowed to go further in this game and they are bringing any man out as our President, there is no problem. But, we shall subject any person they bring out as Yar'Adua to DNA Test. To make sure that in their desperation they don't bring anybody with a plastic surgery as our president. Because we know this can be done. Those people have gained so much from the illness of Yar'Adua, they don't love Yar'Adua, certainly they don't, for them to have subjected him to this kind of travail".

"If Yar'Adua becomes well to communicate with Nigerians without any stress, we would be very happy. After all we all fasted and prayed for him, That is why we have wondered why they have not put the electronic media, particularly the television to record most of these appearances and the visit of the Imams to Yar'Adua, you see, there are a few things that have happened that are unacceptable. It is unacceptable for a group of people to hide the man from Nigerians. Nobody would accept it because he is Nigerian president, and it is an offence to keep him away".

According to Abdulraham, he president "is the property of Nigeria and not the family. So, when he shows up and we see him and we know he is the one, those questions on why he showed be hidden away would have to come up. Some people would have to be prosecuted. I don't think Umaru really had a cabinet before it was dissolved, because of the way most of them behaved. How can you love somebody so much and trade his life for money, for personal gains, for looting and for a chance to misdirect the public treasury and budget?"

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article01/050410?pdate=050410&ptitle=Senators%20agitate,%20insist%20on%20seeing%20Yar'Adua

May his soul rest in peace.
He was one of those politicians that was neither here nor there, he talked from both sides of the mouth.

Two senators from the sharia North died last week, now Rimi. Are there questions to be answered or is it all above board?