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Abia: Power Play Delays New Cabinet
05.21.2009

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On February 22, 2009, Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji dissolved his cabinet. When he took the measure, barely eleven days after triumphing at the Appeal tribunal over his rivals in the April 2007 governorship election, many thought he would reconstitute the cabinet soon after. However, Emmanuel Ugwu reports that three months after, Orji has not been able to name his cabinet due to some powerful forces at play in the state’s politics

When Abia State governor, Chief Theodore Ahamaefule Orji dissolved his cabinet and sacked all political appointees expectations were that it would just be a matter of weeks before he reconstituted another executive council. But to the consternation of those angling to come into the cabinet either as fresh appointees or as reappointed office holders, the waiting game has dragged on with days turning weeks and weeks into months. In fact three months have rolled by since the commissioners, special advisers and special assistants were sent home in a shocking but dramatic move.
The waiting game actually commenced on February 22, 2009. On that Sunday evening, the governor had called his aides including men and women to a dinner, ostensibly in continuation of the appeal court victory party only for him to drop the bombshell. THISDAY learnt that Orji did not wait for his commissioners and other political appointees to finish winning and dinning before he announced that it was all over. Food turned sour and wine lost its taste in the mouths of the government officials at the dinner party.
So why has Governor Orji not been able to gather a new set of cabinet members having discarded his pioneer political appointees. Orji attempted to provide an answer for the delay when he returned from his vacation/medical trip abroad. On arrival at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Orji said that he was not in a hurry to reconstitute his cabinet. Though he explained that he sacked his executive council members and personal aides not necessarily because they performed badly, he said he needed to inject fresh blood into his cabinet. Hence he insisted that he would take his time to pick those that would deliver optimum performance to the people of Abia.
He said: “I will reconstitute my cabinet at the appropriate time and this time around I’m taking my time to make sure that I get good people, who will perform better than the other cabinet members, people who are very diligent, who are very passionate about the state, committed to duty and people whom Abians would know that they deserve the position.”
The Abia chief executive may have stated his reasons but political watchers have different views. Indeed, there are strong indications that Governor Orji was bogged down by political interests believed to be major stakeholders in his ascendancy. Informed sources told THISDAY that Orji has been having it tough reaching a compromise with his political mentors on the composition of the new cabinet. Before the governor travelled out for his vacation, he was said to have attended a meeting at Igbere where the composition of the cabinet was the main agenda. But the governor was said to have come out of the meeting wearing a long face, indicating that things did not go the way he expected. In fact, sources said that Orji was given just two slots out of the 18 commissionership positions while the rest were to be nominated by the political interests that provided the platform for him to become governor. It was the same political interests that nominated almost all the members of the previous cabinet, which made Orji to describe them as “strangers” the day he swore them into office.
This time around Orji wants to have greater say in who comes into his cabinet hence the dingdong disagreement with the Igbere power house. The governor was emboldened after the appeal court finally confirmed his mandate on February 11, 2009 and when he dissolved his cabinet less than two weeks after political watchers saw the move as an opportunity for him to assert his independence in the appointment of people into his government. However, this independence movement has become a bridge too far given the umbilical cord between Orji and his predecessor and mentor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu. Kalu is believed to be calling the shots even though he has in several occasions denied any involvement in the running of the present administration.
Beside the former governor, his mother and the founder of Reality Organisation, Chief (Mrs.) Eunice Uzor Kalu is also strongly believed to be the numero uno decision maker when it comes to who gets what in Abia government. It was Mrs. Kalu’s political platform, Reality Organisation Worldwide that gave Governor Orji the ladder with which he climbed into Government House, Umuahia and also did same for all elected and appointed political office holders under the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) at local government, state, to national levels.
How would Orji refuse to do the bidding of these formidable forces behind his journey into Government House, Umuahia? That’s the big question bogging the mind and the answer can only be located in the action the governor would likely take to gain his “independence.” It is this quest for independence that made some Ibeku leaders to lose faith in Orji, whom they regard as a stooge.
Prince Benjamin Apugo, the Ochiagha Ibeku did not mince words when he told Governor Orji shortly after he was sworn into office that he should break free from the apron strings of Kalu and his mother. Apugo, a chieftain of PDP who confessed that he worked for the electoral success of Orji, his Ibeku kinsman, is today still disappointed that nothing has changed. Orji on his own has been claiming that he remains his own man and would not start picking quarrels with his predecessor and his mother in order for people to believe that he is not a puppet in their hands.
On May 2, 2009 some Ibeku leaders led their people in PPA to Kalu at his Igbere home to thank him for the role he played in making Orji governor, including the confirmation at Appeal Court. Political observers interpreted the visit as not merely a thank you visit but also an affirmation that Orji’s fate still lies at Igbere, especially his muted second term bid.
Even as Orji and his mentors bicker over the composition of the cabinet, extraneous sentiments are already being expressed on the criteria for appointing the commissioners. The organised labour in Abia has come out openly to canvass that those perceived to have stayed long in government should not be reappointed. The workers sentiment was amply expressed by the state chairman of Nigeria labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Lucky Akabuike, in his address at the 2009 May Day. He said: “We wish to inform His Excellency that the feeling of many Abians is that there are many politicians who as it appears, have the certificate of occupancy to any political post coming to their area. They are recycled from one post to the other to the detriment, if not embarrassment, of many other loyal and qualified ones. I do know that when one overstays in a system, he loses the challenging tendencies and having mastered the environment, he overtime, gets bored and before long begins to manifest negative tendencies.” Akabuike even offered that labour was ready to “make available” the names of the political “liabilities” that should not make the list of the incoming cabinet as well as tell the governor “in specific terms why they must give other people a chance.”
The waiting game for the reconstitution of Abia executive council has created room for fraudsters to start duping people with the promise of helping them to land juicy appointments. This racketeering became so fraudsters, saying that nobody should be deluded into believing that appointment would be got by pronounced that government had to issue a statement warning people to be on guard. Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Sam Hart, said in the statement that government was quite aware of the activities of the paying money to people purporting that they possess power to influence government appointment.
So when will the men and the women of integrity with passion to serve Abia emerge? The people of Abia would get the expected answer after the backroom wheeling and dealing comes to an end, when the harmonisation of contending interests is achieved. Yet another puzzle is whether the logjam will be resolved without bruising the fragile relationship between the governor and his mentors.

There are many different ways to meditate. This method systematically searches each verse to reveal its relation to: sins to confess or avoid, God's promises, examples to follow, commands to obey, and knowledge we may learn of God.

Three separate instances in the Bible tell how we can be blessed and be prosperous in all that we do:

``Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,
that brings forth its fuit in its season,
whose leaf does not wither;
and whatever he does shall prosper.''
Psalm 1:2-3 ``This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall MEDITATE in it day and night,
that you may observe to DO
according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous,
and then you will have good success.''
Joshua 1:8 ``But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty
and continues in it,
and is not a forgetful hearer
but a doer of the work,
this one will be blessed in what he does.''
James 1:25

The Fear of God is the Fetilizer of Destiny

Violence, arrests, mar Ekiti rerun election
By OLAYINKA OYEBODE, OLUSOLA FABIYI, AYODELE ALE, SAM AWOYINFA, AKIN OYEDELE, KEMI OBASOLA, TOYOSI OGUNSEYE, OLALEKAN ADETAYO and FRIDAY OLOKOR
Published: Sunday, 26 Apr 2009
Violence, late arrival of election materials and the arrest of suspected hoodlums marred the rerun governorship election in Ekiti State on Saturday.

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Segun Bakare,Akin Oyedele,Sam Awoyinfa and Toyosi Ogunseye
Set of hoodlums arrested during the poll



Our Correspondent
A victim of violence during the election



Segun Bakare, Akin Oyedele, Sam Awoyinfa and Toyosi Ogunseye
Some of the suspected hoodlums arrested at Oye-Ekiti during the election , on Saturday

The mayhem, which erupted in Oye-Ekiti, which is the base of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation, Senator Ayo Arise, forced the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the exercise in Oye-Ekiti to Sunday (today).

This was even as the Action Congress accused the Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, of piling pressure on President Umaru Yar‘Adua to order a cancellation of the whole exercise.

As at 10.15pm when results from five local government areas had been released, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Segun Oni, was leading with 15,420 votes as against the 15,026 votes recorded for the Action Congress candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

INEC released results of Gboyin, Ekiti South-West, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ise-Orun and Ijero LGs.

Fayemi, however, has over 12,000 votes in his kitty which were recorded in his favour as part of the validly cast votes in the 2007 election.

INEC informed journalists that the remaining four local governments where election also took place would be released at 5pm on Sunday.

The officials said the time for the release of the remaining results was fixed because all the stakeholders would be in Oye-Ekiti to monitor the election which was shifted to Sunday because of violence.

However, the AC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said information at the disposal of the party indicated that the V-P was contacted by PDP leaders in Ekiti to try and convince Yar‘Adua to cancel the election, sensing that the candidate of the PDP had lost the election.

Mohammed said, ”We heard it on good authority that the Vice-President is already putting pressure on Yar‘Adua. This is the first time that the PDP would be asking for a cancellation after discovering that its rigging plans have failed woefully. The people of Ekiti have completed the election despite pockets of violence perpetrated by PDP leaders especially in Oye, where Senator Ayo Arise comes from. They have shot and abducted our people. But the youths of Ekiti have said they would all the same defend their votes.”

Attempts to get the reaction of the vice-president were not successful. Calls to the telephone line of his Senior Special Adviser on Communication, Mr. Ima Niboro, did not go through, while a text message sent to his phone at about 8.50pm was not responded to.

Parts of the state where violence erupted were Oye-Ekiti, Igede-Ekiti, Ilawe-Ekiti, Are-Ekiti and Ido-Ekiti.

One of our correspondents observed the arrest of 36 of the thugs, who assembled opposite the gate of Arise‘s residence with charms and weapons, while 25 others were arrested at Igede, Ilawe, Iloro, Are and Ido-Ekiti.

The suspects arrested at Ilawe with guns and an axe, were said to have attempted to burn down the house of the Secretary to the State Government, Ambassador Dare Bejide, which the police foiled.

The Deputy Inspector-General of Police, who supervised the election and the pro-tem Commissioner of Police for the Command, Mr. John Ahmadu, confirmed the arrests in separate interviews with our correspondent.

The chairman of Ado-Ekiti Local Government, Mrs. Tosin Aluko, was almost mobbed by supporters of the AC when she attempted to enter the collation centre at the Christ Girls‘ School in a car decorated with wedding materials.

She was said to have been spirited away from the scene in a police van, with the AC supporters that thronged the place jeering.

The election recorded pockets of violence, which was effectively contained by the police.

The former Commissioner for Commerce and Industry under the Oni‘s administration, Mr. Dare Omotosho, was also said to have been attacked by thugs at St. Theresa‘s Primary School, Erinwa, while his car was damaged.

At Ehinola compound, Igede III, an illiterate old woman who was deceived into thumb-printing for the PDP by a suspected PDP sympathiser, protested and this ignited a crisis that forced INEC to cancel the result of the ward.

In an interview, a former governor of the state and AC stalwart, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo, in his Iyin-Ekiti residence, said he might vote or might not depending on the security situation.

He said, ”I don‘t see why we should not have a free and fair election. I hope the police can maintain this momentum.”

At Usi-Ekiti, a former Minister of Education, Dr. Babalola Borishade, complained of discrepancies in the voters‘ register in three units in Usi Ward, which he said did not tally with the names posted by the INEC.

In an interview with Oni, he said the situation at Oye was unfortunate and that INEC should have allowed the election to take place there.

He said, ”Some people had the objective of not allowing the electorate to vote in Oye. Now, that objective has been partially achieved. It‘s unfortunate that we still practise democracy at this level.

”Every politician has his stronghold; that is the nature of politics. But, if you are confident of yourself, you should not perpetrate violence to achieve a selfish motive.

”Even if thugs prevent people from voting, we still believe that our advantage cannot be obliterated. We have a large volume of advantage. We have a high probability of winning and we are in a comfortable terrain.

”If I lose, all glory to God and if I win, all glory to God. I‘m surprised by the desperation of some people.”

On his part, the AC candidate, Fayemi, condemned the violence in Oye, which he linked to Arise.

Fayemi regretted the postponement of the election and said that he was not averse to the rescheduled election, given his conviction that he would win in Oye anytime.

He said, ”What I can say is that we are going to win this election, provided the police and INEC do their work competently and diligently. We are now moving to the collation stage.

”I‘m a democrat and I will always insist on the right thing; I‘m just a governorship candidate of this party. I‘m not the main leader of this party. I have to consult widely within this party.

”Particularly, we will consult within our members in Oye Wards I and II to see if they are disposed to the idea of participating in an election on Sunday.

”Even, if I don‘t want it to happen and my people say we want to show these people that they don‘t own this place, we don‘t have a choice but to listen to what they want us to do.”

Turnout

There was an impressive voters‘ turnout in most places visited by our correspondents, with the electorate conducting themselves in an orderly manner.

Voting was suspended in the two wards of Oye till Sunday (today) due to the charged atmosphere, following disagreement among party leaders on how to distribute election materials brought by INEC officials.

As soon as INEC officials began to offload the materials, it was gathered that agents of the PDP and AC swooped on them, prompting the INEC officials to return them to the vehicle.

The DIG, Ahmadu, later convened a meeting with INEC officials and representatives of the political parties around 11.30am, where it was agreed that the election should be postponed till Sunday (today).

The INEC officials were said to have cited the Electoral Act, which stipulates that voting should be concluded by noon and insisted that nothing much could be done within the short time left.

Confirming the postponement in an interview with one of our correspondents, the DIG said that he would supervise the scheduled election personally with other senior police officers.

Although he confirmed the arrest of 36 thugs in Oye with charms and weapons, he declined to confirm where they were arrested.

When one of our correspondents insisted that he witnessed the arrest and location of the suspects, Ahmadu said, ”I don‘t know o. I no dey for libel palaver. We caught thugs in Oye.

”We are here to give everybody a level-playing ground. All this violence here and there is just psychological warfare. Help us tell the people not to be afraid because we are equal to the task.”

In Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, streets were deserted following a late night restriction order by the acting governor, Mr. Olatunji Odeyemi, across the state, including areas where election did not take place.

Children were seen playing football on major roads, while eateries, filling stations, markets were closed to business.

One Armoured Personnel Carrier and hot water dispenser, manned by heavily armed policemen, were seen at Fajuyi, which is a hub of business activities in Ado-Ekiti, while roadblocks were mounted in strategic locations across the city.

There was a sharp contrast at Ikere, where elections did not equally take place, as there was movement of people and vehicles, while the popular Bisi Market was open to business.

At Ido-Osi Local Government Area, riot and regular policemen, members of the Civil Defence Corps and members of the vigilance group were dispatched to the various wards at 8.35am.

As at 9.46am in Ido-Osi, no material or INEC personnel was found, but by 10.30am, 10 voters were confirmed to have voted at St. Paul‘s Anglican Primary School, Unit 002 at Osi, where men and women voted separately.

The presiding officer, Mr. Idris Abdullahi, told one of our correspondents that he devised the method for administrative convenience.

Voting could not start until 9am at Unit V, Ward I, in Ido-Osi because voters‘ names were not listed alphabetically, which prompted the INEC official, Mr. Peter Ogah, to call out the names for accreditation before voting could start.

The Electoral Officer at Ido-Osi Ward II, Unit III, Mrs. Nwuche Catherine, who confirmed what she called the encouraging turnout, however declined to give the number of those that had cast their votes.

At Araromi, Ward 1, Unit 5, a Resident Electoral Commissioner from Imo State, Mrs. Maria Owi, who supervised the election said that the poll was peaceful in the area.

In the full glare of the public, an unaccredited agent of the PDP arrived at the centre, trying to persuade voters by monitoring them to the voting point to ensure that they voted for his party.

The REC blamed the confusion that dogged the discrepancy in the displayed voter register and the one used for the election on the failure of the electorate to have identified their serial numbers before now.

At Igede-Ekiti, headquarters of Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA, voting could not start as at 9.30am in some polling stations, while voting started about the same time in Asao Compound, Unit 003.

Voting took place at Ijesha Igan, Ijan and Ise-Ekiti.

Some electoral officials, including youth corps members deployed as polling agents were seen milling round the palace of the traditional ruler of Igede waiting for the materials to arrive from Ado-Ekiti.

Voting materials did not reach Ifaki as at 9am. However, as at 9.45am, 12 people had voted at Awo, Fakeye Hall Polling Unit 009, while six people had cast their vote at Anglican Primary School, Polling Unit 008.

Around 9.30am, one of our correspondents observed a bus filled up with fiery looking men who invaded Ward 047, Ifaki II, whose conduct scared away a group of journalists that had just arrived in the place.

It was also observed that only the PDP agents manned the polling units, while an attempt to speak with INEC officials over the discovery were frustrated by the arrival of the men.

Around 1.30pm, the same bus was sighted coming in to a hotel (Celiat) where Oni used as his base with armed police escort, as journalists were about to depart the place.

At Ifaki, one of our correspondents was threatened with death by two hefty men that rode in a grey Mercedes Benz 190, who ordered him to leave the town immediately despite identifying himself as a journalist.

At Ogbon Iro Town Hall, in Ifaki where Oni voted, there was no police presence, while some of his supporters organised a short prayer session for him.

The INEC officials in the two units, Mr. Jamil Sabiu and Mr. Adeyemi Oyemade, said there were no security problems. But at Iropora, voting had not started as at 10am.

At Ikole, voting started around noon due to late arrival of INEC officials and voting materials.

This was premised on security reasons, as the INEC officials were said to have waited for the arrival of police escorts before moving down to their locations.

Policemen foiled an attempt by some hoodlums to disrupt voting at the polling unit located opposite the palace of Elekole around 11.15am, while normalcy returned thereafter.

Because of the inability of INEC officials to access Orun Ward 10, Units 1, 9 and 10 due to threats of violence, the commission recorded zero for all the contesting political parties.

Olusola Obada

The deputy governor of Osun State, Mrs. Olusola Obada, was refused entry into the Independent National Electoral Commission office around 9.30am where she had gone in a convoy of five sports utility vans in company with Senator Isiaka Adeleke.

Men of the State Security Services who manned the gate, however, allowed Adeleke into the premises when he introduced himself as the Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC.

Obada immediately drove out of the area.

But Adeleke‘s almost one hour visit was greeted with protests by supporters of the Action Congress, who were around in the INEC office, while shouts of ”thief, thief” trailed his vehicle as he departed.

In an interview with our correspondent before leaving the place, Adeleke said that his status as a committee chairman with oversight function on INEC warranted his visit to the INEC headquarters.

Adeleke said, ”My oversight function entails monitoring election to ensure that they conform to the Electoral Act and guidelines for a free and fair election. I was at Cross Rivers, Sokoto and other places as well.

”I‘m not here to do anything more than that. I‘m not here to tell anybody to vote for this or that party. And during my monitoring, I observed little skirmishes here and there.

”I‘m not here to assist the PDP in any way. I‘m not here to manipulate for anybody. I‘m just performing my oversight function. There is no need for this anxiety.”

Asked why he came in the same convoy with Obada, the Senator simply said that he came on his own and that he entered the premises alone.

At a point during the interview, the atmosphere became tense as the AC supporters strongly protested his presence, at which point the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Chief Olusola Adebayo, came into the scene.

Encircled by the supporters and bombarded with questions on the propriety of the presence of a PDP Senator at INEC office at that moment, the REC said, ”Adeleke was not supposed to be here.”

She said further, ”I did not receive notice that he was coming. I will (pleading) go inside now and see what is happening. You can see that I‘m just coming from the NTA. Please.”

But INEC spokesman, Mr. Phillip Umeadi, told our correspondent in a separate interview that the senator had not contravened any law.

He said, ”You will appreciate that it is still 12 (noon). Voting is still going on in the respective polling units. I can understand the apprehension of politicians.

”But you have just been able to appropriately describe his status. He has been monitoring. If you see what I have here, he was the one who passed this information to me.

”Apart from this one, he just came back from monitoring and said to us that in one of the Igede Wards, there was no security. He also said that in Iyemero and Itapaji, in Ikole LGs, there was also no security and thugs are mobilising there.

”We thanked him and we are seeing him off. It is his responsibility as Senate Committee Chairman on INEC to see that we are doing the proper thing.

”Because he has the responsibility also to his primary constituency in the Senate to let them know what is happening in Ekiti, he came in here and said to us that we should be able to do something about these two areas because thugs were mobilising.

”The point is that he is not coming here as working in INEC. His report will not be on what INEC is doing, but generally on what happened in Ekiti.”

At Igbemo and Eyio, in Irepodun LGA, observers were beaten up and allegedly chased away by some political thugs.

At Surulere Street, Ward I, thugs seized the micro tape recorder of one of our correspondents, his complimentary cards, identity cards and bundled him into a car piloted by one Yunus Onyebe.

He was detained briefly at Omuo-Oke Police Station on the excuse that he was a fake journalist, while one Abiodun, a Chief Superintendent of Police warned him not to interview anybody after releasing his seized property.

The correspondent identified the leader of the gang that attacked him as one Ayo, a.k.a., Ozo.

At Okemesi, some thugs wearing PDP tags were seen with voting materials in a bush, while an attempt to capture the scene led to the seizure of the camera of a correspondent with The News magazine, Mr. Gbenro Adesina.

The large presence of thugs who milled round some polling units visited by our correspondent at Omuo-Oke intimidated the INEC officials from granting an interview.

At Omuo-Oke, Ayegunle Quarters Unit Ward I, three houses were attacked by thugs, which residents said had been a recurring decimal during elections due to boundary dispute.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20090426245762

untill you guys understand that Satan is fraustrated and will use people to write any kind of things to bring your faith down then you will stop listing to this, Chris Oyakhilome is a pastor and not God, I know the living God and I read my bible and know how he works, I'm not suprise about what people say about Chris because I have seing satan trying to pull me down by all means while I stand fame with the Lord, and note this , if Pastor Chris have faith this kind of thing can not bring him down, rather satan will see him accelarating like never before.

Poster you don't realize what you are talking about, if you realy know nothing can confuse u

My brother I fall in love with your honesty, you detailed everything and still remind us that you where deported after all, small things makes me go crazy, you are over sincere as many people will not pass such information they way you did, don't give us more information here but start on writing a book about your journey since you can still remember all the town and cities you cross.

It's god we tell our self the truth, I live in America today after traveling to Europe many times back in 2007, now I see to get 8,000 dollars common one Million Naira will take you the whole year here, sometimes in Africa we bank more than 5 m Naira before the end of the year , I have regretted every thing that bring me here, so any brother or sister making it in Nigeria just remain there but if you want to come visit then better but don't come to live, I don't even welcome students , it's the same story there are better school in Africa.

I may be too mean to say may his criminal minded soul never rest in peace, I was not trained to wish evil people good even at death, do you know how many human sacrifice he offered before he can be in the Governor office?, do you know how many of his political opponents that was murdered to pave way for his political ambition, so Bleep his criminal soul, my problem is that it should have been Yaardua who just name Anenih of all people the NPA Chairman

The announcement of Yobe state Governor come when we want Yaardua to leave the Asu Rock by all means.

Confusion trails Yar’Adua’s health and “vacation” plans; “Mr. Fix-It” Tony Anenih returns, to head NPA
Monday, 26 January 2009 16:22 Sahara Reporter   
In an unusual press briefing today in Abuja, Olusegun Adeniyi, the former Thisday editor who is now spokesperson to Yar'adua, sensationally disowned the statement by the SGF last week that Yar'adua had handed over to Goodluck Jonathan.
He also commented on the "two-weeks" vacation being taken by his boss, declaring that Yar'adua planned to spend the time within Nigeria.  That information had already been leaked to the pro-regime Thisday newspaper yesterday. Yar'adua also re-appeared in Aso Rock today.

According to Mr. Adeniyi’s version, Yar'adua would spend:

a "few days at the Presidential Resort Obudu Cattle Ranch near Calabar, Cross Rivers state",
"another few days in Dodan Barracks Lagos" and
"another couple of days in Katsina".

SaharaReporters had reported in December that Yar'adua was planning a prolonged medical vacation, and disclosed that his handlers were in a big dilemma concerning how to arrange a respectable explanation for it. His last medical travel had been passed off as a religious trip to Saudi Arabia, but that was embarrassingly bungled, and Yar’Adua spent weeks in a Saudi hospital and missed a scheduled state visit to Brazil. 

Last week his handlers decided on the somewhat ingenuous plan of routing him through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he would attend a meeting of the African Union (AU) in his capacity as the chairperson of the sub-regional ECOWAS.  An advance party of the government led by the Attorney-General, Michael Aondoakaa, was already on ground in Abuja enroute Addis Ababa for that purpose.  However, a series of inside reports by SaharaReporters, and medical tests showing that Yar'adua may be unfit to undertake long haul flights seem to have led to the cancellation of the international medical sojourn, which was supposed to have begun today.  Mr. Adeniyi said VP Jonathan might attend the AU conference in place of Yar'adua, starting tomorrow. 

In another development, a government source told Saharareporters this afternoon the AGF will himself not be attending the AU meeting as he is reportedly battling a serious sinus condition that requires surgery.  The source said Aondoakaa plans to travel to Abu Dhabi where he will have surgery to remove some sinus tissues, and will be away for two weeks. 

Also in today’s briefing, the spokesperson suggested that the subject of handing-over power to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan may not have been resolved.  "It is not a handover per se,” he said.  “I mean, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was just stating the obvious.  When the 'President' is away whatever issues arise, the VP will deal with [them]."

But this counteracts the position of the SGF who stated in a terse press release last week that Yar'Adua was leaving on vacation and that the VP would take over his duties while he was gone.  It is not clear how the Vice-President can take over the constitutional responsibilities of the president unless he is legally authorized to do so.

Saharareporters has learned that since the announcement was made last week, serious political forces have gone underground to unseat Yar'adua from office.  Sources say those forces are working on eventually approaching the Supreme Court to declare him unfit, and also approach the National Assembly to remove him since he did not apply to the National Assembly notifying them about his vacation as is required by the 1999 constitution. Also a report in The Punch newspaper said the core North may be shopping for his replacement.  Some analysts believe these moves and feelers may have forced Yar'adua to stay back in the country while working on other alternatives to get much-needed medical help.  One analyst pointed at last week’s “disquieting” interview in Vanguard newspaper in which former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, even justified a coup d’etat in Guinea as “patriotic.”

Meanwhile, our sources said Yar'Adua was definitely billed to seek months-long medical intervention at a kidney transplant facility in Ohio, in the United States.  But unrelenting information about the negotiations led to more increased demands for privacy or possible use of the facility's aircrew to provide the treatment either in Nigeria or somewhere with less visibility. Part of the confirmation of Yar'adua's planned presence in the US was unveiled by the Voice of America's (VOA) Hausa Service which planned its 30th Anniversary for January 29th 2009 at the VOA headquarters in Washington DC. The service, through the US-based Northern Nigerian socio-cultural diaspora body, Zumunta, invited the public to attend and said in its invitation that the "first lady" Mrs. Turai Yar'adua had agreed to attend.  It is currently unclear if she will still attend in the event that Yar'adua cancels his trip to the US, as has been announced by his aides. A source in the presidency told Saharareporters today that Yar'adua's sudden announcement that he was staying in Nigeria might be a decoy.

But to further underscore his resolve to prove critics wrong about his deteriorating health and deflect public attention from the issue, Yar'Adua has begun his campaign for a second term in office with the appointment of Chief Anthony Anenih as the "leader of his campaign team".

Anenih, the former Works and Housing Minister and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, is notorious for corruption and disregard for democratic principles when it comes to elections.   He has also become a political enemy of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who manoeuvred him out of the leadership of the BOT. 

In a sign of Anenih’s returning influence in the party,   SaharaReporters learnt today that Yar'adua has appointed him to the position of chairman of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), which is expected to broaden the financial base for Yar'Adua’s re-election plans.   He has also quietly returned to Anenih an oil block taken away from him by Obasanjo.

Political analysts told Saharareporters that the re-emergence of Anenih, who was known as PDP’s “Mr. Fix-It” for his electoral and party manoeuvres before Obasanjo set about cutting him down to size, as well as the continued retention of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Maurice Iwu, make nonsense of the so-called "electoral reform" that Yar'adua promised Nigerians.

http://www.saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=620:confusion-trails-yaraduas-health-and-vacation-plans-mr-fix-it-tony-anenih-returns-to-head-npa&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

Confusion trails Yar’Adua’s health and “vacation” plans; “Mr. Fix-It” Tony Anenih returns, to head NPA
Monday, 26 January 2009 16:22 Sahara Reporter
In an unusual press briefing today in Abuja, Olusegun Adeniyi, the former Thisday editor who is now spokesperson to Yar'adua, sensationally disowned the statement by the SGF last week that Yar'adua had handed over to Goodluck Jonathan.
He also commented on the "two-weeks" vacation being taken by his boss, declaring that Yar'adua planned to spend the time within Nigeria. That information had already been leaked to the pro-regime Thisday newspaper yesterday. Yar'adua also re-appeared in Aso Rock today.

According to Mr. Adeniyi’s version, Yar'adua would spend:

a "few days at the Presidential Resort Obudu Cattle Ranch near Calabar, Cross Rivers state",
"another few days in Dodan Barracks Lagos" and
"another couple of days in Katsina".

SaharaReporters had reported in December that Yar'adua was planning a prolonged medical vacation, and disclosed that his handlers were in a big dilemma concerning how to arrange a respectable explanation for it. His last medical travel had been passed off as a religious trip to Saudi Arabia, but that was embarrassingly bungled, and Yar’Adua spent weeks in a Saudi hospital and missed a scheduled state visit to Brazil.

Last week his handlers decided on the somewhat ingenuous plan of routing him through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he would attend a meeting of the African Union (AU) in his capacity as the chairperson of the sub-regional ECOWAS. An advance party of the government led by the Attorney-General, Michael Aondoakaa, was already on ground in Abuja enroute Addis Ababa for that purpose. However, a series of inside reports by SaharaReporters, and medical tests showing that Yar'adua may be unfit to undertake long haul flights seem to have led to the cancellation of the international medical sojourn, which was supposed to have begun today. Mr. Adeniyi said VP Jonathan might attend the AU conference in place of Yar'adua, starting tomorrow.

In another development, a government source told Saharareporters this afternoon the AGF will himself not be attending the AU meeting as he is reportedly battling a serious sinus condition that requires surgery. The source said Aondoakaa plans to travel to Abu Dhabi where he will have surgery to remove some sinus tissues, and will be away for two weeks.

Also in today’s briefing, the spokesperson suggested that the subject of handing-over power to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan may not have been resolved. "It is not a handover per se,” he said. “I mean, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was just stating the obvious. When the 'President' is away whatever issues arise, the VP will deal with [them]."

But this counteracts the position of the SGF who stated in a terse press release last week that Yar'Adua was leaving on vacation and that the VP would take over his duties while he was gone. It is not clear how the Vice-President can take over the constitutional responsibilities of the president unless he is legally authorized to do so.

Saharareporters has learned that since the announcement was made last week, serious political forces have gone underground to unseat Yar'adua from office. Sources say those forces are working on eventually approaching the Supreme Court to declare him unfit, and also approach the National Assembly to remove him since he did not apply to the National Assembly notifying them about his vacation as is required by the 1999 constitution. Also a report in The Punch newspaper said the core North may be shopping for his replacement. Some analysts believe these moves and feelers may have forced Yar'adua to stay back in the country while working on other alternatives to get much-needed medical help. One analyst pointed at last week’s “disquieting” interview in Vanguard newspaper in which former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, even justified a coup d’etat in Guinea as “patriotic.”

Meanwhile, our sources said Yar'Adua was definitely billed to seek months-long medical intervention at a kidney transplant facility in Ohio, in the United States. But unrelenting information about the negotiations led to more increased demands for privacy or possible use of the facility's aircrew to provide the treatment either in Nigeria or somewhere with less visibility. Part of the confirmation of Yar'adua's planned presence in the US was unveiled by the Voice of America's (VOA) Hausa Service which planned its 30th Anniversary for January 29th 2009 at the VOA headquarters in Washington DC. The service, through the US-based Northern Nigerian socio-cultural diaspora body, Zumunta, invited the public to attend and said in its invitation that the "first lady" Mrs. Turai Yar'adua had agreed to attend. It is currently unclear if she will still attend in the event that Yar'adua cancels his trip to the US, as has been announced by his aides. A source in the presidency told Saharareporters today that Yar'adua's sudden announcement that he was staying in Nigeria might be a decoy.

But to further underscore his resolve to prove critics wrong about his deteriorating health and deflect public attention from the issue, Yar'Adua has begun his campaign for a second term in office with the appointment of Chief Anthony Anenih as the "leader of his campaign team".

Anenih, the former Works and Housing Minister and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, is notorious for corruption and disregard for democratic principles when it comes to elections. He has also become a political enemy of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who manoeuvred him out of the leadership of the BOT.

In a sign of Anenih’s returning influence in the party, SaharaReporters learnt today that Yar'adua has appointed him to the position of chairman of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), which is expected to broaden the financial base for Yar'Adua’s re-election plans. He has also quietly returned to Anenih an oil block taken away from him by Obasanjo.

Political analysts told Saharareporters that the re-emergence of Anenih, who was known as PDP’s “Mr. Fix-It” for his electoral and party manoeuvres before Obasanjo set about cutting him down to size, as well as the continued retention of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Maurice Iwu, make nonsense of the so-called "electoral reform" that Yar'adua promised Nigerians.

http://www.saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=620:confusion-trails-yaraduas-health-and-vacation-plans-mr-fix-it-tony-anenih-returns-to-head-npa&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

Actually this treatment will last for Eight weeks not two weeks as reported by the Punch,
http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20090124112015


He will be treated in Ohio Clinic , I have tried to speak with his Doctor Mr. Stuart but he is out of office till Monday


Stuart Flechner, M.D.

Appointed: 1993
Gender: Male
Languages: English
Urology
Phone: (216) 445-5772
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Mail Code Q10-1
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195


Transplantation Center
Phone: (216) 445-5772
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Mail Code Q10-1
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195

The President will be treated in Ohio, I tried to call the Doctor for more information but he is out of office, anybody can speak with Yardua doctor at
Stuart Flechner, M.D.

Appointed: 1993
Gender: Male
Languages: English
Urology
Phone: (216) 445-5772
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Mail Code Q10-1
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195


Transplantation Center
Phone: (216) 445-5772
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Mail Code Q10-1
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195

*For attempting to ‘steal’ a Mazda car

It was a shocking sight yesterday as men of the Kwara State Police Command paraded a goat as an armed robbery suspect.

Image
The goat "robbery suspect"
The goat "suspect" is being detained over an alleged attempt to snatch a Mazda car. The mysterious goat, according to the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Tunde Mohammed, while briefing bewildered journalists at the Force headquarters, is an armed robber who attempted to snatch the said car, Wednesday night, and later transformed into the goat in a bid to escape arrest.

He explained that men of a vigilance group in Anifowose Ipata/Oloje areas of the state capital had chased two armed robbery suspects who wanted to demobilise the Mazda car with the intention of stealing it, and

"while one of them escaped, the other was about to be apprehended by the team when he turned his back on the wall and turned to this goat. They quickly grabbed the goat and here it is.’’ Mohammed said.

The police spokesman said the goat "armed robbery suspect" will not be left off the hook until investigations into the case are concluded.

He also said that no fewer than five stolen vehicles have been recovered by the state Police Command while some suspects were also arrested. Among those arrested, he said was one Idowu Oni of Araromi area of Akure who escaped from Akure Prison.

He added that the escaped convict was arrested in Ilorin after stealing a Mazda 323 car belonging to Mrs. Henrietta Ayijesu.

He also said another armed robbery and rape suspect was in their custody, assuring that the suspects will soon appear in court.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/27049/42/

So Yardua want us all to die with him

I thought chachangi was no more
even the name sef dey scary
like cha cha cha!!
Igbo slang for "try your luck"
Nigerian aviation like everything else,playing ludo aka chandum with people's lives


My sister Ibiakwa, this your statement make me laugh no be small I swear, I beg make you the post this kind thing make I dey laugh forget Akata wahala

Our Rechargeable President will soon travel to Europe to get recharged at one of the hospitals , he will be there for Eight Good weeks to get recharged for another four months, remember he traveled last August to Saudi Arabia for the same reason and Germany during his presidential campaign for that same reason.

For those of your who need Invitation Letter from USA Companies to come for business trip, I can help secure your invitation but I collect not less than 500 dollars for one that include dhl or ups fee , but make sure you are a legitimate business man and you intend to visit the company that will be giving you invitation and only visit them but do business with them, I will get your invitation from a company that supply what you sale in Nigeria.

I can get it for you as soon as possible email me at jookco@yahoo.com

My brother untill we come to thi slight one has been tighted with families in Nigeria that you will find it difficult to brake up with, I swear if there is a way I will become a mexican not to talk of American I will be happy, the country is a mess, but wetin man go do?

I know we have some influential and Government officials that participate in this online forum that can help petition the Inspector General of Police about this , read.

Lebanese assaults FCT FRSC boss
Produces Police ID as driver’s license, car particulars
By ANDY ELEREWE, Abuja
Monday, January 12, 2009


More Stories on This Section

For the timely intervention of onlookers at a scene of a ghastly motor accident along Wuse/Kado expressway, Abuja, on Sunday the FCT Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Nseibong Akpabio (MON) would have been beaten to a stupor by a Lebanese, Mr. Tony Abou Ghazaleh.

It was like an action packed Nollywood film when to the dismay of everyone present, Mr. Ghazaleh who claimed to be a member of PCRC, obviously angered that a road block was mounted at the scene of the accident by the FRSC, bounced heavily on the national award holder, Mr. Nseibong dragging him by his uniform, removed his beret and threatened to sack him and his team members from their jobs after an argument ensued between them.

Trouble started when a team of FRSC members led by the FCT Sector Commander mounted a road block at the scene of a motor accident which occurred at about 10pm involving a BMW that failed its brakes and sped to the other side of the expressway, tumbling severally after hitting and uprooting a street light. No life was lost.

In order to clear-up the remains of the badly damaged car, a road block was mounted. But this was certainly an obstruction and a delay to Gahazaleh who was driving a Peugeot 307 with registration number FH769 ABC (ABUJA). Despite the several sign cautions, the Lebanese only managed to stop after almost running into everyone standing by the road block.

Following the incident, Mr. Nseibong had demanded for Gahazaleh’s driver’s license and his car particulars. But instead of presenting the documents requested for, the Lebanese arrogantly flaunted an NPF harmonized membership I.D card with No. 14565 which he claimed was issued on June 12, 2008 by the Nigerian Police. He boastfully dialed a number from his handset while pacing, bragging and threatening to sack the Sector Commander and his team from their jobs, if they delayed him any further.
However, after about 10 minutes, the already raging Gahazaleh unleashed terror and anger by descending on the FCT sector commander.

He dragging his uniform and removing his beret. He was to start raining blows on him when those gathered intervened. Speaking exclusively with Daily Sun at the scene of the incident, Mr. Nseibong condemned the assault describing it as an aberration and blatant insult on the entire FRSC. He wondered if such could ever happen in Lebanon while also questioning the rationale behind issuing NPF harmonized ID to a foreigner.

Gahazaleh who was yet to calm down told Daily Sun that, “I will make sure I deal with these people. They certainly do not know their jobs. If there is an accident, so what? Is that why they should put road block on this side of the road? This is stupidity! I have told them, if they delay me any further, by not given me my Police ID, I will deal with them ruthlessly.”

Speaking further, he said: I am not ready to answer any further questions from you (referring to Daily Sun reporter). All I need to do is to make some phone calls and all of them including the so called FCT commander would lose their Jobs.” Efforts to reach the Police P.R.O to confirm Gahazaleh’s claims were not fruitful as we could not reach him on his mobile line.
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/jan/12/national-12-01-2009-09.htm

So many lifes have been wasted in Gaza , the Hamas Millitant should lean to understand the kind of trouble and sorrow they brought to their brothers and sisters because isreal can never remain silence while bunch of rockets are fired into it's territory.

watch and see , the business man who constructed the Road will contest Governoship Election this time, so guess what he did it for political reasons

vowiski you are stupid to ask me to hang my self, you must be an housa man, so goto hell with your brother Yardua

Kunle you ask what makes me think she can be the president, well don't forget she help reduce the debt owe to world Bank and the Paris Club, the Nigeria economy booms during her time as the Nigeria Finance Minister, that's why she was called back to the World Bank, you can see her profile in Wikipedia.

Somebody tell me is Yar'adua not a stupid man to allow his 21 years daughter marry Isa Yuguda a man who has three wife already

Today I leave in country where a vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was question about her daughter pregnancy, so my question in this issue is this, have any one question our president about his daugther getting married to a 53 year old man with already three wifes, could it be said that Mr. President is that dumb or religious type that will allow this atrocity to take place, I have posted a topic that talk about Yardua being the worst president Nigeria have ever produce, there is no way in hell I can believe this to have happened in Nigeria is I do not get the information froma reliable source, Shame on Yardua.

Shame on You President Yardua, you are nothing but an Idiot, stupid Aboki

Iran is nothing but a mad dog, Isreal is ever ready for Iran and will soon attack them, don't ever believe Iran will first attack Isreal, the United States will lund their air strike through Isreal on the Iranian nuclear site, this Iranian president will regret every step he must have taking against Isreal.

Well I would have blamed Nigerians for voting Yardua but I just remembered he was selected by the great demon Obasanjo whomis a member of every known secret society in Nigeria including Aborigin Ogboni No1

Having seen the achievment of Ngozi Okonjo Iweala during her time as the Nigeria Finance Minister, I think she will be a good choice for president as we can not waste another Four Years after Yardua slow Government.

What do you Think.