₦airaland Forum

Embattled governor of Rivers State, Chubike Amaechi has maintained that the crisis rocking his state is as a result of belief by some interest groups that he was preparing to contest the 2015 general elections.

There has been growing insinuations across the country that the Rivers governor will contest the 2015 Presidential election as running mate to Jigawa state governor, Sule Lamido.


Speaking on the Hausa service of thje British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitoresd in Kaduna, Amaechi said his primary concern was to govern and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Rivers state.

He noted that it was rather too early for anyone to be talking about contesting the 2015 elections and dismissed insinuations that he was teaming up with those opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan because of his (Amaechi’s) 2015 ambition.

According to him, those who are supporting him were not supporting him because they want him to be president, but because of they think governors are the ones to decidewho should lead them in the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

Amaechi whose response in English to the questions was interpreted in Hausa language stressed that it will be wrong for anybody to say he would want to run for 2015 elections now although he admitted that the political crisis in his state was tight to a lot of assumption by some people about what is going to happen in 2015.

Embattled governor of Rivers State, Chubike Amaechi has maintained that the crisis rocking his state is as a result of belief by some interest groups that he was preparing to contest the 2015 general elections.

There has been growing insinuations across the country that the Rivers governor will contest the 2015 Presidential election as running mate to Jigawa state governor, Sule Lamido.


Speaking on the Hausa service of thje British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitoresd in Kaduna, Amaechi said his primary concern was to govern and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Rivers state.

He noted that it was rather too early for anyone to be talking about contesting the 2015 elections and dismissed insinuations that he was teaming up with those opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan because of his (Amaechi’s) 2015 ambition.

According to him, those who are supporting him were not supporting him because they want him to be president, but because of they think governors are the ones to decidewho should lead them in the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

Amaechi whose response in English to the questions was interpreted in Hausa language stressed that it will be wrong for anybody to say he would want to run for 2015 elections now although he admitted that the political crisis in his state was tight to a lot of assumption by some people about what is going to happen in 2015.

Reuben Abati became President Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity in 2011, he was a newspaper columnist and the chairman of the editorial board of the Guardian Newspaper (2001 to 2011). here’s a 2010 article he wrote about the wife of his current boss…Dame Patience Jonathan, before his appointment. Very interesting read…enjoy :-)

Democracy is readily associated with freedom: the freedom to be free in many respects and increasingly in Nigeria, many of our compatriots, particularly persons in positions of privilege and authority confuse this with the right to be disagreeable. The sober truth is that democracy is about rights and responsibilities, a democratic dispensation therefore cannot be a licence for disagreeable conduct as a norm; just as the possession of power in any form does not guarantee the right to be reckless or to ignore the etiquette required of office holders. Anyone in the corridors of power, either by chance or right, or appointment, is expected to behave decorously.

Dame Patience Jonathan, as she is now referred to, our President’s wife, failed the test this week in Okrika, Rivers State.

It is trite knowledge that there is a critical difference between Yenagoa and Abuja, and a world of difference between being the wife of a Deputy Governor/Governor/Vice president and being the wife of Nigeria’s No 1 citizen. When people suddenly find themselves in such latter position, prepared or unprepared, anywhere in the world, they are taken through a crash programme in finishing and poise and made to realize that being the wife of an important man comes with serious responsibilities lest they sabotage the same person that they should be supporting.

If Dame Patience went through such re-orientation, the course was incomplete. This week, we got a feedback drawn from her visit to Rivers state to launch her NGO – the Women for Change Initiative, when she ended up in Okrika, her home town. This homecoming became an egoistic show-off as she openly contradicted the state Governor, offering him unsolicited lessons on how to develop the Okrika water front and school system, in addition to pointed comments on the use of the English language. The Governor had reportedly insisted that his administration must demolish some houses which adjoin the schools in Okrika in order to create a proper learning environment. Dame Patience disagreed.

She then gave an unsolicited lecture on the land tenure system telling the Governor: “I want you to get me clear. I am from here. I know the problems of my people so I know what I am talking…” The Governor tried to explain his administration’s policy and the larger public interest. The Dame reportedly cut him short: “But what I am telling you is that you always say you must demolish; that word must you use is not good. It is by pleading. You appeal to the owners of the compound because they will not go into exile. Land is a serious issue.” Wao! “that word must..is not good.” We must all commit that to memory as we re-learn Practical English according to Patience Jonathan!

If it is in the place of the President’s wife to teach a state Governor how to run his state, it is definitely not in her place to veto a state policy (the reason the governor used the word “must”), not even her husband has such powers. It seemed as if Dame Patience Jonathan was determined to impress her kith and kin. She told them she had directed the governor not to demolish their houses. Then, she left straight for the airport obviously having overstayed her welcome and having behaved like a bad guest. She was scheduled to visit the prisons to grant amnesty to some inmates (is that really her duty or something that should be in her itinerary? ); she was also meant to commission some projects. The face-off between her and the governor put paid to all that.

On the eve of her arrival, a group which calls itself “the Okrika Political Stakeholders Forum” and “the people of Kirikese” had actually placed an advert in the papers welcoming “our amiable daughter and sister…to Rivers state and your home town Okrika.” They also brought up the issue of “the land reclamation and shore protection project at Oba Ama, Okrika being undertaken by the Rivers state government.” (Daily Sun, August 23, 2010, p. 2). Either on the strength of this advertorial or private consultations, Dame Patience must have felt compelled to be a partisan stakeholder and intercessor. She needed to put Rotimi Amaechi, the state Governor in his place and that was what did. She recommended “pleading,” – that advice is actually meant for her. A state Governor is a duly elected official; and in a Federal system, he is not answerable to the President, and nowhere is the president granted the powers of a Headmaster over state governors. In Okrika, Dame Patience behaved so impatiently and spoke to Governor Amaechi as if he is on the staff of the Presidency. It may not be her fault though. Amaechi caused it all by bringing himself to such level by undertaking to debrief Dame Patience about his administration’s programmes and activities in the misguided hope of getting cheap political endorsement. He should have asked his wife to attend to her. On the issue of land, Dame Patience should be reminded that the Land Use Act, Section 1 thereof, says the state Governor holds the land in trust for the people. Land matters in the state are beyond the ken of the wife of the President!

The wife of the President of Nigeria, or a state Governor, or a local council chairman, is not a state official. The same applies to husbands if the gender is reversed. He or she is unknown to the constitution or the governance structure. Recent history has however made it a convention to have the spouses of persons in such positions under the guise of providing support, play some ceremonial roles. This has been routinely abused. Under the Jonathan presidency, Dame Patience Jonathan even got a special allocation in the original budget for the 2010 Golden jubilee anniversary whereas she has no official, financial reporting responsibilities! The international standard is that spouses in these circumstances must not only appear but be seen to be above board like Caesar’s wife. They must not misbehave like Marie Antoinette.

When Cherie Blair, wife of former British PM, Tony Blair started buying up houses, apartments and antique furniture, the public raised questions. It didn’t matter that she was a professional in her own right, a Queen’s Counsel with a traceable source of income. There were also questions about the scope of Hillary Clinton’s influence during her husband’s Presidency: Americans wanted to be sure that it was the man they elected that was in charge, not his wife. A couple of weeks ago, the American public was up in arms against Michelle Obama and her poll rating dropped drastically after a visit to Spain where she and her daughter reportedly stayed in a $ 7, 000 a night hotel.

Much earlier, Nancy Reagan was also the butt of public criticism, with people asking: who is she? And this is not a female thing. In Britain, Prince Phillip, the Queen’s husband, is constantly criticized for putting his foot in his mouth. He once said for example that “British women can’t cook.” He told a visiting Nigerian President, all dressed up in babariga (name withheld): “you look like you’re ready for bed.” During a state visit to China, he told British students: “if you stay much longer, you’all be slitty-eyed.” Prince Phillip’s supporters insist that he is honest, but the majority ask: how is the Queen coping with such a man who is perpetually saying something offensive? There may be persons who defend Dame Patience’s aggressive style, but some of us ask: how is the President coping?
Since Dr Jonathan assumed office, he and his wife have been practically on the road. The Dame has travelled from one state to the other, under the auspices of the Women for Change Initiative. In every state she tells the women to vote and “make sure your vote counts if you like my husband.” Is she now a partisan politician? The Jonathans must be told that Nigeria does not have a co-Presidency. We have only one president and his name is Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. And by the way, what does Dame Patience Jonathan do for a living? She obviously does not have to deal with the challenges of rotation and zoning in her home, unlike the three wives of the Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako for whom zoning and rotation have become topical subjects or the wives of South African President Jacob Zuma – that is why she can afford to be so meddlesome!

When she misbehaves as she did in Okrika, she creates the impression that her husband is not in control of his own home. First ladies are prominent figures but their conduct is an eternal subject of public interest. In Nigeria, there was Victoria Gowon, there was also Ajoke Muhammed: dignified and restrained. There was Maryam Babangida – she was influential but no one could accuse her of verbal recklessness; Mrs Abdusalami Abubakar was a court judge, totally self-effacing, No major social party was complete without Mrs Stella Obasanjo, yet she controlled her tongue. Mrs Turai Yar’Adua was described as the power behind the throne and she proved that during the period of her husband’s illness but she was carefully reticent. At the state level, there was Remi Tinubu in Lagos state and Onari Duke in Cross River state who have both conducted themselves responsibly in and out of office. The new First Lady likes to travel, party, and talk outside the script. People are beginning to learn to read her lips in order to understand her husband. Dame Patience must not push her Goodluck.

One of nature's oddest creatures has given up the secret of its incredible cancer immunity.

The naked mole rat, a hairless rodent that lives in ant-like colonies underground, appears to enjoy complete protection against the disease, despite its unusually long 30-year lifespan.

Now for the first time scientists believe they know why. The discovery could lead to exciting new cancer treatments for human patients.

The key to the mole rat's freedom from cancer is a gooey substance in its body tissue that stops normal cells turning cancerous.

Known as "high molecular weight hyaluronan", or HMW-HA, it surrounds mole rat cells and in the laboratory clogged up vacuum pumps and tubing. When the "goo" was taken away, cells became vulnerable to cancer triggers and started forming tumours.

In the mole rat, HMW-HA's primary function is generating a very flexible, elastic skin that allows it to squeeze through narrow underground tunnels.

Its rejuvenating effect on skin is already well known to the cosmetics industry, which uses it in anti-wrinkle creams and injections. This suggests HMW-HA could safely be used to treat cancer.

Lead scientist Dr Andrei Seluanov, from the University of Rochester, US, said: "There's indirect evidence that HMW-HA would work in people. It's used in anti-wrinkle injections and to relieve pain from arthritis in knee joints, without any adverse effects. Our hope is that it can also induce an anti-cancer response."

The naked mole rat's unique form of hyaluronan - part of the connective material between cells, or extracellular matrix - is absent from cell cultures from other mammals, including humans, mice and guinea pigs. It has giant molecules, more than five times larger than those of mouse or human hyaluronan.

The research, published in the journal Nature, showed that mole rat hyaluronan activates a powerful anti-cancer gene called p16 which prevents cells proliferating when too many of them crowd together. Next the scientists plan to test the anti-cancer effectiveness of HMW-HA on mice, after which they will focus on human cells.

The late Biafran leader died in November 2011.

The legal tussle within the family of the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu shows no sign of abating with Debe Odumegwu-Ojukwu suing the family for N100 million for refusing to allow him perform the funeral rites of the Biafran war lord.

Debe, a former police officer, is urging the Federal High Court, Lagos, to stop the family’s “serial and sustained threats to maim or kill him.”

The Igbo leader died in November 2011.

Mr. Debe said that the refusal to allow him perform the dust-to-dust funeral rites of the late Odumegwu-Ojukwu is ‘illegal and unlawful” and amounts to a violation of his rights.

“The discrimination against the applicant in performing the dust-to-dust funeral rites in honour of his deceased father during his burial obsequies…. being his first and eldest son, and the consequent loss of self esteem and good standing before his immediate family, peers and the whole world,” Mr. Debe said in his court papers.

He added that the family’s exclusion exposed him to “public derision, great distress, mental torture, psychological disorientation, public odium, ridicule, and obloquy.”

Joined in the suit are Ojukwu Transport Limited; Joseph Ojukwu; Emmanuel Ojukwu; Lotanna Ojukwu; and Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

Others are Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (Junior); Patricia Ojukwu; Margaret Mogbo (nee Ojukwu); Inspector General of Police; Ibrahim Muktar, former Anambra State Commissioner of Police; and Mike Okoli, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anambra State.

Mr. Debe, who is also a lawyer, is representing himself in the suit.

In his response, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (Junior) insisted that Mr. Debe is not the son of his late father.

“The applicant, to the best of my knowledge, as well as to the Ojukwu family, is not and has never been a grand-child of the late Sir L.P.O Ojukwu.

“The applicant is not the son or the first son of my father, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

“The last Will and Testament of my late father, dated the 9th day of July 2005, duly certified by the Probate Registry Enugu, did not include the name of the claimant in the list of his eight children.

“I was listed as No. 2 and the eldest male child. He (late Ikemba Nnewi) specifically named me as his ‘first son’,” Mr. Emeka said.

Mr. Emeka referred to a paragraph in the will of the late leader where he listed his eight children with a preceding statement which read: “the following and no others….”

“The issue of the applicant (Mr. Debe) being a son of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu and therefore entitled to perform any of the traditional rites he alleges as being denied, is the subject of Suit No. LD/1528/2012 between him and some respondents,” Mr. Emeka stated in his response.

“The applicant was not prevented from performing the traditional funeral rites for a man he claims to be his father.

“Nnewi community has its customs and these are respected by all indigenes of Nnewi community. A son cannot be prevented from doing what the custom permits him to do,” he added.

Justice Okon Abang has fixed October 7 for the hearing of the case.