Chief Ojo Maduekwe



Mar 25 2010

Akunyili, Shamsudeen, 6 others make new cabinet list

By Emmanuel Aziken:

* As Senate sets tough hurdles

ABUJA— EIGHT additional ministerial nominees including erstwhile Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili and her National Planning counterpart, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman were presented to the Senate yesterday.

Akunyili and Dr. Shamsudeen Usman

Prof. Akunyili and Dr. Shamsudeen Usman

The process of Senate screening for the eight and the earlier 25 presented on Tuesday would begin next Monday, Vanguard learnt.

Senators, however, sent a strong message of the tough hurdles awaiting some of the nominees when they openly shouted nay to Senator Sanusi Daggash, a former Minister of National Planning as the 33 names were formally read out on the Senate floor.

The eight new nominees and the 25 presented to the Senate President, Senator David Mark earlier, were read out jointly at the beginning of the Senate session as a whole list.

Vanguard gathered that the 25 names submitted on Tuesday to Senate President David Mark by Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Special Assistant to the President, Senate, was withdrawn yesterday morning following the clearance of Akunyili and the other seven nominees.

It was learnt that the arrival of the second batch of nominees followed the receipt of their security clearance reports by the Presidency late on Tuesday.

One Presidency official told Vanguard: “More names would be forwarded as their security reports are received.”
The current list did not have names from Oyo, Kwara, Benue and Cross River states.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Manzo Anthony has confirmed that the screening of the listed nominees will commence next Monday. This is a departure from the Senate’s sitting routine from Tuesdays to Thursdays.

It was learnt that the decision to bring forward the screening to Monday was to ensure the completion of the screening process before the senators proceed on Easter holidays.

Ministerial Nominees
Yesterday’s List
1. Dr. Shamsudeen Usman (Kano)
2. Prof. Dora Akunyili (Anambra)
3. Yusuf Suleiman (Sokoto)
4. Prof. Ruqaiya Rufai (Jigawa )
5. Arch. Musa Sad’aa (Katsina )
6. Prof. S. Abdulah (Niger)
7. Capt. Emmanuel Iheneacho (Imo)
8. Sen. Jubril Martins Kuye (Ogun)

Tuesday’s list
9.Chukwuemeka Ngozi Wogu (Abia)
10. Josephine Anenih (Anambra)
11. Labaran Maku (Nassarawa)
12. Eng. Chris Ogienwonyi (Edo)
13. Alhaji Suleiman Bello (Zamfara)
14. Alh. Murtala Yar’Ádua (Katsina)
15. Sen. Sanusi Daggash ( Borno)
16. Sen. Bala Mohammed (Sokoto)
17. Hon. Nduese Essien (A/Ibom)
18. Mrs. Josephine Tapgun (Plateau)
19. Mohammed Bello Adoke (Kogi)
20. Navy Capt. Ernest Olubolade (Ekiti)
21. Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga (Lagos)
22. Prof. M.K Abubakar (Kebbi)
23.Alhaji Adamu Waziri (Yobe)
24. Alhaji Umar Aliyu (Taraba)
25. Awodele Najim Adewole Alao (Ogun)
26. Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed (Gombe)
27. Fidelia Njeze (Enugu)
28. Godsday Orubebe (Delta)
29. Arch Nuhu Soho Wya (Kogi)
30. Adetokunbo Kayode (Ondo)
31. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN) (Rivers)
32. Sen. Akinlabi Olasunkanmi (Osun)
33. Mrs. Dezeani Allison-Maduekwe (Baylesa)

EX-MINISTERS YET TO BE RE-NOMINATED
1. Mike Aondoakaa
2. Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma
2. Mr. Babatunde Omotoba
3. Dr. Idi Hong
4. Senator Bello J. Gada
5. Godwin Abbe
6. Ademola Seriki
7. Dr. Sam Egwu
8. Hajia Aishatu Dukku
9. Mr. John Odeh
10. Senator M. A. Aliero
11. Barr. Chuka Odom
12. Remi Babalola
13Chief Ojo Maduekwe
14. Alhaji Jubril Maigari
15. Ambassador Bagudu Hirse
16. Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin
17. Aliyu Ikara Bilbis
18. Dr. Rilwanu Lukman
19. Dr. I.Y. Lame
20. Alhaji Alhassan Zaku
21. Eng. S. M. Ndanusa
22. Alhaji Ibrahim Bio
23. Mr. S. H. Sulaiman
24. Dr. Hasaan Mohammed Lawal
25. Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre
26. Amb. Ibrahim Kazaure
27. Achike Udenwa
28. Chuka Julius Odom
29. Dr. Muhktar Mansur
30. Rilwanu Babalola
31. Ufot Ekaette
32. Dr. Shetima Mustapha

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Feb 24 2010

Saudi: Ministers back without seeing Yar’Adua

By Adeleke Adeseri, Emmanuel Aziken &  Inalegwu Shaibu:

LAGOS— The ministerial team which left for Saudi Arabia, 12.15 a.m. yesterday, was billed to return to the country this morning, but they failed to meet President Umaru Yar’Adua just as the other delegations before them.

Information from Riyadh, capaital of Saudi Arabia as at press time, indicated that efforts being made by the ministers had not yielded any positive result. However, the ministers were able to meet the Saudi monarch,  Abdullah Bin AbdulAziz, in Riyadh ‘to thank him’ as the Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, reportedly said the team will do.

They are expected to return early today to brief the FEC meeting that will start by 10.00 a.m. The decision to send a FEC team to Saudi Arabia was taken at last Wednesday’s meeting of the cabinet.

The team comprises the Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Foreign Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, Health Minister, Prof. Babatunde Oshotimehin, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Abba Sayyadi Ruma, and Minister of Petroleum Resources, Rilwanu Lukman, who apparently did not join his colleagues because of the ongoing 10th Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference in Abuja.

Usually reliable sources told Vanguard that although the ministers had sought permission of the President’s doctors and the immediate family to see him, there was no clearance yet, as at the time of going to the press. Even their request for a possible video conference was equally turned down.

Jonathan drops Yar’Adua’s style

Meantime, the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, has adopted a formal approach in his executive communication with the Senate dropping the informal salutation adopted by President Umaru Yar‘Adua.

In his first executive communication which arrived the Senate, yesterday, Dr. Jonathan dropped the contentious salutation of “My Dear Brother” adopted in the past by President Yar`Adua. He rather chose the formal salutation of “Your Excellency.”

The Senate, through its spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze hailed the communication from the Acting President saying that the Acting President has started exercising his powers and a vindication of the Senate’s resolution adopting Dr. Jonathan as Acting President.

President Yar’Adua’s adoption of the salutation “My Dear Brother” was criticized by some senators in the past who, during a debate on the issue, described the greeting as patronizing on the Senate.

Presents FCT budget, picks CCB members

In two separate letters to the Senate channeled through the President of the Senate, Dr. Jonathan tabled the 2010 budgetary proposals for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and nominations for a new chairman and members of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB.

Erstwhile Secretary of the CCB, Sam Saba, was nominated as Chairman of the Bureau. Other members nominated by the Acting President were Ibrahim Manzo, Chief Stephen Bekefula, Amb. Habib Elabor, Dr. (Mrs.) Christiana Okwori,  Alhaji Disina Mohammed, Prince Okechukwu Nwadinobi and Dr. Ademola Adebo.

Details of the FCT budget were not revealed yesterday, but Senator Eze said the Senate would pass the 2010 federal budget next week

Senators divided on time frame

Also senators were, yesterday, divided on the time frame for the President to transmit a letter of notification to the National Assembly when proceeding on vacation. While some senators at the resumed consideration of a bill to alter the provisions of sections 145 and 190 of the 1999 Constitution insisted on the seven days, others were rooting for 14 days.

Proponents of seven days argued that the position of the President and Governors was too sensitive to be left vacant for a single minute. According to them, the Vice President or Deputy Governors should start acting immediately a President or Governor embarked on vacation without transmitting a letter to the National or State Assembly.

But while the senators were in support of the 14 days time frame for the President or Governors to notify the National Assembly or the State Assembly, they were, however, in quandary on the exact interpretation of vacation.

Those that spoke were Senators Sati Gogwin, PDP, Plateau Central, Aloysius Etok, PDP, Akwa Ibom North-West, Wilson Ake, PDP, Rivers West, Thompson Sekibo, PDP, Rivers East, Patrick Osakwe, PDP, Delta North, and George Akume, PDP, Benue North West, among others.

Senator Ake who was the first to open debate said the amendment being sought would check the notorious habits of governors who left their duty posts for months without officially handing over to the deputies. He, however, added that 14 days was too much for the governors.

Senator Osakwe lamented that the country was faced with the current situation because of the constitution foisted on it by the military.

He said: “Section 145 is a product of the military. This is the time that our democracy must be seen to be working. It is the time to change what we feel is not in consonance with the tenets of democratic principles. I think seven days is too short. It should be 14 days.”

Senator Sekibo, however, differed by saying that number of days being canvassed for President to transmit a letter was too long for the country to be left without a leader.

He said: “The amendment being sought is only one aspect of the provision of the constitution that deals with Presidential succession. There are others we need to look at critically.

I have problem with clause two. Why do we wait for seven days for the President to notify the Senate and for the Senate to mandate the Vice President to take over? If a man absconds from his duty post, should we not  punish him? If a man is not at his duty post, it means he has absconded, so for me the clause should read that if the President absconds from his duty post, the Vice President should take over as Acting President.”

Senator Etok advocated a fixed time frame under which the Acting President can perform the functions of the President, adding that allowing too much time will create tension in the country.

He said: “How long should the Acting President act? If it takes too long time, then the Acting President will become a sole administrator which will not augur well for a nation the size of Nigeria. It should be 90 days for the Vice President to act.”

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Feb 23 2010

Why FEC team won’t see Yar’Adua

By Madu Onuorah:

THERE were strong pointers in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia yesterday that members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) delegation sent to meet President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua will not see the Nigerian leader.

The Guardian learnt that doctors in Saudi had even written a letter to the Federal Government on new developments in the course of treating the President. The tone of the letter was apparently to prepare Nigerians, especially the members of the FEC delegation, who were billed to leave Abuja yesterday, that they might not see the President.

A declaration yesterday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, that the team will not return to Nigeria with a report on the ailing leader’s health condition, is now seen as a further proof that the Nigerian delegation will not be allowed to see the ailing leader.

Two delegations had gone before without success. Indeed, The Guardian confirmed that the one comprising Governors Gabriel Suswam of Benue, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi and Ibrahim Shema of Katsina had a few hours of discussion with First Lady Turai Yar’Adua during the trip. It was disappointed at not being allowed to see the President. Not even the presence of Yuguda whose wife, the President’s daughter and three-month-old son, the president’s grandson, made matters better

The decision to send a FEC team to Saudi Arabia was taken at last Wednesday’s meeting of the cabinet.

Maduekwe however linked the delay in the team’s departure for Jeddah to “normal issues of process,” adding that the ministers will leave via the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja last night.

The minister said the purpose of the visit was to thank the Saudi authorities for their care for Yar’Adua and to show solidarity with the First Family.

The team comprises the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Ahmed Yayale, Maduekwe, Health Minister, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwan Lukman and Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Abba Sayyadi Ruma.

After meeting with the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Maduekwe told journalists in Abuja yesterday that “you don’t fly into other people’s country without getting all the facility clearance. There are things to be sorted out. Remember the request was made close to weekend and the offices opened on Sunday (in Saudi Arabia). Your request to come into a country is received, is processed. And we have very good relations with the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia) and there is no problem. Our desire to be there is accepted.

“So, there is a process. It is just like nobody comes to Nigeria without notifying us. There is protocol arrangement at the airport to receive them. We are not going as private citizens but as government officials. And on the basis of reciprocity, like if the Saudis come to Nigeria, they will be properly received at the airport. So, as we go, we will be properly received at the airport. Like I told you, this request was made close to the weekend. When I asked the Saudi Ambassador to see me, he duly said he would pass on our request to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

He continued: “It was only yesterday (Sunday) that the details of our going were concluded. By the time we had them, it was almost midnight, so, we couldn’t continue because we have to inform the people on the delegation. You don’t just tell them five minutes to the time that you have got to leave… So there is no problem and the Saudis have responded to our request very promptly.”

Asked about the mandate of the team, the minister said: “We will be expressing our deep appreciation to the King of Saudi Arabia for the excellent and generous attention, he and the government and the people have given to our President, who unfortunately has been away for almost three months now for medical treatment.

“We need to be on record to thank the King for that. And that’s enough reason for us to go. And it’s enough reason for a strong team from the government to go. We didn’t know that this thing would last two weeks, one month, two months and it’s close to the third month. It’s just time. We couldn’t have done it much earlier because we would have thought it was just for a few weeks.

“We don’t want it to be on record that when our President comes back, even if he comes back today, that for the three months he was there, we didn’t go to Riyadh to thank the King. It is better to go physically to do the thanking. We can write letter to thank him but this is the King of Saudi Arabia. And nothing less than what we are doing is less than adequate. That’s all. That is the major emphasis on what we are doing.”

He dismissed any thinking that the delegation would seek and bring medical report on Yar’Adua’s health condition, saying “we are not a medical team. We are not a medical panel.”

Reminded that Osotimehin is on the trip, Chief Maduekwe said “the constitution does not make that doctor a member of a medical panel. The fact that he is the minister of health does not make him a member of a medical panel. An engineer can be minister of health, even a lawyer like me can be minister of health. The only position in the Executive Council, which by constitutional provision requires a particular profession to head that ministry is the office of Attorney- General. The fact that the Minister of Health is on this team does not automatically mean that he is going there as a medical doctor. It could have been minister of culture. It could have been minister of transport. And it could have been anybody else. So, it should not establish any linkage between the presence of Osotimehin, renowned medical scholar and minister of health. There is no linkage between that at all and the purpose of this visit.

He added that the purpose of the visit was to express solidarity with the First Family and register our prayers and best wishes for the rapid recovery of the President.

It is also to give assurances that under the leadership of the Acting President, governance is going on, he said.

On when the delegation is expected back to Nigeria, Madueke said: “We leave tonight (Monday) and we are not going to be there all week. It is not going to last long and as soon as we carry out the purpose of our going there, we will start coming back.”

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