Too hot in the kitchen: Corrupt Aondoakaa flees Abuja for Senegal, Spain

Nigeria's controversial and notoriously corrupt public officer, Michael Aondoakaa, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who was recently demoted to the ignominy of cabinet “Special Duties,” may have fled the heat of the kitchen. Andoakaa, who is also under fire from a fellow minister, Dora Akunyili, over reckless statements he made over her actions in recent cabinet meetings, may not be in a position to respond to her seven-day ultimatum, which expires in five days. He quietly left for Senegal on Thursday night, apparently to avoid the consequences of his dubious errands on behalf of the kitchen cabinet, which began to crumble last week. The former AGF also faces mounting pressure from several interests that he extorted for cash as he went about his duties heavily compromised. A family source told Saharareporters in Abuja that his decision to travel out of Nigeria was abrupt as they were planning to meet with him in his hometown in Benue State this weekend, but Aondoakaa promptly traveled out of the country after he applied for a 30-day leave. It is unclear if the government approved the application before he left. Sources close to the Minister told our reporter that he lost his swagger and suddenly became fearful for his life after he was removed from office as AGF, choosing to run away to Dakar, one of his favorite destinations. He is expected to travel to Spain from Senegal until things cool down a bit. Aondoakaa’s disappearance is coming on the heels of the jetting-out of James Ibori, a kitchen-cabinet colleague, purportedly to spend Valentine's Day in Dubai and South Africa with his new girlfriend, Senami Sosu. His wife is in London, preparing to face trial, while his mistress, Mrs. Udoamaka Okoronkwo is also unavailable, as her trial commences in a right after Valentine's Day. It is believed that owing to the recent political developments, the kitchen cabinet members might have started considering other options, especially fleeing Nigeria.

Apology letter without apology: Dora Akunyili taking Corrupt Aondoakaa to court next week

The disagreement between Dora Akunyili, the Minister for Information and Communications and Michael Aondoakaa, the former Attorney General of the Federation, is going to court next week.That is unless Mr. Aondoakaa issues a clear apology to Mrs Akunyili and publishes it in the media, including The Nation, the newspaper in which Mr. Aondoakaa issued his offensive statement earlier this week. In a letter to Mr. Aondoakaa on behalf of Mrs. Akunyili, Kop Odidika of SOWER & MESSUARIUS SOLICITORS, said the former AGF’s letter to Mrs. Akunyili was unacceptable, as Aondoakaa had “most disingenuously tried to put a spin on an otherwise clear and unambiguous statement that has only one interpretation, to wit: that our client committed some untoward acts while at the helm of affairs in NAFDAC.”

He described Mrs. Akunyili’s integrity as unimpeachable. “Her tenure at NAFDAC can accurately be described as the golden years of that establishment as no other head whether prior to, or subsequent to, her appointment has achieved so much as to even merit comparison with her.”

The new Minister for Special Duties, who fell from the dizzying heights of the office of the AGF only two days ago, now has seven days to meet Mrs. Akunyili’s terms or find himself looking for a lawyer.

Below is the full text of the letter from Mrs. Akunyili’s lawyers:
February 11, 2010


Chief Micheal Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN

Minister for Special Duties

Federal Secretariat

Abuja.



Dear Chief Aondoakaa,


Libelous publication against Prof. Dora N. Akunyili



We are the solicitors to Prof Dora N. Akunyili on whose behalf and instruction we write to you in connection with the above subject matter.

It is our instruction that you issued a statement which was published on Monday the 8th of February 2010 in a widely circulating national newspaper, The Nation, wherein you said, inter alia “Bringing the memo to Federal Executive Council is just to make herself an angel. She wants to be seen as populist. Whatever she wants from it is still personal. None of the FEC members has disrespect to the Vice-President. As far as we are concerned, the VP is our leader and he is leading us. What she is trying to do is self-seeking: let her go and confront herself with what happened in NAFDAC”.

Our client has been inundated with telephone calls and personal enquiries from numerous people about your said statement concerning the implication that she did something wrong while she was the Director General of NAFDAC. She duly informed you of these enquiries and demanded by her letter to you dated February 8, 2010 that you confirm the authenticity of the authorship of the statement and if confirmed to supply full particulars of your allegations of her misdeeds in NAFDAC to which you alluded.

By your letter of February 9, 2010 addressed to our client, you admitted making the statement but most disingenuously tried to put a spin on an otherwise clear and unambiguous statement that has only one interpretation, to wit: that our client committed some untoward acts while at the helm of affairs in NAFDAC.

There is no doubt that as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, you are presumed to be conversant with not only legal matters but with English Language as well. Whilst one can concede your privilege to use any language, no matter how crude and unbecoming of a lawyer and public servant, in your private home and office, same should be tempered and civilized when describing and referring to another person.

More regrettable is the fact that your libellous publication was against our client whose integrity has been unimpeachable. Her tenure at NAFDAC can accurately be described as the golden years of that establishment as no other head whether prior to, or subsequent to, her appointment has achieved so much as to even merit comparison with her.

Our client therefore finds it totally unacceptable that her peers and generality of Nigerians have begun to question her integrity and now consider her a disreputable person because of the statement you made. Your said letter of February 9, 2010 therefore begs the issue.

We hereby demand that you issue a clear apology to our client and cause the said apology to be published prominently in the media including The Nation newspaper. Please TAKE NOTICE that unless this demand is met within 7 days from the date hereof we shall commence legal proceedings, against you to compel obedience and seek financial compensation for the injury done to our client’s reputation.



Please treat as very urgent.



Yours faithfully,

SOWER & MESSUARIUS SOLICITORS

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01



KOP ODIDIKA

Principal Partners

Court declares Kenny Martins, Ibrahim Dumuje and Joni Icheka wanted

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, sitting at Gwagwalada, and presided over by Honourable Justice Mwada Balami today, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY, 12TH, 2010, issued bench warrant for the arrest of the following persons: 1. KENNY MARTINS; 2. IBRAHIM DUMUJE and 3. JONI ICHEKA. This same Court had earlier issued bench warrant against all the four accused persons in the case on the 11th of December, 2009 but later vacated the bench warrant on the 13th January, 2010 upon the application brought by the accused persons wherein counsel to the accused persons undertook to produce the accused persons in court in the next adjourned date being 22nd January, 2010. However, on the said 22nd of January, 2010, counsel to the accused persons who are acting as shield to the accused persons approached the court with an application, but the court ordered that it will not hear any application from the accused persons until they appear in court, since the matter is a criminal matter which cannot be heard in the absence of the accused persons. The matter was therefore adjourned to today being 12th February, 2010 for the accused persons to appear, have the charges read over to them and to take their plea. Today, being 12th of February, 2010, three of the accused persons refused to appear in court in disobedience of the order of the court. The only accused person that was in court is COSMOS OKPARA who is a legal practitioner. As a result, counsel to the prosecution therefore applied for a bench warrant to be issued against the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Accused persons who are in disobedience of the orders of the court and who have vowed not to appear before the learned justice to face their trial. Please find attached scanned copies of the three warrants of arrest. This was sequel to a charge filed by Mr. Festus Keyamo who got a special fiat (authorization) of the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation, to prosecute the accused persons.
Consequently, Mr. Keyamo filed the following charges at the High Court:

“COUNT 1 That you Kenny Martins, Ibrahim Dumuje, Joni Icheka ‘m’, and Cosmas OKpara ‘m’ on or about the 31st day of March, 2006 at Corporate Affairs Commission Wuse Zone 5, Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit: forge documents relating to Corporate Affairs Commission in a bid to fraudulently change the members of the Board of Directors of NIGERSTALG LIMITED, original partner with the Federal Government on the Police Equipment Fund, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97(1) of the Penal Code, Cap 532 Laws of the Federation Nigerian 1990 (Abuja).

COUNT 2 That you Kenny Martins, Ibrahim Dumuje, Joni Icheka ‘m’, and Cosmas Okpara ‘m’ on or about the 31st day of March 2006 at same place within the Abuja Judicial Division did forge form CAC.7 of NIGERSTALG LIMITED with intent to defraud the Police Equipment Fund and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 364 of Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 (Abuja)”.

The matter has been adjourned to 12th March, 2010, for the prosecution to produce the accused persons and for arraignment.
Signed: For: Festus Keyamo Chambers

OGHENOVO O. OTEMU, ESQ. Counsel

Dora Akunyili:Corrupt Aondoakaa eats his words W

Trying to minimize personal and political damage, Minister without portfolio, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, has retracted his suggestive comment aimed at Dora Akunyili, the Minister for Information and Communications, saying his words were merely misunderstood. Last week, following Mrs. Akunyili’s memo to the Federal Executive Council to reconsider its stand on transferring power to the vice-president in view of Umaru Yar’Adua’s extended sickness abroad, Mr. Aondoakaa had told a newspaper his colleague was seeking personal glory, and that, instead, she should “go and confront herself with what happened in NAFDAC.”Mr. Aondoakaa did not say “sorry,” either to the person whose reputation he had clearly injured. It is not clear if Mrs. Akunyili, who had given him seven days to purge himself and who now has in her hands both the knife and the yam, will take further action.

Money-Laundering Reveals Holes in Regulations

A new Senate investigation alleges top African politicians and their families have evaded anti-money-laundering laws to bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the country.

The Senate's permanent subcommittee on investigations, in a 330-page report detailing the transfer of funds suspected of being tainted by corruption, calls for tighter anti-money-laundering restrictions on banks and the expansion of the law to cover lawyers and financial professionals such as realtors.

The committee will hold a hearing Thursday to seek responses from Treasury, State Department and immigration and customs-enforcement officials, as well as anti-money-laundering officials from Bank of America Corp. and the U.S. unit of HSBC Holdings PLC. The committee will present findings from a two-year probe involving officials from Nigeria, Angola, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea -- from presidents to central bankers.

Lawyers representing some of the African politicians, and alleged by the committee to have assisted in suspect fund transfers, also have been subpoenaed to testify.

"It's a long-standing goal of ours to try to see if we can keep corrupt money out of this country so we don't aid and abet people who pay this money," Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D., Mich.) told reporters at a briefing.

"Particularly now, when we're focusing so much on the threat of terrorism ... we've got to take strong steps here to make sure that we do not aid and abet dirty money," he said.

The bipartisan committee, with an eye toward the regulatory overhaul effort underway, wants legislation to strengthen bank controls related to accounts held by top foreign officials.

Akunyili: Where are the men?

I could imagine the emotions on the faces of members of the Federal Executive Council when Dora Akunyili presented the now-famous memo. Surprise and disbelief. After these initial reactions, anger seemed to be the dominant mood at the meeting as the hawks rudely shot the memo down. The pretext was that it didn’t follow due process as it should have been circulated to members at least one week before it was discussed in council. But that is bunkum. What the Minister presented to the council was not a memo per se, but a note. There is no need to adhere to the one-week-notice rule with notes. In times of crises, or during emergencies, a minister can introduce matters of urgent attention through a note. You wouldn’t expect a patriotic minister to have the luxury of a seven-day wait before introducing an urgent matter to the council. That’s enough time for Jos to burn, and for Al-Qaida run rings around Nigeria.

To boot, the last Jos crisis was discussed in Council without FEC members following the one week rule. Same for the Abdulmutallab issue. No doubt, those were issues requiring urgent attention. With Jos, a major Nigerian city was gripped by ethno-religious violence while our image was being assaulted by foreign media because of the imprudent action of the alleged Nigerian bomber. If the ministers could waive the rule in those cases, couldn’t they adopt the same approach with the matter Akunyili brought to council?

Or, is the 74-day absence of the President not serious enough to be regarded as a an ‘urgent national issue?’

Of course, It is and Akunyili was right to bring the matter to council. The minister of information and communications was brave and deserved commendations for that action. Just imagine! A 42-member council made up of at least 36 men, not one of them could speak up for what they know is true in their heart of hearts. I have strong suspicion that these men are great patriots .... in the privacy of their bedroom. There, they could analyse all the issues regarding the president’s ill health and give countless reasons why he should step aside for his deputy. They are heroes only to their wives and girlfriends who they regaled with their ‘deep insight’ on the constitutional crises brought about by the president’s misadvised action. But Nigeria does not need men like them. We do not need men who will not speak up for their convictions in public, who will say the opposite of what they know is true and right. Nigeria needs statesmen, men who will place national interest above self.

Men like Akunyili. Yes, I know, she is not a man. But do you call cowards who can’t stand up for their beliefs men? Do you?

I was grated by news reports that a good number of the ministers later congratulated Akunyili behind, telling her that what she did required guts. I took that as an admission that they lacked it. Since they are lily livered and cannot stand up when history demands it, they have no business being in the cabinet. We can’t trust them to be bold enough to defend our interests in cabinet meetings.

The scenario playing out in the cabinet underlines the postulations of some scholars that the majority is sometimes, if not often, wrong. And the dictatorship of the majority is a very terrible thing indeed. It could easily prop up leaders without moral compunction. It is reason why the worst dictators in human history got away with genocide. Imagine there had been serious revolt in Hitler’s cabinet, that someone like Goebbels or Himmler seriously canvassed an alternative view, instead of egging the Fuehrer on. The course of human history might have changed for the better, and millions of lives would have been probably saved. But what we have mostly is the silence of men in the corridors of power. Men who are afraid to speak the truth because it might jeopardise their daily bread. But no nation can truly develop if we only consider our self interest above everything else. There must be a time to stand up tall for what you believe in and damn everything else.

As Vice President Goodluck Jonathan assumes office as acting President Which Members of the Federal Executive Council should be sacked.....ASAp

Anambra state election 'gravely flawed

An election for governor of Anambra state in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta region has been condemned amid reports of vote-buying and ballot-box theft.

Peter Obi was re-elected but just 300,000 people cast their ballots from an electorate of 1.8 million.

Gangs of youths intimidated and harassed voters and snatched three ballot boxes from polling stations.

The chaos has dampened hopes of improvements to Nigeria's voting system ahead of national elections in 2011.

President Umaru Yar'Adua had promised to sort out Nigeria's notoriously corrupt elections after he was elected in a widely-criticised poll in 2007.

But even the winning candidate in Anambra conceded that the vote had been subject to "age-old inadequacies" such as poor preparation.

Mr Obi had initially refused to vote because he discovered he was the only member of his family whose name appeared on the electoral roll. He later changed his mind.

Chukwuma Soludo, who came third in the poll, complained of "brazen manipulation".

"Let me use this opportunity to congratulate my friend Mr Peter Obi," said Mr Soludo.

"In spite of the grave flaws, INEC [Independent National Electoral Commission] has declared you winner of the election."

The BBC's Fidelis Mbah in Anambra says he witnessed three ballot boxes being stolen by gangs of youths - at least one of whom was armed and dressed in police uniform.

He says one polling station had 500 registered voters but just three people could find their names on the list.

Although the manipulation appeared to be politically motivated, our correspondent says it is not clear who was responsible.

Many polling stations opened hours late and there were confrontations as voters discovered their names were not on the electoral register.

The resignation of Prof. Akunyili will be a victory for retrogressive forces

Providence and altruistic ethical and moralistic personal responsibilities have once more thrust the truthful captainship of Nigeria’s axiological path and apophthegm on a person of Igbo extraction to act as the conscience of the sinking Nigerian nation. In a country where loyalty to oil blocks and licenses, kick-backs, quid pro quo, and brazen embezzlement are the norm, it did not surprise a handful of us when the brave and courageous Dora Nkem Akunyili stood-up for the “truth”. Courage is not lacking in Igboland, and Nigeria’s history is replete with courageous acts by sons and daughters of Ndi-Igbo. From the Nwanyeruwa instigated 1929 Aba women’s revolt, to the winning of Nigeria’s independence by Nnamdi Azikiwe with pure and natural intelligence from the British without a single gun shot being fired, to the actual prediction of the events of today’s Nigeria by a 33 year old Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Even when two super powers, Britain and the Soviet Union, with all their weapons of mass destruction like napalm and other sophisticated military weaponry, expertise, and intelligence network, economic blockade and starvation of innocent old men, women and children; Ndi-Igbo stood truthfully firm and fought all the Nigerian ethnic nationalities with their two murderous collaborating super powers for three years. At the end, notwithstanding that the Igboland of Port Harcourt, Calabar and other sea ports were criminally stolen from Ndi-Igbo; the hard work, ingenuity, good sportsmanship, individual and collective commitment to the Nigerian nation have neither diminished nor withered away. Ndi-Igbo have continued and will continue to serve and act as the conscience of a morally depraved, ethically felonious and crime prone Nigeria, a country that is truly accursed by the spirits of Biafra’s dead.

Nigeria’s Information and Communications Minister, Dora Nkem Akunyili, has been in the news lately. Her prominence is not predicated on the subversion and inversion of the Constitution – à la Michael Aondoakaa, or for taking a Supplementary budget to Saudi Arabia to be assented to by a biologically dead president - à la David Edevbie, or for paying exorbitant attorney fees for the joint criminal defense of a wife and a mistress – à la James Ibori. Her recent adulation is for a cause that every parent, husband, sons and daughters, kit and kin and all lovers of decency, probity, truthfulness, honesty, accountability and reverence toward God would take a joyous delight in. Prof. Akunyili has redeemed herself and made her nation very proud. At the end of a dark and corruption infested tunnel, there always is a light, no matter how dim and how weak. A ray of hope gives Nigerians a very shaky believe that all hopes are not lost. And Prof. Akunyili today is that ray of hope.

Our dear country is a country manifestly rich in evil and devious scheming. A country where the light of truth is easily and ruthlessly extinguished without remorse. A country where evil triumphs with a thunderous applause by professional leeches. A country where callousness is the order of the day. A country where good men and women are abundant but are dominated by rotten, amoral, dishonorable, vice-laden, unconscienced and intellectually defective and villainous goons, scummy, tainted, yecchy, wormy, reechy, mephitic, scurfy and nidorous bunch that reign and dictate the affairs of the nation. But as in all things with a beginning and an end, the end of mass deception, unmitigated lies and personal ambition over country will surely end.

Anambra Elections: An Eye Opener On Our Real Problem

Like most Anambarians, non Anambra indigenes and residents, I spent most part of yesterday following the reports of polls via the internet. As usual, anticipated and highly expected, there were several skemishes. Despite all these, a new lesson was learnt on why our electoral system and programme are perenially problematic. It is the complacency of the voters. Yesterday was the day when gladiators of Abuja and Anambra politics tried to outwit and outsmart one another in what seemed like a do-or-die affair. Names like Prince Arthur Eze were copiously reverberating across most news reports as a result of his notoriety at what Nigerian 'politicians' are good at- rigging.

I'm not surprised that the PDP stalwarts deployed every artillery in their arsenal of weapons to rally around the founder of Soludoeconomics, neither was I disappointed that INEC's voters' registers bore names of late eminent Nigerians like Fela and Bola Ige, it is Iwu's way of paying glowing tributes, and INEC's role at ensuring that ballot papers of those who were disenfranchised of their fundamental human right were thumb printed for the candidate of their choice. Believe me, there is a compehensive and all encompassing voters' register, you can only on days apart from the day of election. It's part of the fault proof plan!

What is the however disheartening is the complacency of Anambarians who were intimidated either by the big grammar and charts of Soludo, or by the blood red eyes of political thugs. One after another, we hear stories of hoodlums distrupted electoral process, carting or snatching away ballot boxes to be snuffed with thumb printed ballot papers of those whose names weren't on the voters' list, while voters look on.

In times past, I thought only we the Yorubas feared trouble, compelling us to stay at peace when things are breaking into pieces, Anambarians had shown that the siddon look attitude is a national phenomenon that permeate all ethnic groups. United, in fear, we stand!

This makes me wonder why are Nigerians afraid to defend their votes, standing arms akimbo or running helter sketter when they ought to stand against the insignant fraction that wants to jeopardize the collective destiny of all?

Is it the weapons that are brandished by the disgruntled elements, or their blood shot eyes? Is it the deep baritone voice or Yokosuna thick biceps muscles? Or is it our inate tendency to flee at any sign of trouble knowing that there is nobody to watch your back? Many questions.

Going by the Anambra elections, it becomes evident that a million and one Wole Shoyinka and the likes cannot empower the voters, voters must empower themselves.

Swiss Conspiracy:Swiss court awards Haiti funds to Baby Doc Duvalier

At least $4.6m (£2.9m) in Swiss bank accounts must be returned to the family of Haiti's former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, a Swiss court has ruled.

A lower court had previously awarded charities the money - but that decision was overturned on 12 January and the ruling released on 3 February.

However, the Swiss government has blocked the release of the money until a law is passed to return it to Haiti.

The exile, known as Baby Doc, allegedly looted millions. He denies wrong-doing.

The court decision was made hours before the Haiti earthquake killed at least 150,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless.

The three-week delay before the ruling had been released was a common feature of Swiss courts, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The Federal Supreme Court reversed the lower court's ruling that the money should go to aid groups in Haiti because the statute of limitations on any crimes committed by the Duvalier clan expired in 2001.

US: Atiku Abubakar in $40million money-laundering accusation with wife, Jennifer

A United States Senate report has accused Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice-President, of laundering over $40 million in suspicious funds into the United States between 2000 and 2008. And his partner in the lucrative effort was Jennifer Douglas, his fourth wife. Ms. Douglas is sometimes known as Lady Jamilah Jennifer, or Douglas E, or Jennifer Iwenjora, the name by which she was known in the 1980s when she was a reporter with the Nigeria Television Authority in Lagos. According to the report, which was written by the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations, most of the funds were through wire transfers sent by offshore corporations to U.S. bank accounts. Of the $40 million identified in the US investigation, $25 million was reportedly wire-transferred by offshore corporations into more than 30 U.S. bank accounts opened by Ms. Douglas, primarily by Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Ltd., LetsGo Ltd. Inc., and Sima Holding Ltd. “In a 2008 civil complaint, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that Ms. Douglas received over $2 million in bribe payments in 2001 and 2002, from Siemens AG, a major German corporation,” the report says. “While Ms. Douglas denies wrongdoing, Siemens has already pled (pleaded) guilty to U.S. criminal charges and settled civil charges related to bribery and told the Subcommittee that it sent the payments to one of her U.S. accounts.

Maurice Iwu’s INEC declared unfit to conduct any elections in Nigeria

In a case that may have immediate political reverberations, Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos today ruled that the present Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not competent to organize any election in Nigeria. Delivering judgment in a suit filed by Femi Falana on behalf of the Osun State chapter of the Action Congress against INEC and four others, Justice Liman ruled that the membership of the electoral body was not properly constituted, and that any election conducted by INEC would consequently be unconstitutional. This rule comes less than 48 hours before INEC, which is currently led by Maurice Iwu, is to set to conduct a governorship election in Anambra. The ruling has cast the legitimacy of that election in serious question. In going to court to challenge the constitution of the current INEC, the AC had contended that the present chairman and four commissioners of INEC contravened section 159 of the 1999 Constitution which stipulates that INEC is to be run by a chairman and 13 commissioners. The said section also stipulates that one–third of the 13 members (comprising five members) must be present before any decision could be taken. The plaintiffs sued INEC Chairman, Mr. Maurice Iwu, Mr. Phillip Umeadi, Mr. Victor Chukwuani, Mr. A Soyebi and the Resident Electoral Officer of Osun State as co-defendants. Delivering his verdict, the judge said it was shameful that Iwu and his commissioners could take the country for granted by perpetrating illegalities that they clearly knew was against the constitution of the land. Justice Liman dismissed the submission of INEC lawyers who challenged his jurisdiction. He stated that he was competent to entertain the matter. The judgment stressed the role of a properly constituted INEC in the country’s democratic progress. Judge Liman said, “Before I end this judgment, let me remark on a very sad note that INEC constitutes the most important indispensable bedrock on which our democratic institutions are built.” He went on to state that the electoral commission’s “functions are central to the smooth and enduring evolution of our political structure. It is not an overstatement to say that without a functional INEC, no election into any political office will be possible.” He then wondered “how come that in the 11th year of the country's journey into constitutional governance, we do not have an electoral body with its full complement of members?” The judge expressed profound disappointment that “We continue to pretend that all is well with our electoral system while its membership continues to drop from 13 to four and it seems we remain complacent as if all is well.”

Dora Akunyili's "shock and awe" memo: Yar'Adua's kitchen cabinet faces tough week ahead

Members of Yar’Adua’s kitchen cabinet are disoriented over the shock memo presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday by Information Minister Dora Akunyili asking Yar’Adua to present a letter of vacation to the Senate as required by section 145 of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution. But aides and kitchen cabinet members loyal to ailing Yar’Adua are now strategizing on how to react to the memo, which we understand she will represent at the FEC's meeting next Wednesday. Already, a core member of t Yar'dua's loyalists, Nigeria's notoriously corrupt Attorney General, Michael Aondoakaa has called on Mrs. Akuyili to resign from the cabinet. Saharareporters sources say the kitchen cabinet has reactivated the option of calling in the military to take over power, in preference to handing power over to Goodluck Jonathan, Yar’Adua’s deputy. It is now known that Akunyili’s five-page memo, which she first circulated yesterday at the FEC meeting, has now been formally submitted by the minister, who is insisting that the FEC change its earlier position that Yar’Adua was fit to continue in office and therefore does not need to hand over power to his deputy. According to a minister who did not wish to be named, after Mrs. Akunyili presented her circular to the FEC yesterday, Yar’Adua's loyalists led by the Minister of Agriculture, Sayyad Abba Ruma, shouted her down, but Akunyili stood her ground and insisted that the memo be discussed. Things reportedly got out of hand as a majority of the ministers said she had not properly presented the document to the body through the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, Ahmed Yayale. Sensing that the memo might be sabotaged, Akunyili agreed to withdraw the circular and went out of the council chamber to call on one of her aides to present it as a memo. She succeeded in submitting it to the FEC before the meeting was over. She is insisting that the memo be discussed next week and our sources confirm it is now part of the agenda for next week’s FEC meeting. Her memo specifically asked the cabinet to rescind its 3 December 2009 declaration that the President is not incapacitated.

Do The "HAWKS" In FEC Have the Authorization to Sack Dora Akunyili

Alliance of the feudal North and decadent West

Frederick Forsyth, in his controversial book The Making of an African Legend: The Biafra Story, writes: “Victors write history, and the Biafrans lost.” It should be recalled that at the end of the civil war in 1970 General Yakubu Gowon famously declared that there were no victors and no vanquished, even though it is clear to all that the civil war established the military power clique that superintends over the country to this day. At independence in 1960 Nigeria was said to stand on a tripod of East, West and North. The civil war ensured that the North in alliance with the West defeated the East. The oppressed minorities of course took sides with the victors. That is a simple historical fact, and any other embellishments only exist to serve expedience. Samuel Johnson in his History of the Yorubas writes: “Light and civilization with the Yorubas come from the North.” According to Michael Crowder in The Story of Nigeria, “When the British occupied Nigeria they had almost no contact with the large Ibo and Ibibio population of the East, whilst already many Yoruba had received English education and provided a small intellectual elite in Lagos. Population pressures and land hunger in the East forced many Ibo and Ibibio to migrate to the cities of the West and North, where they proved remarkably successful as clerks, railway workers and storekeepers.”

In The Trouble with Nigeria Chinua Achebe writes: “Nigerians of all other ethnic groups will probably achieve consensus on no other matter than their common resentment of the Igbo… The origin of the national resentment of the Igbo is as old as Nigeria and quite as complicated. But it can be summarized thus: The Igbo culture being receptive to change, individualistic and highly competitive, gave the Igbo man an unquestioned advantage over his compatriots in securing credentials for advancement in Nigerian colonial society. Unlike the Hausa/Fulani, he was unhindered by a wary religion and unlike the Yoruba unhampered by traditional hierarchies. This kind of creature, fearing neither god nor man, was custom-made to grasp the opportunities, such as they were, of the white man’s dispensation. And the Igbo did so with both hands. Although the Yoruba had a huge historical and geographical head-start the Igbo wiped out their handicap in one fantastic burst of energy in the twenty years between 1930 and 1950.”

The fear of the other tribes could not have been assuaged by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s statement, to wit: “It would appear that the God of Africa has created the Ibo nation to lead the children of Africa from the bondage of the ages…” When Majors Emmanuel Ifeajuna and Patrick Nzeogwu struck to end the wobbling First Republic, the coup was tagged an “Igbo Coup” even though the plotters had planned according to them to release Chief Obafemi Awolowo from prison and compel him to rule the country. On why the coup-makers wanted Awolowo as the leader of the country, Major Ifeajuna wrote in his unpublished manuscript: “Chief Awolowo launched forth his party on a platform of tribalism, and for his parochial and partisan approach to national issues, he got deserving blame. But probably in the later Awolowo of after the 1959 Federal election that began the fiasco, our people saw for a second time an image of honesty, courage and discipline… In time he came to win the respect and admiration of even his greatest detractors, and what was more, he came to represent a rallying point for the young and the intellectual, for all that sought progress and nationhood for our country.

FEC fall apart: Akunyili submits "Yar'Adua step down" memo

Yar’Adua’s Minister for Information, Dora Akunyili, created a fiasco at the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja today as she submitted a memo calling on the FEC to face up to the reality of Yar’Adua’s incapacitation. She expressed the view that they should urge their principal to transmit a letter to the National Assembly to facilitate a smooth transition. Predictably, the memo, in which she warned that the FEC had taken the Nigerian people for granted for too long and should do the right thing by urging the president to step down, was shot down by hawks in the cabinet, who did not permit it to enter the agenda. An FEC source told Saharareporters that although Mrs. Akunyili's brave memo was rejected by the hawks, a “cowardly” majority of the members actually supported her position and some of them even congratulated her after the meeting, which lasted only 90 minutes. After the meeting, Mrs. Akunyili briefed the media about the downward “review” of Federal Capital Territory land rates, but did not say anything relating to Yar’Adua’s health. The atmosphere after the FEC meeting was reportedly tense, and the ministers hurriedly left the Aso Rock Villa to avoid speaking to the press. Last week, the Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, claimed after the FEC meeting, in response to a 14-day Federal High Court order that lapses this Friday, that Yar’Adua was fit to continue in office .

DoraAkunyili with Yar'adua

President Umaru Yar’Adua’s failure to write National Assembly is an impeachable offence

The prolong absence of President Umaru Yar’Adua from government without handing over to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan is a gross violation of section 145 of the Nigerian constitution and hence an impeachable offence. Section 145 mandates the president to formally inform the national assembly of is medical trip and transfer power to the vice president in an acting capacity. This episode also marks the jurisprudence of constitutional supremacy and its effect on the office of the president in our democracy. Constitutional im

peachment provisions were copied from English practice to the degree the section on impeachment was. In England, impeachment was a device to remove from office one who abused his office, misbehaved, or neglect of duty but who was protected by the Crown.

President Andrew Johnson of the United States in 1869 was impeached by the House on the ground that he had violated the Tenure of Office Act of 1775 by dismissing a Cabinet chief. The US Congress, in impeaching President Johnson stated that, ''An impeachable high crime or misdemeanor is one in its nature or consequences subversive of some fundamental or essential principle of government or highly prejudicial to the public interest, and this may consist of a violation of the Constitution, of law, of an official oath, or of duty, by an act committed or omitted, or, without violating a positive law, by the abuse of discretionary powers from improper motives or for an improper purpose.”

Section 143 of the Nigerian Constitution provides that the President or Vice President may be removed from office on impeachment for gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office. The Nigerian constitution unlike the US constitution that did not define what is high crime and misdemeanor went further to define gross misconduct as a grave violation or breach of the provisions of the Constitution or a misconduct of such nature as amounts in the opinion of the National Assembly to gross misconduct.

Thus, the operative legal standard to apply to an impeachment of a sitting President is gross misconduct as a grave violation or breach of the provisions of the Constitution.

Behold, A Rat! Or Can’t You Smell It?

The latest in today on the shameful concert a-stage in Abuja is from the Arewa Consultative Forum. The ACF would want the clause in the “Constitution” on incapacitation of the President to be respected. It wants Mr. Goodluck Jonathan to be allowed to assume the mantle of power as president given Mr. Musa Yar’Adua’s continuing health-related incapacitation and abdication. I don’t know about you, but even though I’m not a rat, I do smell rat here. It doesn’t take a genius talk less a class in introductory political science for anyone to discern that the same line-up of individuals who hold the realization of genuine democratic transformation in Nigeria hostage are scrambling again to abort the current opportunity to achieve that necessary condition for Nigeria’s progress and development. They all know that the game they play so well is up again. They are ever busy now scrambling to salvage the rump yet another time. Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo’s shameless “God punish me” response to a question in Abuja the other day, and the excursion to Abuja by the so-called Elders last week, are all indicators of the same desperation to abort by the line-up. People of goodwill must not allow them to succeed this time.

That Yar’Adua has been badly compromised on health grounds to hold up the trough that these characters feed off to the detriment of the peoples of Nigeria and their over all destinies is not lost on them. That, has been evident from the time it has taken them to scramble up counting from the day he went out on a stretcher in the middle of the night more than two months ago to Saudi Arabia. Did it slip their minds that the relevant clause that should apply in this case in the “Constitution” they produced in 1999 and brandished in our name must be triggered into effect? They have been busy tinkering to see how much time they can buy to sustain the status quo. The tide has turned on them, and they know it too. That’s why they have signaled their readiness now to move to their next act of holding true democratic transformation in Nigeria hostage. We must stop them this time.

Work-chop-cracy

A group of individuals known as the ‘Face of Lagos’ recently accused Gov. Babatunde Fashola of financial recklessness and impropriety. Following these allegations, the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) in a swift response constituted a panel to investigate these allegations. If we are happy to see James Ibori, Lucky Igbinedion, Orji Kalu go to jail, but we are not interested in investigating allegations of corruption levelled against Fashola because we think he his performing. Such attitude smacks of hypocrisy.

As we know, a group of individuals known as the ‘Face of Lagos’ recently, through paid newspaper advertorial, accused Gov. Babatunde Fashola of financial recklessness and impropriety. Following these allegations, the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) in a swift response constituted a panel to investigate these allegations

As I write, the motive of the investigation panel is still been queried by members of the public. Some have described it as the proverbial “hand of Esau and voice of Jacob”. Some consider the investigation as the first step in the plot to impeach the state governor. There are insinuations that the disagreement between the godson and godfather is because the former has not allowed the latter to have an unfettered access to the state vault. There have even been comments about why the LSHA has not probed the 8-year rule of the supposed godfather.

State Of The Nation: Is President Yar’adua Actually Alive Afterall?

Last week, the spin doctors of President Yar’Adua made Nigerians believe that he has substantially recovered and in good and stable condition to return to the country. But this turned out to be another hoax. Rather, there are fresh speculations and another spin that he will return this week. And this again has raised the question of the actual where about and state of health of the President. If to be alive means to be living, breathing, active, lively and energetic, then it is not out of place for concerned Nigerians to ask: Is President Yar’adua actually alive?

When a highly respected national newspaper authouritatively reported that President Yar’Adua has become an invalid as a result of a catastrophic chemically-induced brain damage he suffered from treatments he received at the Saudi hospital and that he continually goes in and out of coma, the President’s handlers merely described the report as an expression of the opposition mindset.

However, the newspaper report coupled with the Abuja protest march, and the Abuja High Court 14-day ultimatum forced the President’s handlers to stage the acting of that Saudiwood “Umooru Are Dead Part II” produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

And ever since, who else, maybe apart from his wife Turai Yar’adua, has spoken to the President? Not even his deputy, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan. Is it not curious that the President has refused to talk with anybody even his close aides? How can the President’s handlers explain this awkward situation? It has been said that if the President is actually alive and still breathing, he may likely be in a state where he cannot talk, eat and interact not to talk of coming back to govern the country. And we have to believe it since there is no alternative explanation.

Let’s look at an extract of the comments on the internet by a Nigerian US-based medical expert who actually is well informed on the gravity of the President’s ailment: “Yar’adua is now probably a shadow of himself and if by a miracle, he is able to make any decision, such decision cannot be trusted because it would be from a drug induced mind as he is most likely under chemically induced coma.

“Under chemically induced coma, he is sedated. As a result, he is not capable of making any decision. With heavy sedation, he will not be alert, oriented to time, place or person. Even if the sedation is stopped, it will take sometime for him to speak. His decision should be questioned because he will be making them under the influence of mind-altering drugs.”

So it is laughable for the Eminent Elders Group, the leadership of the National Assembly, and the wide spectrum of aggrieved opposition to continue to insist that “the only way to solve the problem of the current power vacuum at the Presidency is for the President to make his vacation formal and for the National Assembly to insist that there is a penalty for refusal to submit a letter. Which President is going to make his vacation formal- Umaru Yar’adua or who?

Burundi arrests 'coup plotters'

Thirteen soldiers in Burundi have been arrested for plotting a coup to overthrow President Pierre Nkurunziza, the army chief of staff has said.

Major Gen Godefroid Niyombare said the 12 soldiers and one officer had been caught in a meeting near Lake Tanganyika earlier on Friday.

Correspondents say there are fears this may affect elections due in June.

They will be the second polls to be held in country since the end of the deadly 12-year, ethnic-based civil war.

Major Gen Niyombare said those arrested were from both the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups.

Investigations were ongoing and more arrests should be expected, he added.

In 2007, former President Domitien Ndayizeye was acquitted of charges of plotting a coup.

A former rebel leader himself, President Nkurunziza was elected five years ago under a deal to end the years of conflict between the Tutsi army and Hutu rebels.

Some 300,000 people are believed to have died during the war.