Yar’Adua’s daughter in the US to have a baby, as father continues search for answers and political manipulators take over Nigeria

Umaru Yar’Adua’s daughter, Nafisat Yuguda, is in the United States to have her first child. She is seven months pregnant. She arrived in New York yesterday accompanied by her husband, Bauchi State governor Isah Yuguda, who has three other wives. Yuguda, whose father-in-law is in a Saudi Arabia hospital being treated for a variety of serious diseases, brought his wife to the United States because no hospital in Bauchi State, which he runs, or anywhere else in Nigeria, was thought to be good enough for the delivery. Last year, Yar’Adua’s second daughter Zainab, who is equally married to another governor, Dakingari of Kebbi State, also delivered her baby in the US. Prior to embarking on his US trip, Yuguda had just returned to Nigeria empty-handed after spending several days in Saudi Arabia unable to see Yar’Adua or confirm his condition. He was evacuated to Jeddah under a medical emergency two weeks ago. Upon arrival in New York, the full machinery of Nigerian diplomatic presence in the United States was fully and shamelessly put in at the service of the governor. Yuguda and his family were personally accompanied and driven to the Chevy Chase area of Maryland by Ambassador Wakil, the acting Nigerian ambassador to the US, who had gone all the way to New York to receive them. The following day, Yuguda and his family moved out of the Chevy Chase accommodation, where they stayed overnight, into a tastefully furnished apartment in Bethesda, Maryland. Nafisat is expected to stay there until she has her baby, and the Nigerian embassy in Washington DC will put its resources to cater for their every need. According to sources in Washington DC, Yuguda will leave on Arik Air on Friday, but it is not clear if he will be returning to his other wives, or to Saudi Arabia, as Bauchi State does not seem to hold any priority for the governor. Meanwhile, officials of the Nigerian government now confirm that Yar’Adua was in “intensive care,” as had earlier been reported by Saharareporters when we detailed how he was unconscious for four hours in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, November 24, a situation which led his aides to spread the word that he had passed on to the great beyond.

Bode George goes to Jail along with his Cohorts

The Lagos High Court under Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole has found Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Olabode George, guilty of fraud concerning his tenure as the chairperson of the board of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA). Chief George and five of his cohorts were found guilty on 40 counts of fraud.
They were sentenced to two and a half years in prison without an option of fine. The PDP party chieftain is on his way to prison.People’s Democratic Party Chieftain, Chief Bode George and five other persons accused along with him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over allegation of N85 billion fraud at the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, have been sentenced to 28 years imprisonment without an option of fine.He was convicted by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of the Ikeja High Court this afternoon.George was specifically convicted on 35 out of the 68-count charge which border on contract splitting, inflation, abuse of office and disobedience to lawful order.Justice Oyewole sentenced all the six accused persons to two years each on seven counts of abuse of office and another six months for 28 charges bordering on disobedience of lawful order.

Aondoakaa panics over Bi-Courtney deal

Deal between Attorney-General and Minister for Justice on one hand and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, a company headed by respected lawyer, Wale Babalakin
Aondoakaa panics over Bi-Courtney deal
By DICKSON OMONODE
The hue and cry usually associated with the process of privatization in Nigeria is currently at play again, and at the centre of it all is Michael Kasse Aondoakaa, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice on one hand and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, a company headed by respected lawyer, Wale Babalakin. Of course, several questions are being asked, and the high-point, according to the National Daily would be the 'massive mobilization to frustrate the efforts of the concessionaire by opposing stakeholders,' unless an enduring compromise is reached, as the National Assembly plans to fully wade into the matter this week. The deal, which started in 2004 during Olusegun Obasanjo's era as President, had seen the company signing a concession deal which industry analysts believe is legally binding 'but morally impaired'. National Daily gathered that in spite of the fact that the concession was supposed to last for 12 years, based on the agreement the past administration had with Bi-Courtney, the government of Yar'Adua, through facilitation by the AGF, Michael Aondoakaa has extended it to 36 years. The change, insiders say is attributable to Aaodoakaa's closeness to Wale Babalakin, who is not only a friend and professional colleague of the Minster's, but also a honourary special adviser to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua on legal matters. A top source said that at the moment, Chief Aondoakaa is under tension, more so as a group called Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders intends to begin a nationwide mobilization to insist on the sack of the minister, who in recent times has been enmeshed in series of allegations bothering on corruption and abuse of office. After being fingered in attempts to frustrate the money-laundering case currently going on in London against Chief James Ibori and others, it seems the most unlikely time for the AGF to be involved in yet another scandal.