Yar'Adua's controversial letter
By Emma Ujah
Abuja — The controversial letter from ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua meant to intimate the Senate of his medical vacation might have arrived after all, but now belatedly.
Although how the letter was secured from the President could not be ascertained, a dependable source said in Abuja, yesterday, that a letter was with his aides with the intention of transmitting it to the National Assembly.
It was learnt that the controversy generated by the claims and counter claims of the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Mohammed Abba-Aji, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, which was considered unwholesome for the President’s cause, created confusion in the kitchen cabinet and prevented the letter from being
delivered.
Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole (left) discussing with his counterpart Cross River State Governor Liye Imoke (right) at National Assembly after Solidarity visit to Lawmakers on empowering Vice President as Acting President . Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan
By yesterday’s resolution of the National Assembly that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan become acting President, the letter will no longer be necessary as according to Senate President, David Mark, the interview of President Yar’Adua with the British Broadcasting Corporation on January 12, stood for a written transmis-sion as required by section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
“Viewed from an ordinary reading of Section 145, we came to the conclusion that the President, through his declaration transmitted on the BBC, has furnished this parliament with irrefutable proof that he is on medical vacation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and has therefore, complied with the provisions of Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution,” the Senate President said.
A source said the letter could feature in today’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, the first to be chaired by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan which is expected to be extremely explosive given the polarised Yar’Adua cabinet.
The FEC, which has defended ailing President Yar’Adua for more than 10 weeks, lost its cohesion a week ago with the submission of the memo by Prof. Dora Akunyili, the Minister of Information and Commu-nications, calling for a debate on the President’s health.
Akunyili’s new position did not only shock some of her colleagues in the cabinet but indeed infuriated them, going by the attacks on her.
Pressures are mounting on FEC to pass a resolution, declaring President Yar’Adua incapacitated.
If that happens, the Senate would then be notified, upon which it would set up a medical panel to investigate the President’s health condition and could lead to Jonathan completing the current tenure which terminates in May 2011, if the President is impeached.
Abuja — The controversial letter from ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua meant to intimate the Senate of his medical vacation might have arrived after all, but now belatedly.
Although how the letter was secured from the President could not be ascertained, a dependable source said in Abuja, yesterday, that a letter was with his aides with the intention of transmitting it to the National Assembly.
It was learnt that the controversy generated by the claims and counter claims of the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Mohammed Abba-Aji, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, which was considered unwholesome for the President’s cause, created confusion in the kitchen cabinet and prevented the letter from being
delivered.
Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole (left) discussing with his counterpart Cross River State Governor Liye Imoke (right) at National Assembly after Solidarity visit to Lawmakers on empowering Vice President as Acting President . Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan
By yesterday’s resolution of the National Assembly that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan become acting President, the letter will no longer be necessary as according to Senate President, David Mark, the interview of President Yar’Adua with the British Broadcasting Corporation on January 12, stood for a written transmis-sion as required by section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
“Viewed from an ordinary reading of Section 145, we came to the conclusion that the President, through his declaration transmitted on the BBC, has furnished this parliament with irrefutable proof that he is on medical vacation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and has therefore, complied with the provisions of Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution,” the Senate President said.
A source said the letter could feature in today’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, the first to be chaired by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan which is expected to be extremely explosive given the polarised Yar’Adua cabinet.
The FEC, which has defended ailing President Yar’Adua for more than 10 weeks, lost its cohesion a week ago with the submission of the memo by Prof. Dora Akunyili, the Minister of Information and Commu-nications, calling for a debate on the President’s health.
Akunyili’s new position did not only shock some of her colleagues in the cabinet but indeed infuriated them, going by the attacks on her.
Pressures are mounting on FEC to pass a resolution, declaring President Yar’Adua incapacitated.
If that happens, the Senate would then be notified, upon which it would set up a medical panel to investigate the President’s health condition and could lead to Jonathan completing the current tenure which terminates in May 2011, if the President is impeached.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jose on
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Woow! our leaders never cease to amaze me. How come it took the Senate President this long to determine that our ailing President's interview with the BBC amounted to a written transmission as required by s.145 of the constitution? Makes me wonder the similarity between a letter and an audio broadcast. The constitution did specify letter and not any form of notification. The law should not just be obeyed but be manifestly seen to be obeyed.
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Permalink Reply by Ejiofor Eze on
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In all this on-going act of the national drama, only one person stands out as the heroine - the courageous Prof Dora Akunyili. All others are simply making effort to remain relevant in the changing circumstance. I don't give a damn about them!
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In all this on-going act of the national drama, only one person stands out as the heroine - the courageous Prof Dora Akunyili. All others are simply making effort to remain relevant in the changing circumstance. I don't give a damn about them!
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Permalink Reply by adebayo ojo on
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It is a hoax. Who signed the letter. Please enough of all these deceits. National Assembly has by its motion of yesterday laid the need for imaginary letter to rest.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Offei on
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President Ya'Ardua had preach the constitution by failing to transmit letter to national assembly before embarking on sabastical medical trip to Saudi Arabia, the senate failed to invoke section 145 of the constitution by compelling him to do so.
This is a new begining in the political arena, opportunity should be given to the Ag. president to prove himself beyond reasonable doubt to nigerian's that, he's capable to take us to promise land.
My question is this, who forged the 2010 budget? What are the penalties to dealt with those behind it? How do we go by the doctored budget?
Mike Offei
Trondheim, Norway
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Permalink Reply by Roseline John on
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who are they fooling? Nigerian of course
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Permalink Reply by Edward Idris on
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There is no way Yar Adua a very intelligent man would not have signed a letter to transfer power to the now Acting President Jonathan Goodluck. Yar Adua did not need to personally write it, that is why he hired a personal assistant to the senate who should have given the letter to the senate and all the political impasse as a result of the absence of the President would have been avoided but true to Nigeria form some people like to cause confusion whilst in the process they gain financially or amused themselves at the expense of the public.
In fact the failure of the Personal assistant to the President on Senate Matters to present the all important letter required to enforce Section 145 of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution must be investigated by the Media and a sub-committee of the Senate and report to the Nation, who are those who threw a spinner in the wheel of the political and development progress of Nigeria for 3 months. And indeed, all those who have amass profit from the confusion at expense of Nigerian must be shamed and disgraced by the now Acting President to stamp his authority within the next 7 days or it may be business as usual for the PDP.
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Permalink Reply by timmynaija on
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This is amazing, all this while things never changed until the dime of a wizard turn around . Power is not by force, I work with a media company and if am sick and can´t work I have to call sick and ask some one who is capable of doing the job to take over my shift as long as am not fit for it.
But most people in Africa and the Arab coast including South America cherish and over power ....power itself.
What is wrong with our so called rulers?
For me I know we don´t have leaders and the only people we have the rulers who impose their greed and steal from the little availability of the resources we have left.
Stay focused people do not let any one fool us with religious acts and making us to think mind shifted and not focusing on the current problems we have by creating new ones so the media can move our attentions from the basic problems we have which is the government.
Be you a Muslim, Christian, or non religious or other religions in respective , all I ask is this, lets leave our religion at home and face the problem we have by fighting it with our fingers on the web,making armature videos via cell phones and video cameras, going out on mass rally´s and educating others who are yet to know what their basic rights as citizens of the Federation of Nigeria and by doing this a change will come.
Lets be as one and not be divided by the so called religious crisis in the Nigeria.
United we will survive.
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Permalink Reply by Asekuntile Ayomide Jibril on
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