The Nation June 20 2011

Page 1

Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

N216.7b saved in 2010 appropriation

Police’s N1m ransom on Tokyo, Auxiliary •‘They must be arrested’

BUSINESS – Page 15

•BPP gives account of stewardship

NEWS – Page 10

http://www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

VOL. 6, NO. 1796 MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2011

N150.00

Cabinet battle rages in Lagos, Ondo, Kwara Obasanjo pushes for daughter PDP, APGA disagree over Akunyili

T

HE battle for ministerial slots deepened at the weekend, with President Goodluck Jonathan withstanding pressure from lobbyists, bigwigs and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But the President has

THOSE ON THE LIST •Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala •Dr. Tonye Cole •Ms Jumoke Akinjide •Nuhu Zagbayi •Zainab Maina •Bukar Tijjani •Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar •Arc. Mohammed Musa •Prof. Rufai Alkali •Dr. Akinwumi Adefila •Labaran Maku

•Yerima Ngama •Ada Okwuonu •Dr. Mohammed Haliru Bello •Bolaji Abdullahi •Yusuf Suleiman •Caleb Olubolade •Emeka Wogu •Odein Ajumogobia (SAN) •Diezani Alison-Madueke •Bala Mohammed •Prof. Onyebuchi

•Prof. Barth Nnaji •Prof. Ruqayyat Rufai •Bashir Yuguda •Godsday Orubebe •Usman Shamsudeen •Mohammed Bello Adoke •Bassey Ewa •Mary Onyali-Omagbemi •Olasunkanmi Akinlabi

THOSE UNDER CONSIDERATION •Abubakar Kawu Baraje •Adetokunbo Kayode •Josephine Anenih From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation, Abuja

made up his mind on the choice of 32 nominees whose names will be forwarded to the Senate this week. The battle grounds are Anambra, Imo, Ogun, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Abia,

•Dora Akunyili •Festus Odimegwu •Fidelia Njeze

Delta, Kaduna and Lagos states. It was learnt that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo is pushing for his daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello for the Ogun slot, but security agencies advised against it, citing the ongoing trial of the ex-Senator for alleged

•Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello •Aliyu Idi Hong

N10million fraud. Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu and Governor Sullivan Chime differ sharply on the return of former Minister of Aviation Mrs. Fidelia Njeze. The governor favours Njeze; the Deputy Senate President is seeking the slot

for another zone in the state. In Imo State, the people of Okigwe, led by a former governor and erstwhile influential official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are up in arms against the immediate past Deputy Governor, Mrs. Ada Okwuonu, who has been

chosen on merit. In Anambra State, the PDP is pitched against the All Progressive Grand Alliance(APGA). PDP is seeking the return of former Minister of Women Affairs Mrs. Josephine Anenih. APGA has nominated a former Minister of Information and defeated senatorial candidate, Prof. Dora Akunyili as its representative in the proposed Government of National Unity (GNU). Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi favours his Chief of Staff Nelson Wike, but some Presidency heavyweights prefer a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche. The situation in Delta State is also cloudy, but the President was said to have conceded the slot to his godfather, Chief Edwin Clark, who has up till Monday(today) to make a “good choice.” Continued on page 2

Clerk: Bankole rejected advice F

ORMER Speaker Dimeji Bankole took loans for the payment of members’ allowances to avoid impeachment, House Clerk Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori has said. The Clerk said the leadership of the House bowed to pressure from members who insisted that “if the leadership does not announce the date of payment of the running cost, they were all going to be removed”. Bankole and his erstwhile deputy, Usman Nafada, are on trial over the way they ran the financial affairs of the House. They were granted bail at the weekend after being remanded in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody.

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

The Clerk’s clarifications, in a statement made to the EFCC, have been attached to the Proof of Evidence before the court. Both the prosecution and the defence counsel have the Proof of Evidence, which was obtained from the court by our correspondent. Sani-Omolori gave a comprehensive insight into the financial transactions in the 6th House of Representatives, especially the controversial loans. He said: “In practical terms, the National Assembly has three branches, the Senate, the House of Representatives and the management. The three Continued on page 2

•Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (middle), congratulating his Edo State counterpart, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (right) at the solemnisation of the holy matrimony between Oshiomhole’s daughter, Winifred Isimakhome and Solomon Aduvienane Owumi, at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja ... on Saturday. With him is Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

•POLITICS P12 •SPORTS P23 •CITY BEATS P25 •JOBS P43 •CEO P45


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