Saturday, 25 April 2015

LEAKED: Buhari’s full ministerial list and their portfolios

Baring any change of tactics and political manoeuvreing, the Director General of Buhari Campaign Organisation and Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuke Rotimi Amaechi from the South South geo political zone would head the incoming APC administration’s cabinet as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Our correspondent learnt that other names that have been sent for security clearance included:FrontiersNews gathered that the seasoned technocrat and former presidential candidate also from South South, Prof. Pat Utomi has been pencilled down as the head of the economic team. He is to serve as Minister of Economic Planning/ Adviser to President on Economic matters.
AGF/Min. of Justice – Bar. B. R Fashola – SW;
Min. of Abuja. – Dr. Hussein Dikko – NW;
Min. of Agric – Prof. S. A Garki – NW;
Min. of Works – Dr. Chris Ingige – SE;
Min. of Education- Prof. O. K. Ezekwesili -SE
Others include – Min. of Aviation – Sadiya Farouk – NW;
Min. of Culture/Tourism – James Ocholi – NC;
Min. of Labour & Prod. – Bisi Akande – SW;
Min. of Defence – Gen. Lawal Jafaru Isa – NW;
Min. of Petroleum – Prof. David T- West – SS;
Min. of Finance – Dr. Umar Mutallib – NW;
Min. of Foreign Affairs – Gen. A. Aboki – NC and
Min. of Internal Affairs – Y. M Tuggar – NE
Other distinguished Nigerian who would make the cabinet are Lagos vibrant Pastor Tunde Bakare as Minister for Special Duties;
Min. of Industries – PST. BD Lawal;
Min. of Solid Min.- Bar. Solomon Dalung – NC;
Min for Science & T – Engr. Segun Oni – SW;
Min. of Health – Prof. Hamid Ahmad – NW;
Min. of Women – Sharon Ikeazor – SE;
Min. for Youth – Umana Umana -SS
The chairman of Leadership Newspapers and former presidential aspirant, Sam Nda Isaiah is pencilled down as Minister of Information;
Min. of Transport- Timpire Silver – SS;
Min. of Water Res. – Alh. Inuwa Yahaya – NE;
Min. of Commerce- Dr. Fayemi K – SW;
Min. of Sports – Kabir Mustapha- NE
APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside would be Minister of Niger Delta.

Other appointments Col. Hameed Ali rtd as EFCC chairman – NE;
Nat. Sec. Adviser – Gen. A. Dambazau -NW;
Presidential Adviser on Agric – Prof. Ango Abdullahi – NW
while President Spokesman would be Alhaji- Lai Muhammed from the NC.
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I’ve been deserted in Aso Rock – Pitiable Jonathan confirms

Outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan has confirmed that friends and associates have deserted him following his defeat by All progressives Congress’ Muhammadu Buhari.

The president stated this at the fifth presidential prayer breakfast held yesterday at the Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.The President in veiled reference to media reports that his friends and associates had deserted him after losing his re-election bid, said he knew that people often deserted outgoing leaders.
He said he had even noticed congregation numbers at Aso Villa Chapel had fallen become less than it used to be.
“Today (yesterday), I expected a very low turn-out because in most cases, when a government is going, people reduce. You will notice that even the Aso Villa Chapel, the number of people that will be coming become less and less. But when I came in, I noticed that this whole hall is filled up. So, I’ve to sincerely thank all of you. We’re all here because we believe in the power of prayers in nation building. The essence of the presidential prayer breakfast is to call on all Nigerians to come together and pray…For us to build Nigeria, we need these prayers. This should be captioned presidential breakfast prayer comprising all aspects of prayers for us to rebuild our nation.
“Yes, we have challenges as a nation, but every other nation passes through challenges. I remember in 2009 when I visited the Nordic countries, they told me they were celebrating 200 years of peace that has enabled them to develop. Nigeria was 49 years old as an independent nation in 2009″, he told the gathering comprising former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) and former Head of the Interim National Government Chief Ernest Shonekan.
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Jonathan’s Otuoke multi-billion naira luxurious island villa new home after handover

The air around the sprawling estate is amazingly cool. Looking around, the answer to this quickly dawns on our correspondent. The estate is opposite a creek, and the rolling breeze keep coming.
It is Otuoke, the home town of President Goodluck Jonathan. Otuoke is a small island community in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
And there, the estate sprawls over a large expanse of land contrasting sharply with its rustic surrounding. It is said to belong to President Jonathan.
On the long road to the gates, soldiers and members of other security agencies, apparently on sentry duty, walked on the grounds. The overall air suggested guarded and protected serenity. No one needs the gift of clairvoyance to understand they are approaching a restricted zone.
Behind the gates, shoving their heads above the walls are no fewer than eight different structures apparently for different purposes: recreation, security posts and guard quarters. A visitor to Otuoke will not be penalised for calling the place a fortress.
Activities in this place, a source within said had been at a lull until a couple of weeks ago. And it is largely believed that come May 29, after the expiration of his tenure, President Jonathan would relocate to the place.
As if the President had the premonition that he would not live in Aso Rock beyond 2015, he was reported to have begun acquiring properties adjacent his sprawling country home by late 2013.
The President, SUNDAY PUNCH gathered, acquired properties on an area which runs to about seven acres of Otuoba which were around his mansion that had been there earlier.
The place was thereafter expanded to encase the mansion while new structures were erected round it.
It was also gathered that adequate compensation was paid to the owners of these properties to enable them relocate elsewhere.
It was learnt that Jonathan after acquiring those buildings in 2013, engaged the services of a construction company, Jiito, to expand the estate to accommodate his new acquisition.
Today, Jonathan’s mini – estate, which overlooks a creek that links Otuoke to other coastal communities of Bayelsa, is a cynosure of all eyes.
A visit to Otuoke on Thursday showed that Jonathan’s mansions, which had been undergoing construction and reconstruction in the last 10 years are now ready for habitation. The area they sit on is best described as an island.
It was learnt that before now, each time the President visited Otuoke, he usually slept in his wife’s (Patience) castle which is directly opposite the Federal University, Otuoke.
It was also learnt that the Jonathans own the choicest properties in Otuoke. The President was said to have built a two-storey building each for his mother and father opposite his own.
His wife, Dame Patience, asides a hotel, is also said to have numerous buildings that have been converted into hostels for FUO female students.
On the readiness of the Jonathans to return to Otuoke, one of the military personnel guarding his houses said all the mansions in the estate were ready except one.
The soldier, who declined to give his name, said the contractors were fixing air conditioners and window blinds on the last mansion.
The security operative said, “I can tell you that the houses are ready. Everything is in order. It remains only one building where the contractors are putting window blinds, curtains and air conditioners.
“I overheard some of the workers saying that they had been instructed to finish the last building before the second week of May. I think it is because the President is returning home.
“As of now, no domestic staff or relatives are living here. All his relatives have their homes. It is only military men and policemen that are living in some of the buildings.
“Even at that, many buildings are left unoccupied because the buildings are so massive and it will take a community to occupy them.”
The soldier, who said he had been living at the place for the past four years, claimed some of the President’s domestic staff were in his Kpansia, Yenagoa mansion, which he built while he was Deputy Governor of Bayelsa.
That the President will be returning to Otuoke according to the soldier, is only symbolic, stressing that apart from the mansions at Otuoke, Jonathan and his family members have numerous buildings at Okaka Estate, off Isaac Boro Expressway in Yenagoa.
Many residents of Otuoke are indeed longing to see President Jonathan, one of their illustrious sons, return home.
For them, Jonathan has made Otuoke, once a relatively unknown place, known to people outside it and turning it to a city to be reckoned with.
A resident, Prere Goodthinking, said though President Jonathan lost his re-election bid, he is God-sent, not only to Bayelsa people but to the entire country.
Prere said, “Whether people like it or not, Jonathan can best be described as an icon of Nigeria’s democracy. He is a man of peace, a gentleman and a great statesman.
“He has proved to the whole world that he is not a power-monger. He has shown the world that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. We want other leaders to emulate him. We are going to celebrate his return and I hope Nigerians and the world will also celebrate our illustrious son.”
Another resident, who gave his name only as Ebilari, said Jonathan had made Otuoke to be on the world map for good reasons.
She said, “About 12 years ago, Otuoke was a jungle. Most houses there were decrepit. But today, you can see that the place that was once a hamlet has become a wonderful city.
“Buildings are springing up everywhere. Life has become more meaningful for the people. Before you mention three prominent places in Bayelsa, Otuoke must come up. Thus, we are proud of our son Jonathan. We are waiting enthusiastically to receive him after his national assignment on May 29.”
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Amaechi Makes GMB's Transition Committee As Joda Leads

Nigeria’s president-elect General Muhammadu Buhari has finally short-listed 18 people across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones who will make up his transition committee ahead of the May 29 handover date.
The committee will be headed by Malam Ahmed Joda, a retired permanent secretary. It will be made up of three people from each of the six geo-political zones, sources said. The South-west however has more representation (four people).
Sources hinted that apart from Buhari who decided the choice of people selected across the zones, Tinubu also had a major and significant input into the list, in addition to also exceeding the regional quota of three people per zone.
The committee, which will be inaugurated on Monday or sometime next week, comes with terms of reference for members, the chief of which is liaising with members of the committee put together by the Jonathan administration for a smooth handover.
Apart from Joda, who has been selected as the chairman and Dr. Doyin Salami of the Lagos Business School as vice chairman, the committee also has Malam Adamu Adamu as its secretary.
Other members of the committee, according to a document exclusively made available to This Day, are Boss Mustapha, Malam Muhammad Hayatuddin, Alhaji Abubakar Malami (SAN), Dr. Tam David West, Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Chief John Oyegun.
Also on the list are Festus Odimegwu, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Nike Aboderin, Wale Edun, Bola Adesola, Barrister Solomon Dalong, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Senator Hadi Sirika and Brig-General Lawal Jafaru Isa.
Aside from liaising with the government’s committee, the terms of reference also includes studying and working on the handover notes preparatory to May 29.
Other terms include designing the blueprint that would assist the Buhari government take off smoothly with a clear understanding of the challenges at hand.
READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/427746-amaechi-makes-gmbs-transition-committee-as-joda-leads.html
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David Mark’s Visit To Buhari Is A Wild Goose Chase - Daniel Onjeh

Benue South Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the last national assembly election, Daniel Onjeh, has described David Mark’s visit to Buhari as unnecessary with little or no importance.
According to Onjeh, a former West Africa Students’ Union President, Mark’s visit to the president-elect cannot subvert or change the cause of justice. Onjeh in a statement personally signed on Friday insisted that he won the election and that he was ready to fight it to the end in order to reclaim his ‘stolen mandate’.
The statement reads in part, “I won the election fair and square and I am confident of reclaiming my mandate at the Tribunal.
“The world must know that GMB only exhibited the strong virtues of a leader in receiving David Mark in his capacity as the Senate President, not on his yet-to-be-sworn-in stolen mandate of Benue South. He was not received as a Senator of the 8th Senate but as a Senator of the outgoing 7th Senate.
“There is lack of sincerity in Mark’s visit to GMB. This is obvious by not carrying the people of Benue South along with him on the visit. It is a visit laden with sinister and selfish motive. In any case, Mark could not have carried the people of Benue South along because of the kind of campaign he engaged in”.
“While I was campaigning vigorously for GMB’s election, Mark was campaigning on frivolities and not issues, using religion to deceive the people of Benue South. It was in his presence at one of PDP rallies in Benue South, that Governor Gabriel Suswam accused Buhari of being a Muslim fanatic and Boko Haram sponsor without him cautioning the Governor.
“Mark is the greatest enemy of democracy yet its greatest beneficiary. He has been severally fingered in the annulment of the June, 12, 1993, election yet he is the highest beneficiary, serving as Senate President for an unprecedented eight [8] years. He is also an enemy of the masses. As a Communication Minister, he said telephone was not meant for the poor.
Whatever Mark’s permutations are, he will fail woefully this time around,” the statement added.
READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/427775-david-marks-visit-to-buhari-is-a-wild-goose-chase-daniel-onjeh.html
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Xenophobia: Nigerians In South-Africa Count Their Loss

Nigerian residents in South Africa have lost more than 4.6 million Rand (N84m) following the xenophobic attacks in the country.  
The President of Nigerian Union in South Africa, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, told the News Agency of Nigeria on phone from Pretoria, South Africa, that the losses were initially put at 1.2 million Rand (N21m).
“The Nigerian Union in South Africa has completed documentation of the losses suffered by Nigerians to xenophobic attacks.
“Nigerians lost more than 4.6 million Rand or N84m during the attacks.
A mechanic workshop owned by a Nigerian in Jeppes, near Johannesburg, for example was completely burnt with 11 cars inside it.
“The loss is put at more than one million Rand or N20m,” he said. Anyene said the Union had compiled the losses and given the list to Nigeria’s Consul-General to South Africa.
He said Nigerian victims of the attacks needed urgent assistance to re-settle because many had lost their means of livelihood.
“The Consul-General has travelled to Nigeria and we appeal to the Federal Government to do something urgent to assist Nigerians affected by the attacks.
“We have made representations to the Federal government .
“We are also hoping that working with the South African government, there will be a way to compensate the affected Nigerians so as to enable them go back to their normal lives.
“The tension is less now. The South African government has come out in full force to check the attacks,” he said.
Anyene said the losses suffered by Nigerians were in the form of vandalised mechanic workshops, burnt mechanic workshops, looted shops as well as stolen and burnt cars.
“More than 50 Nigerians were displaced during the attacks. The Union has assisted them to return home.
“The Union is also planning to assist a family to move to a new accommodation because the present home is not safe,” he said.
He went on to say the Union carried out a proper documentation of the attacks, with pictures and other relevant documents stored to capture the incidents.
READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/427796-xenophobia-nigerians-in-south-africa-count-their-loss.html
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Cabinet: Buhari Insists On Fashola As Tinubu Kicks

Indications are rife that the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari and the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu are set to clash over Buhari’s insistemce on having Governor Babatunde Fashola as the Lagos State ministerial nominee in his cabinet. 
Nigerian Pilot Saturday gathered from a member of the APC in Abuja that, close associates of Buhari from the North, are rooting for the outgoing Lagos State governor because of his sterling performance in the last eight years.
However, they (Buhari’s close associates) are said to be aware that Tinubu is plotting to give final say on who makes the ministerial list for the entire South West, South East and South South zones and Fashola is not likely going to make Tinubu’s list.
Although Tinubu will be allowed to make reasonable input in the list of ministerial nominees from the three zones in the South, because of his contributions to the success of APC, Buhari is not under any obligations to accept whatever list that is submitted by the “Jagaban Borgu” as Tinubu is fondly called.
The source said, “since Buhari will be answerable to Nigerians on the performance of his ministers, the final decision of who will be in the incoming Federal Executive Council, is his to make.
“If the General insists on having Governor Fashola in his cabinet, Tinubu just has to learn to live with it as there is nothing he can do about it.” he said.
He further disclosed that Buhari has confidence in the capacity of Fashola to deliver on his mandate and the fact that he is not one of the governors that have corruption allegation hanging on his neck, makes him a natural choice in Buhari’s cabinet.
On why Tinubu will be allowed to have a say on the list of ministers beyond the South West zone, he said APC did not produce any governor in majority of the South East and some South South states and as the national leader of the party, the party leaders in all those states will need to consult him on the ministerial nominees.
However, he explained that Governors Adam Oshiomhole of Edo State is expected to pick a nominee from his state, while his Imo State counterpart, Owelle Rochas Okorocha will pick the Imo ministerial nominee if he emerges victorious in the supplementary election in his state.
Meanwhile, rumour mills are flying around that some APC governors in the South West that were recently reelected, are getting set for war with Tinubu over ministerial, ambassadorial and board appointment nominees.
The governors are plotting to frustrate any attempt by Tinubu to impose ministerial nominees on them.
In a similar vein, the bickerings over the zoning arrangement in the APC has  pitched party chieftains against each other as Tinubu has reportedly hijacked most of the positions.
READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/427784-gmb-caninet-buhari-insists-on-fashola-as-tinubu-kicks.html
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