Maduekwe: Nobody can force Yar’Adua to handover
Maduekwe: Nobody can force Yar’Adua to handover Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, has described efforts to force President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, to handover to his deputy, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, because of his ill-health, as a waste of time. Maduekwe, who spoke at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on the long absence of Yar’Adua, said that the 1999 Constitution did not mandate the President to handover to the Vice President under the circumstances of his current absence. Arguing that he should know better, Maduekwe said that he was part of the team that drafted the 1999 Constitution. He said: “There is nothing in the Constitution mandating Yar’Adua to handover to the VP in the circumstances of his absence. Democracy is about laws and constitutions.” However, Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, took a different position as he called on leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to respect the constitution and do the right thing. Aliyu frowned at the vacuum created by the non-conferment of executive powers on the Vice-President to function as Acting President. He urged PDP leaders to muster the courage and act appropriately. While arguing that the country’s constitution supersedes that of the party, Aliyu said the party must act fast in the interest of Nigerian citizens. He said since the constitution clearly states that whenever the President is away or is incapacitated, the Vice-President should proceed to act as Acting President, “then, Jonathan must be allowed to function as such.” The governor noted that no one has been functioning in acting capacity since the President left the shores of the country over medical challenges in November, last year. He said: “Are we going to compromise the lives of over 150 million citizens for PDP constitution?” According to him, doctors want the President fit enough to resume office before discharging him. “From what I am seeing, he is doing much better than two months ago. He is gaining weight and his condition has tremendously improved,” Ambassador Abdullah Aminchi said. Reacting to the Federal High Court ruling that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) should within 14 days make public resolution to determine the state of health of the President, Maduekwe said the Council would “cross that bridge when we get there”. According to him, the FEC has the capacity to handle the situation regardless of the fact that the President appointed the members of the council. His words: “The FEC has the capacity to perform its role, always putting the interest of the nation first. We will cross that bridge when we get there.” He added that when the FEC met earlier on the issue, people were already clamouring, even when he implied the situation was not as it is now. Maduekwe also confirmed that there is progress in the President’s health conditions, citing a text-message from Nigeria’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He also added that only the doctors would be able to say when the President would return, adding: “As soon as the doctors recommend, he does not have to be 100 per cent well, he’ll be back.” Exactly 64 days after President Yar’Adua left the shores of Nigeria, the Senate will today take a decision on whether or not he could continue in office or Jonathan should act in his absence. But there were reports yesterday that Yar’Adua might have dispatched a letter to the National Assembly through his Principal Secretary, David Edevbie at the weekend asking Jonathan to act as President. The report indicated that the letter might be to give legal teeth that would facilitate the emergence of Jonathan as acting President. While reacting to the alleged transmission of a letter from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, denied receiving any letter from Yar’Adua. When asked in a telephone interview, Abba-Aji said: “I am not aware of any such letter coming from the President to the National Assembly.” Yar’Adua’s absence from office was a big issue in New York, at the weekend, as US-based Nigerians marched in front of the Nigerian House in Manhattan. It was on the same day that Maduekwe was in New York holding talks with the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Haiti and granting interviews. The meetings were held just a stone’s throw from the protest grounds in front of the Nigerian House in New York. Maduekwe added: “President Yar’Adua will put Nigeria ahead of his personal interest, if the national interest so dictates.” According to him, it was the decision of the FEC that the President should not be stampeded to do what the constitution did not mandate him to do, even if it is desirable. As he called on Nigerians to respect the office of the President and the privacy of his family, he disclosed that with the ruling of the court, the FEC would likely look at the issue again, conceding that the constitution puts a burden on the FEC, without a time limit. He said that it was expected that if the FEC should see evidence (on the President’s health), the members would act to recommend a handover. But the New York protesters led by the Nigerian Democratic Liberty Forum (NDLF), gathered right in front of the Nigerian House on the cold morning, demanding the outright resignation of the President. The protesters started gathering on the steps of the Nigerian House, soon after 10 a.m. They were accosted by a United States diplomatic security official who discussed with the leaders on the need to keep the protest peaceful and asked that the entrance to the building be kept accessible. Also, some Nigerian government officials working at the Nigeria House also discussed with the protesters on the need to take the protest easy, because the officials were expecting a delegation, which was the Maduekwe’s delegation that met with the UN Secretary-General at the UN headquarters, just behind the Nigeria House. After some discussions between the leaders of the NDLF, including Dr. Gboyega Dada, a medical doctor and Mr Bukola Oreofe, a financial analyst, it was established that the protesters had a right to march in front of the Nigeria House. As the protesters started arriving, the banners and placards sprang up, emblazoned with such words as ‘Enough is Enough’, ‘Let The Suffering Stop’, ‘Aandooakaa is a Disgrace’, ‘Missing President!’ and ‘Free Nigeria’. One simply asked: “If You Know the President does where about, please call 1 800-NIGERIA.” Later in the day, at about 12.30 p.m., Maduekwe and his delegation, which included Umar Bature of the House of Representatives, showed up at the UN headquarters, where the Minister handed over Nigeria’s $1.5 million check for Haiti. The Minister also announced an additional provision of $3.5million worth of medical supplies and relief materials to Haiti. In addition, he said there were 50 professionals, who were volunteers from Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps made up of 25 doctors. There will also be nurses and engineers, bringing the figure to 25 volunteers. There were indications yesterday that Senators under the Nigerian Interest Group (NIG) who are pushing for the impeachment of Yar’Adua, met in Abuja to plan for today’s closed door meeting where far reaching decisions would be taken on the ailing President. The development followed a denial by the Senate that its members were being bribed to influence its decision today on the health of the President. Rumours have it that some unnamed individuals were alleged to have sent money to the Senators to influence its decision on the long absence of the President when it meets behind closed doors today. In a statement signed by the Senate spokesman, Ayogu Eze, it was pointed out that the upper chamber is a responsible institution and that it will always be guided by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. He challenged anybody with information regarding the source and sharing of the money to come forward and name the persons and circumstances under which the money exchanged hands. Despite the political tensions, posters of Yar’Adua and Jonathan, are flooding Katsina metropolis in what appears as a show of support for the duo. Residents woke up yesterday morning to find the posters in virtually all parts of the state capital. The posters appeared barely 24 hours after the Shema Foundation and the Yar’Adua National Support Centre addressed a press conference in Katsina, rallying support for Yar’Adua Some Katsina residents said that the appearance of the posters indicated that there was still support for the present administration under Yar’Adua. One of the residents, Alhaji Lawal Tsauri said: “There is nothing wrong in supporting Yar’Adua even as we pray for his quick recovery.” Tsauri urged Nigerians to pray for the quick recovery of the President. While speaking on the President’s condition, Aliyu dismissed criticisms that the President did not write handover notes before he left the country, insisting that such complaints do not necessarily follow as no one knew the condition in which he left the country. “People are complaining that the President did not write and pass a handover note, but the question is did any one know the condition in which he left the country?” Aliyu said. He also spoke on the Jos crisis, dismissing suggestions that it has religious undertones. The governor reacted to suggestions in some quarters that his deployment of troops around the state capital on Friday and Sunday in fear of possible reprisal attack was hasty, arguing that in the circumstances, it was better to show caution than an empty valour. “It was in the papers that Niger State was scared of reprisal attack and had deployed troops, but it is better to act fast than to wait and start counting losses later on,” he said. Earlier, a member of the visiting FCT traditional council and Emir of Abaji, Adamu Baba Yusuf, told the governor that they were in Niger State to congratulate him on his sundry lofty achievements so far, adding that they would continue to identify with his government.
|
