September 7, 2008
The secretary to the Federal Government and "June 12" turncoat, Mr. Baba Gana Kingibe, has become the first casualty of Umar Yar’adua’s desire to revamp the image of his regime.
Our correspondent reported that Kingibe confidently strode into a ceremony where newly promoted military officers were decorated by ailing Yar'adua without an ailing of his impending removal. He was handed his sack letter shortly after the decoration ceremony. Current defense minister Mr. Ahmed Yayale has been appointed to replace Kingibe.
Saharareporters first reported Kingibe’s planned removal in June 2008 as Yar'adua began to think of changing his lackluster cabinet.
Our source within the Presidency disclosed that Kingibe’s fate was sealed a few months ago when Yar'adua's wife, Turai, received leaks in Germany about the former SFG’s “disloyal activities.” Yar'adua was then in Germany for medical treatment when informants told his wife and other close aides that Kingibe was holding meetings to find a way to replace the ailing Yar'adua.
Kingibe reportedly met at his residence with the former chief of staff, General Abdullahi Mohammed, as well as the Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), Legbo Kutigi, to discuss how to edge out Yar'adua on the basis of ill health.
Security operatives had leaked a report of the meeting to Turai and she swore that Baba Gana Kingibe would be removed. Our source told SaharaReporters that the politically shrewd Kingibe saved his job by snitching on General Abdullahi (rtd), Yar'adua then chief of staff, as the architect of the meeting. He funneled the information to Turai Yar’adua through Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State, a close confidant of the Yar'adua's, who – in the words of our source – “hates General Abdullahi with a passion.” Mr. Saraki had no trouble convincing Yar'adua to spare Kingibe.
SaharaReporters has also received a reliable scoop that Yar’adua plans to dissolve his entire cabinet on Wednesday, if his health and composure permit. Two sources knowledgeable about the workings of Yar'adua government confirmed to our correspondent that Yar’adua wants to sack the cabinet and replace the old players in his government – many of them the candidates of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The replacement of the cabinet, long in coming, “is timed to help deflect attention from Yar'adua's health crisis, which is becoming a source of concern,” said one of the sources. SaharaReporters was also told that Yar’adua plans to relieve some special advisers of their posts.
“Expect the president to make some personnel changes and announce some palliatives to win back flagging public support in the face of his medical pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia,” said our source.
Sources also told SaharaReporters that Kingibe is not done with Yar'adua cabinet yet. "He is seriously lobbying to replace Ojo Madueke as the foreign affairs minister".
SAHARAREPORTERS REPORTED THIS FOUR MONTHS IN ADVANCE, READ:
Investigations reveal scams by Umaru Yar’adua regime.
Last Modified on Sun 29th June, 2008 9:57:45 am
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Investigations reveal scams by Umaru Yar’adua regime
A plethora of recent revelations about former President Olusegun Obasanjo's scam-infested administration has blinded Nigerians to the shady practices that the Umaru Yar'adua regime has instituted in Nigeria in the last one year.
Nothing exposes this fact more than the expose at the National Assembly where several investigations into the previous administration have unearthed alarming information about the fraud perpetrated by the Yar'adua's regime.
Last week, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, Nigeria’s Minister of Transport who is close both to Yar’adua and his deputy, Jonathan Goodluck, was in the spotlight following allegations that her ministry made massive withdrawals within four days in late December of 2007.
Saharareporters has also learned about an unreported revelation by Nigerian Custom officials about Yar’adua’s questionable gift of import duty waivers. Obasanjo’s government gave away import duties worth N1.6 trillion to political associates, businessmen, traditional and religious leaders as well as many women linked to him romantically. But a top Customs official also revealed that the Yar'adua regime in the last year has given out concessions worth N85 billion to his business and political associates for the importation of cement and fertilizers.
While these economic scams were playing out in both chambers of the National Assembly last week, a PDP memo also surfaced tacitly calling for the extension of Yar'adua's tenure from four to seven years. The ruling party’s position is an official follow-up to a campaign started by the corrupt former governor of Jigawa State, and now Senator, Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki.
Several sources in Abuja had told Saharareporters that Alhaji Turaki, who was widely dismissed when he first suggested extending Yar’adua’s term, was not working alone. He had Yar’adua’s blessing and full support in what political analysts regard as an insidious resurrection of the third term agenda that was unsuccessfully pursued by Obasanjo.
Yar'adua has charged his former Secretary to the Katsina State government and current Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Abba Ruma, to fund his own version of the third term campaigns. Alhaji Ruma is to “re-invest” massive profits to be made from fertilizer concessions to fund the campaigns. As Yar’adua’s government focuses on massive funding of power and energy projects, Abba Ruma is angling to become the next minister of Energy (Power).
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) officials have already put in place a plan and structure to embark on the seven-year tenure campaigns. A source within the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT) told Saharareporters that the campaign is expected to commence about the same time the PDP re-absorbs a number of old PDP members who earlier decamped to other parties. Some of the newly absorbed members, whom our source described as “badly broke,” are to be offered “financial incentive to anchor the seven-year tenure campaign,” our source revealed.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke has reportedly gone into frenzied mode to defend her ministry’s scandalous withdrawals. A source close to her told us that she blames the embarrassing revelation of the withdrawals—made by Senator Patricia Akwashiki—as the culmination of “an on-going plot to replace her as a minister.” The source said she had survived so far thanks to the strong resistance by Yar'adua's vice, Jonathan Goodluck, to whom she is said to be “specially close.” But another source told Saharareporters that Mrs. Allison-Madueke also enjoys “very, very cozy relations” with Yar'adua. The source said that whenever she arrives to meet with Yar'adua, other presidency officials quickly leave the room. The source explained that the Transport minister’s ties to Yar’adua explain her recent fashion transformation “to dress more like a Muslim woman.”
It is unclear what will become her fate, though one of our sources said she would likely remain in the cabinet saddled with another portfolio since she is the only member of the cabinet nominated by Jonathan. One Presidency source told our correspondent that Yar'adua had met with her to get her side of the story, and may have decided to let things cool off as he headed out on a foreign trip today. He arrived earlier today in Egypt on a trip to a meeting of the African Union
One thing was clear, said our source: that Yar’adua was not thinking to call in officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the N30-billion scandal. This is in sharp contrast with the case of former Minister of Health, Adenike Grange, and Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello. Even so, our source said Yar'adua was troubled by a security report that Mrs. Madueke had purchased a multi-million-naira home in Abuja in the name of her young son. He added that Yar’adua has been seriously contemplating dropping Mrs. Allison-Madueke and, the minister of state for Agriculture and Water resources, Ademola Seriki from his cabinet. Also slated to leave the Presidency is Mr. Baba Gana Kingibe, Yar’adua’s Secretary to the Government, who is described as “a perpetually drunk, incompetent and corrupt.”, if Kingibe is eventually edged out he will likely be replaced by the current minister for defense, Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed. The cabinet reshuffle is scheduled for between now and two weeks time. But as one Aso Rock observer quipped, “That’s if the president ever manages to get to the cabinet reshuffle folder.”
Yar'adua's political scam artistry is also playing out in Adamawa Sate where he recently abandoned his “non-interference” posture to force members of the state assembly to abandon their plan to impeach the state governor, Mr. Murtala Nyako.
Last week, the state assembly members had handed an impeachment notice to Nyako. The notice detailed his numerous acts of corruption, self-enrichment and abuse of office. But Yar'adua, who once stated that he would not intervene in a popular move to oust former Speaker Patricia Etteh of the House of Representatives, invited the members of the Adamawa legislature to Aso Rock. An authoritative source, a member of the assembly, told Saharareporters that they were offered N25 million each as bribe to stop Nyako’s impeachment.
A member of the House of Representatives also recently told our correspondent that, contrary to his public posturing, Yar’adua did intervene in a failed effort to help former Speaker Patricia Etteh to retain her job. “Even though Yar’adua didn't publicly intervene in the Etteh saga, he was using Dr. Aminu Shuaibu Safana to buy loyalty for Etteh,” said our source. Safana, who slumped and died while supporting Etteh during a rowdy legislative session, once served as Yar'adua's Secretary to the State Government in Katsina.
“That’s why we were able to remove Etteh only after Dr. Safana died,” said our source
More to come...
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