February 25, 2010
Disturbed by the antics of some members of Umaru Yar’adua’s inner circle, the US government as well as the European Union are seriously weighing the institution of a policy to target specific individuals who are involved in creating or escalating the current political crisis in Nigeria, according to information Saharareporters received from highly dependable sources. “The US is considering imposing a visa ban as well as freezing the assets of some of these individuals,” said our source.
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The ban, whenever it comes into effect, would affect not only certain notorious associates of Yar'adua but also their children and other family members. Some of the targets are currently attending schools in the UK, Europe and United States.
Our sources said the US was currently completing a census of those individuals involved. The UK and EU are pursuing similar policies.
A US official who spoke to Saharareporters anonymously said those Nigerians involved in escalating the crisis have already been identified and the US would begin meting out appropriate sanctions against the officials as soon as practicable.
The names on the list include Yar'adua's wife, Turai, his chief economic adviser, Tanimu Kurfi, his chief security officer, Yusuf Tilde, four state governors – Yar'adua's son-in-law, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Yar'adua's Special Assistant to the National Assembly, Mohammed Abba -Aji – as well as the FCT minister, Adamu Aliero, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and a member of the House of Representatives and Yar'adua's childhood friend, Mr. Shehu Inuwa Imam (who represents Faskari Federal Constituency in Katsina State). Also on the list is Michael Aondoakaa, Nigeria's former Attorney general who is targeted for obstructing justice in Nigeria and conniving with criminal elements and “politically exposed” Nigerians. Aondoakaa's punishment may be similar to that of Amos Wako, Kenya’s Attorney General who was blacklisted for visas to the US.
Our source also revealed that former Governor James Ibori of Delta is on the list, “but his case is criminal as he is wanted in several jurisdictions around the world for money laundering,” he said. The source said the list could grow longer as the US and EU nations as well as the UK evaluates the actors in Nigeria’s ongoing saga and the gravity of the role played by several politicians in fomenting the ensuing political crisis in Nigeria.
Yesterday, the US issued a strong statement condemning attempts by those it called Yar'adua's "senior advisors" to destabilize Nigeria by engineering his purported return to power.
More than twenty-four hours after Yar’adua’s surreptitious return, nobody has seen or heard from him. Several cabinet members told Saharareporters today that they believe that Yar'adua’s so-called return was stage-managed by his associates to forestall his imminent removal from office.
Tonight, the local and international pressure brought to bear on Turai Yar'adua and her collaborators might have created panic among members of Umaru Yar’adua’s kitchen cabinet. Turai Yar’adua and her group reportedly dispatched presidential spokesperson, Olusegun Adeniyi; to go on record to clarify what he said was the misconception about his earlier press release. Mr. Adeniyi reaffirmed Goodluck Jonathan is to continue running the government.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, also went on air to state that the party accepts Jonathan as the acting President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces until Yar'adua recuperates fully.
“Our information is that President Yar’adua’s inner circle is simply maneuvering for time since the man is highly unlikely to be in any shape to resume his presidential duties,” a diplomatic source told Saharareporters.
A security source told Saharareporters that security reports which indicated that militants in the Niger Delta and several self-determination groups were meeting across the country led some former heads of state and top opposition politicians to call Turai Yar'adua to order last night.
Two security sources told us that the Yar’adua group had planned a clamp down on ministers and opposition elements who had publicly called for Yar’adua’s removal. “The move against advocates of Yar’adua’s impeachment was only suspended because of the strong intervention of various Nigerian groups as well as the US government,” said one of the sources.
Even so, he said that Turai Yar’adua, Ibori, Aondoakaa and Tanimu Kurfi were still fine-tuning strategies to rusticate “all ministers deemed loyal to Jonathan.” The plan, which the source said could precipitate full-blown crisis, is to remove these ministers by Tuesday “to avert the possibility of these ministers going into next Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting to declare Yar'adua incapacitated.”
A source told Saharareporters that Aondoakaa’s re-appointment as Attorney General of the Federation was top on Turai Yar’adua’s “to do” list, but that plan has been put on hold as Yar’adua’s inner circle is trying to deal with stronger than expected censure from different sectors, including the US and political interests in the Niger Delta.
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The ban, whenever it comes into effect, would affect not only certain notorious associates of Yar'adua but also their children and other family members. Some of the targets are currently attending schools in the UK, Europe and United States.
Our sources said the US was currently completing a census of those individuals involved. The UK and EU are pursuing similar policies.
A US official who spoke to Saharareporters anonymously said those Nigerians involved in escalating the crisis have already been identified and the US would begin meting out appropriate sanctions against the officials as soon as practicable.
The names on the list include Yar'adua's wife, Turai, his chief economic adviser, Tanimu Kurfi, his chief security officer, Yusuf Tilde, four state governors – Yar'adua's son-in-law, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa, Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Yar'adua's Special Assistant to the National Assembly, Mohammed Abba -Aji – as well as the FCT minister, Adamu Aliero, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and a member of the House of Representatives and Yar'adua's childhood friend, Mr. Shehu Inuwa Imam (who represents Faskari Federal Constituency in Katsina State). Also on the list is Michael Aondoakaa, Nigeria's former Attorney general who is targeted for obstructing justice in Nigeria and conniving with criminal elements and “politically exposed” Nigerians. Aondoakaa's punishment may be similar to that of Amos Wako, Kenya’s Attorney General who was blacklisted for visas to the US.
Our source also revealed that former Governor James Ibori of Delta is on the list, “but his case is criminal as he is wanted in several jurisdictions around the world for money laundering,” he said. The source said the list could grow longer as the US and EU nations as well as the UK evaluates the actors in Nigeria’s ongoing saga and the gravity of the role played by several politicians in fomenting the ensuing political crisis in Nigeria.
Yesterday, the US issued a strong statement condemning attempts by those it called Yar'adua's "senior advisors" to destabilize Nigeria by engineering his purported return to power.
More than twenty-four hours after Yar’adua’s surreptitious return, nobody has seen or heard from him. Several cabinet members told Saharareporters today that they believe that Yar'adua’s so-called return was stage-managed by his associates to forestall his imminent removal from office.
Tonight, the local and international pressure brought to bear on Turai Yar'adua and her collaborators might have created panic among members of Umaru Yar’adua’s kitchen cabinet. Turai Yar’adua and her group reportedly dispatched presidential spokesperson, Olusegun Adeniyi; to go on record to clarify what he said was the misconception about his earlier press release. Mr. Adeniyi reaffirmed Goodluck Jonathan is to continue running the government.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, also went on air to state that the party accepts Jonathan as the acting President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces until Yar'adua recuperates fully.
“Our information is that President Yar’adua’s inner circle is simply maneuvering for time since the man is highly unlikely to be in any shape to resume his presidential duties,” a diplomatic source told Saharareporters.
A security source told Saharareporters that security reports which indicated that militants in the Niger Delta and several self-determination groups were meeting across the country led some former heads of state and top opposition politicians to call Turai Yar'adua to order last night.
Two security sources told us that the Yar’adua group had planned a clamp down on ministers and opposition elements who had publicly called for Yar’adua’s removal. “The move against advocates of Yar’adua’s impeachment was only suspended because of the strong intervention of various Nigerian groups as well as the US government,” said one of the sources.
Even so, he said that Turai Yar’adua, Ibori, Aondoakaa and Tanimu Kurfi were still fine-tuning strategies to rusticate “all ministers deemed loyal to Jonathan.” The plan, which the source said could precipitate full-blown crisis, is to remove these ministers by Tuesday “to avert the possibility of these ministers going into next Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting to declare Yar'adua incapacitated.”
A source told Saharareporters that Aondoakaa’s re-appointment as Attorney General of the Federation was top on Turai Yar’adua’s “to do” list, but that plan has been put on hold as Yar’adua’s inner circle is trying to deal with stronger than expected censure from different sectors, including the US and political interests in the Niger Delta.
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