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President Umaru Yar'Adua was reportedly excited that he made two controversial but important appointments in recent times that have changed the colour and reputation of his largely unpopular government- Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and the Head of Service, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye. And despite strident calls to whittle their powers and influence, Yar’adua is betting his fortunes on these two.

In Anambra State, President Yar’Adua is said to be determined to use the coming primaries to enhance his democratic credentials. Thus he has asked the PDP to replace the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abba Ruma, (a member of his kitchen cabinet) who is the chairman of the state Congress Committee. He took that decision to distance himself from the Anambra State governorship election.

He has also barred members of the Anambra State Executive Committee and member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP from conducting the primary election or to have anything to do with the primary election. The President is said to be determined to force the country's ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to play by the rules despite the efforts of Andy Ubah- who had invoked his expansive network in Abuja, which included former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to impose his will on Anambra PDP; and Tony Anenih – who using the erstwhile Central Bank governor, Charles Soludo, appears to be looking for fresh places to retry his art on the politics of gangsterism.

Nigerians are asking; is this President Yar’adua’s Ribadu moment?

The activities of the Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and the Head of Service, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, both of whom have taken earth-shaking actions since assuming duties have elicited all manner of protest, lobbying and arm-twisting. Despite public outcry from many quarters, Yar’Adua is unbending; “the President has been encouraging the CBN Governor and the new Head of Service through remarkable endorsements and easy access," sources say.

Besides, the President is said to have vowed his commitment to punish any form of saboteurs of the 'revolution' in the banking and public service sectors that the two bold officers have simultaneously engaged in. In fact, previously powerful individuals that have opposed the two have lost out in the power game.

Such is the lot of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, following his alleged opposition to Oronsaye, on the tenure for Permanent Secretaries and directors.

On August 26, the Federal Government ordered all Permanent Secretaries and directors, who will be eight years in office by January 1, 2010, to submit their pre-retirement notice. The circular was signed by the Head of the Civil service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye.

The SGF opposed the circular based on his fears that the tenured appointment might in the long run be anti-North. Investigation revealed that Yayale was not too enthusiastic over the introduction of retroactive eight-year tenure for Permanent Secretaries and directors. Sources say he believes that quality good hands might be affected by the policy.

But another source claimed that Yayale might have been touched by the fact that some Permanent Secretaries and directors that he personally nurtured in the civil service are being affected by the tenure policy. Yayale is also said to be of the opinion that the retirement gale is anti-North. Some sources believe that "Out of over 140 permanent secretaries and directors that will go, 85 per cent are from the North”.

In his first seven months in office, Yayale enjoyed appreciable confidence of President Umaru Yar’Adua. It was however gathered that in the last few months, the SGF has had cause to have some of his decisions overruled amidst fear on how long the SGF could sustain his disagreement on such a critical policy matter. For example, findings reveal that, unlike in the past, key appointments, which used to be announced by the Office of the SGF, were announced directly by the Presidential Villa.

Yayale was appointed the SGF on September 8, 2008 after the sudden removal of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe who lost out in similar high-level intrigues that usually involve Nigeria’s most outstanding political players.

The SGF other mistake is to dabble into issues that were against due process and rule of law policy of President Umaru Yar’Adua. "There was a time he met with the President trying to justify the need to extend the tenure of a former Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Robert Ejenavi by three months. But he was immediately overruled by the President who stood by his ‘no tenure extension’ policy", The Nation reported.

For his part, Mallam Sanusi, is said to have direct access to President Umaru Yar’Adua to avoid leakage of the rot in banks. Some influential members of the cabinet are obviously unhappy with Sanusi for by-passing them.

Sanusi has been able to affect the sack of five banks because of this direct access to the President. It was learnt that were it not for the access, some of the bank Executives would have wielded political influence to avert their removal.

Investigations reveal Sanusi has succeeded so far because of the backing of the President and the direct access he has to Yar’Adua. "With the access, he has been able to manage the findings of the Audit Report to a reasonable level that it could not be sabotaged. So, with the exception of the President, only a few are aware of the contents of the latest Audit Report on 14 banks."

James Ibori and Michael Aondoakaa

Nigerians wonder when Yar’Adua will display such stubborn hard-headedness to break free from the hold of James Ibori, the notorious former governor of Delta State. His name features again in a case where the London Metropolitan police was charging 4 Nigerians to court for money laundering and diverting V-Mobile shares owned by their respective states into private accounts.

Many Nigerians wonder; why is it that whenever any major corruption scandal occur, the name, James Ibori will feature?

September 8, 2009, The EFCC was probing the allegation that the Delta State government offered its 820 million units of shares in Oceanic International Plc to Ascot Offshore Nigeria Limited to secure an N44billion-loan from Intercontinental Bank Plc in 2007; former Delta State governor, James Ibori was fingered.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Sanusi, currently blowing through Nigerian banks had exposed how  James Ibori, the notorious former governor of Delta State who has been indicted for corruption, is behind the near-collapse of two banks; Oceanic and Inter-Continental banks - whose managements were dissolved by the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Ibori is currently facing 147-count charges of stealing and money laundering. He was initially charged before a Kaduna High Court before his case was however transferred to an Asaba, Delta State, High Court as part of the plot to finally scuttle the case against him.

Aondokaa has reportedly arrived in the United Kingdom on a desperate mission to try to rescue former Governor James Onanefe Ibori from his latest legal trouble.

Last week, UK authorities indicted Ibori, former Governor Victor Attah, Umaru Yar’adua’s principal private secretary David Edevbie, and Ibori’s UK lawyer, Bhadresh Gohil, over their laundering of $38 million in a V-Mobile stock deal. Following the indictment, Ibori – who invested more than N10 billion of Delta State funds in Yar’Adua’s presidential campaign – and Aondoakaa is said to have lobbied Yar’Adua for help.

Saharareporters say Yar’adua signed off on Aondoakaa to London as Yar’adua’s emissary to submit “clearance evidence” exonerating Ibori and Edevbie, a former Delta State commissioner of finance under Ibori.

It was alleged that Aondoaka threatened to reveal what he knows about the way Yar’adua compromised the Nigerian judiciary to keep his fraudulent presidential mandate should he be fired from the cabinet. On Ibori’s part, the former governor had been telling his friends that he felt betrayed by Yar’adua. He had also told a few close-knit associates that he was willing to collaborate with former President Olusegun Obasanjo to thwart Yar’adua’s desire for a second term. 

President Umaru Yar’Adua should be courageous enough to call the bluff of these men.

Anambra PDP Primary

On the other hand Anambra people will appreciate President Yar’Adua’ effort to make the Anambra governorship election billed for next February larger than the Ubah brothers (Andy and Chris). The story in town is that the PDP national leadership, due to Yar’Adua’s influence is not favourably disposed to any bad game in Anambra State in 2010.

In the built-up to 2007, Andy had invoked his expansive network in Abuja, which included former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to put Anambra PDP under his thumbs. To ensure absolute peace, Andy dethroned Uchenna Emordi and enthroned Comrade Nwonye, his own man, as the PDP chairman in Anambra State.

NOW, there are new realities that tend to put the PDP beyond banditry. But another thug is threatening to rock the boat Tony Anenih. He is trying to reinvent himself as a democrat after a raw deal with Obasanjo, who like a cannibal, turned so soon against his own kind. Obasanjo had upstaged Anenih as BOT chairman in a most undemocratic manner and made the latter to swallow the pill that both had so gleefully administered to others.

Now, Anenih, who has been losing charm as a problem fixer even in his Edo State, following the advent of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in Edo politics, appears to be looking for fresh places to retry his art. He is at peace with the Soludo phenomenon and thinks the economics professor, whose tenure at the CBN is disturbingly being put on trial by his successor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, is the best that can ever happen to shift Anambra State.

To underscore his passion, the Chief was quoted saying: "My fervent wish is that you contest the governorship election in Anambra state. I am from Edo state. My name is Anenih, but if for the sake of this election, I will claim Anambra state and my name is now Anene."

So far, president Yar’adua the President by forcing the country's ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to play by the rules will make the PDP just retrace its steps before things get out of hand and allow the dynamics to play out naturally. 

Daniel Elombah