Yesterday, Lt Gen. Aliyu Gusau (rtd), the only man standing amongst the musketeers or ‘Council of Elders,’ that teamed up in 1998 to persuade President Olusegun Obasanjo to run for the office of President, left his administration as National Security Adviser (NSA), a job he faithfully carried out in the last seven years.
Gusau’s exit left behind Chief Tony Anenih, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees chairman as the only man in that original team still in Obasanjo’s kitchen cabinet.
Gusau was perhaps the originator of the campaign to draft Obasanjo to the presidential contest in 1998 when the Abdulsalam Abubakar regime unfolded its transition programme for returning the country to a civilian, democratic dispensation. Gusau reached out to his friend General Ibrahim Babangida, ex-military president, as well as the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar led Yar’Adua Group known as the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) that provided the political structure which helped Obasanjo move round the country to contest the elections with minimum hassle.
Gusau was also said to have sold the Obasanjo candidacy to the Abubakar regime, a situation that made the Obasanjo for president project a fait accompli, since he was seen in many quarters as the official candidate of the military. To even seal this unwritten pact, the former Director of Military Intelligence and Chief of Army Staff was at the head of operations where he supervised the wheels and deals that eventually brought Obasanjo to power. In that campaign machinery, Lt. Gen Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) was incharge of fund raising while General Babangida was actively networking for the group. On the field, the PDM unleashed its foot soldiers who went round the country campaigning, preaching and disseminating the OBJ For President mantra.
At one end was Chief Tony Anenih who, because of his ability to settle naughty issues, providing a smooth playing field for the campaign machinery, was christened ‘Mr. Fix It.’ It was therefore not surprising to political pundits that among the first set to make the new president’s key appointments was the Zamfara born Gusau who clinched the job of NSA.
Yesterday, however, was a sad note and end for those sentiments and hopes built on an elder statesman and a friend to whom much was given, with the expectation that at the end of eight years, those who rallied to make the position possible would look back with minimum regret. Gusau’s exit, no doubt, is an anti-climax that completes the circle of the old brigade of friends now turned enemy of the president. According to Aso Rock sources, Gusau left in circumstances which left a sour taste in the mouth. Gusau’s exit is only a continuum of the massive loss of the president’s friends, admirers and sponsors, a phenomenon that is yet to abate at different levels.
Rejects Option A4 • Registers 2 more parties
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday explained its choice of April next year for the nation’s general elections that will draw the curtain on President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, saying it was in strict compliance with provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
The commission’s Chair-man, Prof. Maurice Iwu, spoke at the release of its programme for the 2007 general elections in Abuja and explained further that INEC would not be able to announce the order of election until the National Assembly passed the Electoral Bill.
Iwu who also announced the registration of two more political parties, the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the Peoples Party Alliance (PPA), said that although it was desirable for elections to hold earlier than April so as to leave enough time for post-election litigations, he explained that the provisions of the constitution was rigid and had to be strictly complied with.
President Olusegun Obasanjo this morning listed qualities, which he said Nigerians could not afford to compromise while choosing the next President as doing so would reverse the gains of the last seven years of democracy in the country.In his Democracy Day broadcast to the nation, Obasanjo said whoever aspired to lead Nigeria must possess “a track record of discipline, capacity to deliver, integrity, and the essence of humanity- the fear of God.”To succeed in the search for such a leader, especially given the current search, Obasanjo said Nigerians needed to redefine the purpose of politics and leadership by abandoning old ways of thinking on power relations, explaining that appeals to sentiments rather than rational thinking had stunted the attainment of nationhood.“We must, as Nigerians, transcend old, non-functional, even discredited basis of power arrangements and permutations that led us no where other than spreading hatred, suspicion, inefficiency, corruption, and the contamination of progressive conduct and values,” he said.
Nigerian News
The United States of America and the United Kingdom warships yesterday arrived the shores of Nigeria ahead of the Presidential fleet review scheduled to hold at the Elegbeta channel, Lagos to mark the Golden jubilee celebration of the Nigerian Navy (NN).
While warships from Brazil, Germany, South Africa and Ghana are expected to arrive Lagos before Monday, June 29, to participate in the international event.
The Director Naval Information, Captain Medani, while speaking with media men in Lagos, stated that President Olusegun Obasanjo is expected to review all fleet that will be taking part in the historic event which will begin with a sea power symposium organised for African Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS). The fleet review will hold on Friday, July 2, 2006.
Among the ships arriving for the review includes, a guided missile destroyer from the US, two frigates from UK and South Africa. Others are, a fast attack craft from Ghana, an ocean survey vessel from Brazil, a logistic ship from the UK. Nine ships from the Nigerian Navy fleet and four helicopters will also be participating.
Nigeria's Senate has thrown out a move to allow President Olusegun Obasanjo to seek a third term in office next year - an issue which has divided the country.
Opponents shouted for joy as the bill to amend the constitution was rejected.
Supporters of the third term bid spent days in talks trying to acquire a two-thirds majority in parliament.Thank God!!!
Nigerian PolitricksIn July, presidents of the eight most industrialised countries of the world, the Group of Eight (G8), will be holding the group's annual meeting in the Russian Republic to map out their global economic strategies. As is now customary with G8 meetings, leaders are invited from around the world to represent regional and global interests.
As we write this, authoritative information at our disposal has it that Thabo Mbeki of South Africa has been invited to the G8 meeting; so also has Sassou Nguesso of the Congo who is the new chairman of the African Union (AU). Against this background, it is certainly curious that at press time, Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo is yet to receive the invitation of the world's most powerful leaders.
Without doubt, this is a huge sea-change for Nigeria and our president. Last year in Gleneagles, President Obasanjo was one of the more prominent regional leaders at the G8 meeting in Scotland, leading the way in the campaign for debt relief which Nigeria got and then used to work its way out of the Paris Club of creditors. In fact, every recent G8 meeting has featured both Obasanjo and Mbeki, as conspicuously as possible, to state the case for Africa. And on every occasion, they did so with all the moral and persuasive force in the world.
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New Nigerian Blog in the Hood I am using this opportunity to share with my readers info on this new resource on small business in Nigeria.
The URL is http://naijabusiness.blogspot.com
Cheers
Labour Says No to 3rd TermI found this article today on thisday home pageThe Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday, in Abuja restated its opposition to the third term bid of President Olusegun Obasanjo and state governors, saying that it had been steadfast on the issue.Describing politicians as opportunists, the congress also deplored the part played by some former public office holders, including former Chairman of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh, and former Inspectors-General of Police in the abuse of workers and citizens rights.Every public officer must surely drink from the cup with which he feeds others as soon as he steps down from office, it warned public officers in a speech by its President, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, at the May Day celebrations held at the Eagles Square, Abuja. More
Yesterday, Lt Gen. Aliyu Gusau (rtd), the only man standing amongst the musketeers or ‘Council of Elders,’ that teamed up in 1998 to persuade President Olusegun Obasanjo to run for the office of President, left his administration as National Security Adviser (NSA), a job he faithfully carried out in the last seven years.
