THRILLER FROM THE VILLA By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem
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Even with a lot of activities involving President Goodluck Jonathan and other top Presidency officials in some parts of the country in the past week, the main news items actually came from the expression of sadness and condolences over the death of three outstanding national icons.
First, it was former lawmaker, diplomat and First Republic minister, Ambassador Mathew Mbu, who breathed his last in faraway London on Monday at the age of 82. The Presidential Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati had to issue a statement on behalf of President Jonathan which celebrated the contributions of late Mbu to national development and condoled with his family over the loss.
“Many,” according to President Jonathan, “will remember the late Dr. Matthew Mbu for his many diplomatic assignments, but “I remember him for his calm disposition and mature contributions which helped Nigeria through difficult times between 1967 and 1970 and then again in 1993 during the June 12 political crisis when he served Nigeria as Minister for Foreign Affairs.”
President Jonathan further observed that the late Dr. Mbu’s contributions to Nigeria are enormous and that he was indeed one of Africa’s major voices in the global arena in the last five decades.
As if the club of Octogenarians in the country planned it, frontline economist and former Economic Adviser to late Maximum Dictator, Gen Sani Abacha, Professor Sam Aluko followed suit. He also died in London few hours after Mbu’s passing away at the age of 83.
A statement also signed by Abati said: “The President received with immense sadness and a feeling of great national loss news of the passing away of Nigeria’s veteran economist par excellence, Prof. Samuel Aluko.
“On behalf of himself, his family, the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria, the President extends sincere and heartfelt condolences to Prof. Aluko’s family.”
President Jonathan also urged his family, friends, associates and admirers to be comforted by the knowledge that the renowned economist lived a life full of many indelible achievements and notable contributions to national development.
Still on Tuesday, Alhaji Abdulkadir Sanusi Dantata, the eldest son of the famous Dantata family in Kano, died in Germany. For his contribution to industrialisation and economic growth especially in the way he took over the business empire of his parents and improved it to a large extent, his demise caught the attention of the President.
Abati’s statement this time read thus: “President Jonathan joins the family, the people of Kano and other Nigerians in mourning the late Chairman and co-founder of one of Nigeria’s leading construction and engineering companies, Dantata and Sawoe Limited.”
It continued: “The President prays that God Almighty will grant eternal rest to Alhaji Abulkadir who, along with his other siblings, successfully carried forward the expansion and diversification of the business empire founded by their famous father, late Alhaji Sanusi Dantata.”
He further prayed God to comfort Alhaji Abdulkadir’s family and heirs, and give them the wisdom and fortitude to maintain and build on his legacy.
In what sounded as an expression of cluelessness as to the way out of the current security challenges in parts of the country, the Minster of Information, Labaran Maku emerged from the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting and expressed government’s fear over the inability of security agents and other Nigerians to stop Boko Haram elements from destroying the northern parts of the country.
While the generality of Nigerians expect government to be on top of the battle to crush terrorism, the council according to Maku said Boko Haram insurgency was getting out of hand and could as well destroy the economy of places like Kano if other stakeholders do not assist government in tackling the issue.
"It makes no sense to attack innocent people and destroy the North. Sokoto is the spiritual headquarters of Islam in Nigeria and the terrorist group claims they want to attack the city.
"In what way does that help Islam, or progress and development of the region if that is what they are fighting for?" Maku lamented.
He also shocked the nation when he disclosed that government was not even sure if the Boko haram tape played on NTA during the week was authentic.
President Goodluck Jonathan expressed similar helplessness later in the week when in a meeting with an European Union (EU) delegation sought the assistance of the EU in mopping up small arms from the country. The arms which he claimed may have found their way into the country after the Libyan crisis, may also get into the hands of violent groups like the Boko Haram sect.
On Tuesday, after a meeting of the Economic Management Team at the villa, Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji told State House correspondents that the Federal Government had recorded tremendous progress in its efforts to make more power available to Nigerians with the record of 5,000 megawatts of electricity now available at the national grid.
He also spoke on the ongoing union crisis in PHCN over the redeployment of electricity staff, saying that government had settled 50 percent of their arrears and is also negotiating with the unions.”
He added that the issue of redeployment was the prerogative of an employer and that no employee can dictate to the government.
Just like his predecessors in office who vomit so much figures and mesmerize their audiences about the paper progress they make in the power sector, Prof Nnaji said his own but as usual, we are yet to see the light shining in our homes and streets.
Also speaking after the meeting, President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote said the new 6 million tonne cement plant he built at Ibese, Ogun state would not only provide jobs for Nigerians, it would also save the country about 2 billion dollars since importation is expected to be stopped.
The plant, he said, would also make cement more available to Nigerians at cheaper prices.
So, while commissioning the plant in Ibese on Thursday, President Goodluck Jonathan justified the award of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) to Dangote, saying that he had contributed enormously to the country’s economy. Jonathan in fact added that the country needed more Dangotes.
Still on the economy, earlier in the week, the President was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the 6th CBN annual micro finance conference and entrepreneurship awards in Abuja where he announced government’s plan to create 100,000 additional jobs through its Train-to –Work programme.
“In an attempt to further enhance government’s programmes on job creation and poverty reduction, a N50 billion Fund has been established.
Other initiatives include the N30 billion Nollywood Fund; You-Win, where individual winners are entitled to up to N10 million SME grant; and the Train-to-Work (TRATOW), which will create 100,000 jobs,” he added.
The President was also at the campaign flag-off of PDP candidate, Aliyu Wamakko, who is his bidding to return as the governor of Sokoto state. Unlike the tongue lashing his own former governor, Timipre Silva had received in Bayelsa the previous week, Jonathan eulogised Wamakko, saying they he had done well and deserved to be supported for a second term in office.
President Jonathan used the opportunity to restate the commitment of the PDP to the provision of more dividends of democracy to the Nigerian populace.
As the dust surrounding President Goodluck Jonathan’s reported bid for the African Union chairmanship seat failed to settle, an online columnist, Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor had at the beginning of the week, claimed that he had a press release signed by Dr Reuben Abati in which Jonathan threatened to pull Nigeria out of the AU if the President is not made the chairman with immediate effect.
Reuben Abati however denied the statement in a telephone conversation with Peoples Daily Weekend.
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