Yuguda and the crack in Northern Governors Forum

 by Andrew Agbese

Gov. Isa Yuguda

Governor Isa Yuguda’s decision to pull out of the Northern States Governors Forum over the controversy surrounding the Nigeria Governors Forum election may have far reaching implications on the unity of the forum, our correspondent reports.

The poor attendance at last week’s meeting of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) where only five governors out of 19 turned up  was not altogether unexpected as many reports had on the eve of the meeting day, predicted that many of the governors in the forum would boycott the meeting.

Since the crisis that ensued from the election of a new chairman for the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) last month, it was clear that the unity of the regional units of the forum, especially that of the northern governors would be threatened as the bulk of the controversies surrounding the issue revolved around the failure of the governors to stand by an earlier agreement they were said to have made in connection with the election.

Members of the NGSF in demonstration of the unity that was supposed to guide such blocs had prior to the NGF election, resolved to present one of theirs as the next chairman of the NGF as the forum had from inception rotated its chairmanship between the North and South candidates as a southerner, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was concluding a term.

Initially Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina was favoured to succeed Amaechi but later, some forces who were not comfortable with Shema were said to have thrown up Isa Yuguda of Bauchi.

When the two could not agree to step down for neither, it was agreed that a fresh candidate be supported for the position and Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State was chosen as the northern governors’ consensus candidate.

But as Jang scored only 16 of the votes to Amaechi’s 19 it became obvious that some from the 18 northern governors that took part in the election, had not acted true to the spirit of the agreement.

While the other governors had chosen not to comment on the issue, Yuguda decided to introduce a new dimension to the matter by not only expressing his views but going further to accuse his northern governors colleagues of betrayal. He also vowed to leave the northern governors forum due to what he said amounts to lack of sincerity.

 “I don’t see any reason why I should attend the Northern Governors meeting again. Yes! If that is what we will do, I am not going to be a part of it. For the remaining two years of my tenure I will not be part of the Northern Governors Forum. I want any Northern Governor to come out and say yes, I voted [at the NGF election] and I voted against Jang. I will then ask him why, after sitting with me in the Northern governors meeting and agreeing on a consensus candidate, after saying Shema and I should withdraw for Jang, he then went and voted against Jang. I would like to know why,” he had stated.

 Analysts posit that this would be about the first time the forum  which had always resolved issues concerning its members through close door deliberations would be witnessing a schism of that magnitude, where one of its members would jettison the option of meeting with the others in private to sort out issues, but will choose to come out openly not only to dissociate himself from the forum  but to accuse  the other members of something untoward.

 At the height of the Jos crisis, when Governor Jang had accused  states  bordering Plateau of complicity in the attacks on the people of his state, it was at the meeting of the NSGF that the issues was thrashed out.

The NGSF had always also mapped put strategies to avoid the constant conflicts with herdsmen in the various states in the North and only recently set up a reconciliation, healing and security committee which worked out areas of cooperation among the states.

It was not clear if Jang was thinking along the line of Yuguda before the Bauchi Goverenor came up with the accusation as in all his comments after the crisis, he did not accuse any of the northern governors of betrayal choosing to rest his case on the fact that there was a consensus arrangement that preceded the election which as he argues, should take preeminence over the latter.

But the Yuguda bombshell may have changed all that.

A political analyst, Ibrahim Buba, said Yuguda’s action cannot be taken at its face value. He said beyond trying to exonerate himself from what transpired, the action of the Bauchi governor suggests that if a governor does not want to be seen as being against the President, he should do everything possible to avoid associating openly with the northern governors. President Goodluck Jonathan is said to be against having Amaechi return as chairman of the forum.

Buba explained that by casting aspersions on the integrity of the forum, Yuguda had craftily set the stage for its disintegration as those who do not want to be in the bad books of the PDP may not want to seen in the fold.

This argument may hold water as all those that refused to attend the last meeting of the northern governors are those who do not want to be seen as having moved against the president at the NGF election.

This analysts say might be the reason why many of the PDP governors decided to stay away from the Kaduna meeting.

Fourteen out of the 19 members of the NSGF boycotted Forum’s meeting in Kaduna.

The five governors that attended the meeting included the chairman of the forum; Niger State governor Babangida Aliyu, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Muhktar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna, Tanko Al-Makura  ofNarasawa, and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe.

Those represented by their deputies included Kwara, Kano, Kogi, Borno, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states while Plateau and Benue were represented by the secretaries to their state government. While Adamawa and Taraba States were said to have sent apologies.

The only surprising attendance from the camp of the PDP governors was that of Dankwambo as Yero’s attendance could be explained since the meeting was happening in his state.

The suspension of Governor Magatakarda Wamakko from the PDP shortly after that of Amaechi may have also given the indication of what may befall any of the PDP governors who is seen as not working in tandem with the interest of the PDP and by extension, the presidency.

But for how long the Yuguda issue may affect the unity of the northern governors is what nobody is sure of as many of the PDP governors who are entitled to further terms and are likely to depend on the presidency for support, like the governors of Taraba, Gombe and Kogi may not want to be seen as hobnobbing with those opposed to the president while those who are in their second terms but are intending to run for other offices like senate or are eyeing other appointments may not want to be in the bad books of the presidency.

Analysts say Yuguda by choosing to boycott of the activities of the NGSF forum may have unwittingly contributed to the division of the forum as it does not appear that the crack would heal soon more so as the PDP had decided to wield the big stick on one of its members and the 2015 campaign may soon start which may further divide the governors along the two divides of those who are pro and those who are anti Jonathan.

But many say it is strange that it would be Yuguda that would lend himself as a catalyst to the division of the NSGF.

This is because it was through defiance that he also emerged  governor in 2007 when was denied the ticket of the ruling party by pro-establishment forces and the opposition proved to him that it was possible to win elections without the support of government. But immediately Yuguda got on the saddle he became more catholic than  the hope by aligning more with those in authority.

He later decamped form the ANPP to the PDP and had his then deputy impeached for refusing to join him in his new party.

He dumped Buhari on whose back he rode to power and pitched tent with Jonathan in 2011 and has since then been striving to show himself as loyal to the president. His recent comments over the NSGF issue analysts say, may not be unconnected with this.

DailyTrust

Fatai Rolling Dollar passes on at 85

By Comrade Godwin Ameh

Unconfirmed reports reaching our newsdesk, say that veteran highlife musician Fatai Rolling Dollars, is dead.

Born 22nd July 1926, Rolling Dollar was known for his verve and dexterity on the guitar. His zest for life and energy, even in old age, was also a marvel to all who beheld him perform.

He got a new lease of life after years in the doldrums, through Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who revived his career and fortunes, after the Liaison de France was brought back into public consciousness. Fatai, who was one of the highlife singers who made in the 60-early 70s, had a lull in his fortunes before providence smiled on him. Papa Fatai is dead.
Details of his demise will follow shortly.

DailyPost

Flashback: How MKO Abiola Was Killed By Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Theodore Bethnel Zadok

We relieve the last moments of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola  publicly by the man who should know: Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Theodore Bethnel Zadok, who for the two years before the chief’s death was in charge of his living and imprisonation in government custody.

Zadok in his evidence-in-chief at the hearing of the petition by Abiola’s first son, Kola and physician, Dr. Ore Falomo, related how he was apparently handed away from Chief Abiola, and by the time he returned to him, he had been offered tea, only to be dead a few minutes thereafter.

Reading from a prepared text, the police officer said: "I was posted to head the detention base of Chief M. K. O. Abiola with about thirteen (13) body guards under me. and since the day I took over the duties of the detention camp of Chief M. K. O. Abiola I was responsible for collecting the sum of N800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) quarterly from Major Hamza Al-Mustapha to the commissioner of police FCT command Abuja for his feeding.

That is three times a day subject to what he wanted to eat. I also took care of his health by seeing the Doctor any time he complained of any illness. In view of this he never ate any food or drank any thing without me tasting it first before giving it to him to eat or drink.

"I always collected some money from the Chief Security Officer Major Hamza Al-Mustapha to buy toiletries, fruit drinks, bedding and water.

"The Chief Security Officer Major hamza Al-Mustapha ordered me to give Chief MKO Abiola Koran and Bible for reading and I used to collect some money from the Chief Security Officer to buy some newspapers and magazines for the chief to read, and also give the chief some plain sheets for anything he might wish to write. My lord, Chief MKO Abiola never believed that I was a Security man who came to guard him, but a son who came to take care of his father. I will like to support this statement with a written note, written to me by Chief MKO Abiola.

"Before General Oladipo Diya’s coup attempt, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, on the 10th of December, 1997 ordered me to take Chief MKO Abiola to any safe place, preferably the commissioner of police guest house at Wuse. And after the said failed coup attempt Major hamza Al-Mustapha ordered me to move Chief MKO Abiola from the commissioner’s guest house to Kado Housing Estate popularly known as Jeremiah Useni Housing Estate Kado.

"On the 8th day of June 1998 the day the Head of State General Sani Abacha died the chief Security Officer Major Hamza Al-Mustapha ordered me along with Lt. Ikilama to move Chief MKO Abiola from Kado Housing Estate to Gado Nasko Barracks and from there all the 13 body guards attached to me were withdrawn except the driver and leaving the soldiers of the Guards Brigade to take over the guard.

But I was still left behind to be bringing food to Chief MKO Abiola as usual from the police officers mess Wuse Zone 7. Chief MKO Abiola was informed of the death of General Sani Abacha and the appointment of General Abdulsalami Abubakar as the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief. he wrote letters to general Abdulsalami Abubakar and the service Chiefs gave them to me to Photostat them for him.

He gave me some copies to give to Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and passed the rest to the respective owners. After the expiration of the second quarter allocation of N800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand naira) I approached Major A. S. Aliyu Chief Security Officer to General Abdulsalami Abubakar to collect the money for the next quarter. He only told me he had heard me.

"On the day in question, the 7th Day of July 1998 at about 11.30hrs, the Chief Security Officer to General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Major A. S. Aliyu called me on the radio set, asking me to see him in his office. I then proceeded to his office and he instructed me to bring Chief MKO Abiola to Aguda House for an interview to be held by 1300 hrs.

"I then went back to the base and informed Chief MKO Abiola of the interview and he asked me whether Major Hamza Al- Mustapha was aware of the said interview. I told him didn’t know because Major Hamza Al-Mustapha was busy handing and taking over but I would see if I could locate him to inform him.

"He asked me to bring his dresses which he would wear and also asked me to give him 30 minutes to enable him get dressed. At about 1230hrs the Chief Security Officer to general Abdulsalami Abubakar Major A. S. Aliyu came to the base. To the best of my knowledge, that was the first time he knew that place, wanting to know if we were ready and I replied him almost ready. As we opened the door the Chief was already waiting for us. Together we went out and headed to Aguda House, venue of the Interview".

"Before we all left the base, chief MKO Abiola was in sound and healthy condition. He did not complain to me of any illness. About 100 metres from the door stand of the Aguda House, the controller from the control room called me on the radio set and said, I quote, "30 BRAVO your LOG I answered ALFA GOLF UNIFORM DELTA ALFA, HOTEL. And he said MAIG SYRIA GOLF from the OSCAR FOXTROT FOXTROT OF CHARLIE OSCAR GOLF SYRIA you should ROMEO PAPA TANGO to see the subject INDIA MIKE MIKE I answered RECEIVED."

Meaning 2i/c Prescort your present location. I answered Aguda House and he gave the message from the office of the Chief of General Staff and that you should see the Chief of General Staff Admiral Mike Akhigbhe immediately please and I answered noted please.

"As we arrived at the Aguda House door step, I led Chief MKO Abiola inside the house and I took permission from the Chief Security Officer to General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Major A. S. Aliyu in whose custody I left Chief MKO Abiola.

"He asked me to use his vehicle, leaving my vehicle at the door step where it was parked. I then took his vehicle as entrusted and left to see the Chief of General Staff Admiral Mike Akhigbe at about 1310hrs and I came back from seeing Admiral Mike Akhigbe at about 1350hrs, only to discover that my vehicle was not there at the parking spot. On arrival, I saw one of my Body Guards Sunday Pada standing by the side of the door.

I asked him where they had gone. He replied me they were inside and that the Chief Security Officer only sent my vehicle to Aso-Clinic and as I was about to enter the room, I met with the Chief Security Officer, Major A. S. Aliyu who told me that Chief MKO Abiola was not feeling fine and after taking a cup of tea he coughed and feel down.

"I quickly went inside and I saw Chief MKO Abiola lying on the floor facing down. I called him. for the first time he answered, and I lifted him up and turned him upside and called him again for the second time he did not answer. At that time doctor Sadiq Sani Wali from Aso Clinic arrived and about examining the chief.

I told him we should rush the Chief to the clinic for proper treatment. Myself, the Chief Security Officer, Major A. S. Aliyu, Doctor Sadiq Sani Wali and the two white men standing lifted Chief MKO Abiola into my vehicle outside for onward movement to Aso-clinic.

Before getting to Aso-Clinic I saw Dr. Sadiq Sani Wali pressing his (Abiola’s) stomach up and down a kind of resuscitating him. As we arrived the clinic, Chief M.K.O. Abiola was rushed to the Emergency Room where I stood by with the doctors including the two white men and the Chief Security Officer Major Aliyu until when Dr. Sadiq Sani Wali later confirmed to us that Chief M.K.O Abiola was dead.

"We came out of the Emergency Room and the Chief Security Officer Major A. S. Aliyu phoned the villa, I heard him saying to the ADC please, connect me to the Head of State I have an important message for him. For about three minutes they continued the discussion with the Head of State while he was moving towards his vehicle outside. So I didn’t hear what he was discussing with the Head of State. After the phone call, we both left for the villa,

"The questions to ask are:

Who gave Chief M.K.O. Abiola tea in my absence?

Who tasted the tea before giving it to him?

And in whose presence was the tea tasted?

"The questions are for the Chief Security Officer to General Abdulsalam Abubakar; Major Aliyu to answer. And I want to testify before this Honourable Commission that on the 6th day of July 1998 at about 2200hrs Kola Abiola the son to late Chief M.K.O. Abiola his step mother; and about three of his sisters were with their father at Aguda House until 0130hrs of 7th July, 1998. I want to say categorically here that his father Chief M.K.O. Abiola was in a sound and healthy condition.

"Based on the statement made to the Commission by Femi Falana on the 5th day of July 2001 that Chief M.K.O Abiola was driven from Kano State to Abuja where he said that the Chief fell inside the Black Maria four times before arriving Abuja is totally false, because to the best of my knowledge Chief M.K.O Abiola was never detained out of Abuja.

"On the 28th day of July 1998, I collected, from the Commander Brigade of Guards, Gado Nasko Barracks, the late Chief M.K.O Abiola’s property and handed them over to Alhaji Babagana Kingibe on the 31st day of July, 1998 who ordered his orderly Sergeant Mustapha Gana to check, sign and collect the property from me and he, Babagana Kingibe, made a contact call to the family of Chief M.K.O. Abiola to come forward and collect the said property.

Naij.com

REVEALED! Late MKO Abiola’s Personal Doctors Reveals Shocking New Details About His Death

This is the first time a detailed analysis of the issues leading to the June 12, 1993, election and detention and subsequent controversial death of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, winner of the election, is outlined by an insider who is very close to both Abiola and late Sani Abacha to know the secret details.

Below is Dr Ore Falomo, Abiola’s personal physician’s exposé. It is a must read…

Can you recall your last meeting with M.K.O Abiola. When was it, and what was the state of his health?
It was about two weeks before he died. But the visit before the last was more remarkable. It was arranged by the military government to dispel the rumour that Abiola had died in detention. They quickly arranged a meeting for me to go and see him.

They sent one captain from Aso Rock to me to tell me that I was needed urgently in Aso Rock. This was the penultimate meeting to the last meeting with him. I found the message strange because my previous meetings were arranged by the commissioner of police in Abuja, under whom Abiola was supposed to be. Whenever I visited him, I usually returned to Lagos by 6pm, but that day, it was not possible because immediately I got into the car, they started driving round Abuja to waste time so that it would be dark and I won’t recognise where they were taking me to.

When we got to the place, Abiola was there. It was a new place; I had not seen him there before. It was a bungalow. As soon as they opened the door and Abiola saw me, he came towards me and we hugged. We sat and unlike before, none of the guards waited to listen to our discussion. We spoke Yoruba all the time. They objected to it at first, later on they agreed. That day he was behaving like he was in the spirit. I told him there was a rumour that he had been killed. He said, ‘I know that I’m dead. They have dug the grave. They have put me in the grave except that they have not close me up.’ I asked, ‘What happened? Have they injured you or injected you?’ He said no, but that he just knew.

That means he had the premonition that he was going to die in detention.
Yes. As he was talking, his mood changed. He told me he had forgiven those who caused his incarceration; that it was left for them to ask for forgiveness from God. He said he forgave them because he wants God to forgive him his sins. All these were strange, because in my previous visits, he was always asking about the things that were happening in the country. Then he started singing, ‘Nearer my God to thee, nearer to thee.’ He used to sing Christian songs. After signing the song in English, he started singing it in Yoruba. Then he got up; hugged me and we began to cry. It was very emotional. I tried to calm him down, because I didn’t know what he had seen. All through this period, the guards did not come to say time was up. I told him I will tell the story to the people, which was normal after every visit.

But did you observe any sign or symptoms of illness in him?
No. He was neither sick nor injured. You could say his spirit was low, but his body was good. There were no signs and symptoms of any illness. He spoke from a very conscious mind. That was the most poignant visit. The last visit was routine; to change his toiletries and so on.

The then Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, recently told us that when he visited Abiola few days to his death, he was in high spirits, because he was happily awaiting his release. How did he overcome the depression?

About two weeks to Abiola’s death, Abdulsalami Abubakar had started to send out word that Abiola might be released. So, the whole town started to rejoice. I don’t know how that one was done. They even got to me and said my trips to Abuja would soon end. I knew the government was not going to try him. Chief Rotimi Williams had already told us that they did not have any evidence against him. There was no point going to court. As far as I knew, Abiola knew that they would not allow him to come out just like that since they would not take him to court. Every time, they were asking him to denounce his mandate and prepare himself for another election, but he refused. During my last visit, I told him I had the rumour that Abubakar will release him but I did not want him to believe the rumour until there was concrete evidence.

How did you receive the news of his death?

That day, I was in the sitting room here. A call came from the personal physician of Abubakar. He said, ‘Doctor, get yourself ready and start coming to Abuja. The Head of State has sent his personal jet through Governor Buba Marwa, it would be at the VIP section of the airport.’ Of course, I was not going to enter that aircraft. But I asked him, ‘Why are you sending for me? I was given about two weeks appointment to come and see Abiola, so tell me what has happened that warrants me to come urgently.’ He didn’t want to tell me that Abiola had died, so that my reaction would not be, ‘Alright if you have killed him; eat him. I’m not the doctor for the dead, but for the living.’ That could have been my reaction, which was exactly my reaction when I finally learnt that he had died. After that, I called Kola Abiola and told him that something bad had happened but that I didn’t know the extent. The doctor also told me not to come alone; that I should bring any of my colleagues. I then thought, maybe he had not died. I told Kola and he said, ‘Doctor let’s go to the airport and take the plane to Abuja.’ I didn’t know Kola had heard. We boarded Kola’s car and he tuned to BBC news. At that time, it was about 15 minutes to 6pm. Then they announced that Abiola had died. I asked Kola, ‘Is that true?’ He wasn’t crying, I knew he had heard. I told him to turn back. And just before we got to Maryland, people had started rioting. We were lucky to escape without the car being damaged.

Did you eventually go to Abuja that day?
I refused to go. When we got back to the house, Kola asked me: ‘What is going to happen next?’ I said, ‘Nothing; I’m not going to Abuja.’ Then he said he must go. I said ‘Yes; go so that you take care of the body. One thing I want you to tell them is that they must not bury him because he is a Muslim. There must be a post-mortem.’ They were already talking to Abiola’s two wives about burying him immediately.

REVELATION!

They arranged for them [the two wives] to come and see Abiola the day before he died. That was of course for them to say goodbye. They did all of these without my knowledge. Up till that time, I was the only one in five years, who was allowed to see Abiola.

Then I received another call. This time, the governor of Lagos, Marwa, said I should come, that the pilot and others were waiting, that he would send a car to pick me. I declined the offer and asked them to wait. I called Prof. Oye Adeniran to represent me. I told him to tell Abubakar’s physician that I want a post-mortem. When the doctor heard my request, he then called me back and said he would advise Abubakar that there must be a post-mortem. Then he said, ‘These are two deaths too many.’ He was referring to the death of Sani Abacha and that of Abiola. You remember in Abacha’s case, there was no post-mortem. How can a Head of State die so suddenly and he was hurriedly buried without a post-mortem. I told him that I would assemble a team of international pathologists to conduct the post-mortem. So, the body was embalmed and kept in the morgue waiting for the pathologists to arrive.

Some said Abiola was beaten to death, others said he was poisoned. As his doctor and member of the team that conducted the post-mortem, what were your findings?Abiola was not beaten. He died shortly after the American delegation got to Aguda House by 3pm. According to the written press conference given by Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who led the American delegation, Abiola died between 3:20 and 3:40pm that day. Nobody told Abiola that he was going to have visitors that day. So, they woke him up and he just brushed his teeth and came out to meet with them. He had not had his lunch. These were facts borne out of the autopsy. His intestine was clear. They exchanged banters, he told Susan Rice, who was part of the delegation, what she wore the first day he met her. Pickering said Abiola’s brain must be sharp to remember all that.

According to them, their mission was to convince Abiola to denounce his mandate and go for another election. By then Abacha had gone, one of their problems had been solved. Abiola was left.

They had brought that suggestion before and Abiola rejected it. So, their mission was unnecessary because they were not going to get him to say yes. It must have been for another purpose. When they came in, the chief guard that usually stayed with Abiola was not there because they didn’t tell him some people would be visiting. Abiola came unaccompanied to that meeting. Of course, they had been told he was a tea drinker. They brought a special flask, which Hamza Al-Mustapha described as multi-dimensional. They poured themselves tea and poured tea for Abiola. There was no precedence of a visitor bringing tea for the host. It is unconventional. It is not done anywhere in the world. Not only did they bring it, they offered someone in detention tea, with no guard around.

And Ambassador Pickering said in his press conference that shortly after he had taken the tea, he complained of pain in the chest and grabbed his chest. And later, he felt uncomfortable and then, he went to the convenience to ease himself, but he did not come back as expected. They called on him and he told them he was coming. By then, he had started feeling weak. They asked him if they should call the doctor but he said they should ask the guard to get his pain tablet. But he died before the pain tablet arrived. By the time the doctor came, Abiola had already died. They took him to Aso Rock clinic, where they tried to jerk his heart back to life, but he was gone. That was how he died.

Are you saying that the US had a hand in Abiola’s death?

Yes. It is necessary to note that death followed Pickering’s missions. A notable personality usually dies after his mission to any country. You can go and read about him. The question was: Why did he come? We know him as Central Intelligence Agency man and he was not the serving ambassador in the country then.

Abubakar was the one who gave them the appointment. During a cocktail to celebrate the US National Day, I asked the US Ambassador why they brought Pickering and others. I told him that Abacha, who was occupying Abiola’s position had died and why did they bring another military? We should also note that after Abiola died, Abubakar went to White House to visit the sitting American President and he went in military uniform. Can you recollect anybody who entered White House in military uniform? It is not done. He was given that exception. Up till now, nobody has repeated the precedence. What did he do? How long had he been on the throne here that he was received by the American President? Abacha was gone, Abiola was gone and they thought Nigeria’s problem was solved. But here we are.

The current American President has not found it important enough to come to the same country in which the previous governments took very big roles in taking those two actors out. I think it high time US apologised to Nigeria for the roles it played in the death of Abiola. The US also insisted on sending at least two pathologists just to protect its image, because there were rumours that it was the US that killed Abiola. Tony Blair sent a message to me through the British High Commissioner here that he was nominating Dr. John Shepherd, one of the top pathologists in England, and we made him the team captain. Human rights groups from Chicago sent in a pathologist. America insisted that they wanted to be well represented. So, they sent one Muslim doctor and one Christian doctor to me. I was there; Abubakar’s doctor was there; Dr. Coker, the owner of that hospital on Victoria Island was there and the team.

You believe Abiola was poisoned, but how come this team of highly qualified doctors, including yourself conducted the post-mortem and concluded that Abiola died from natural causes?

No, what they said was that there was not enough supply of blood to his heart because there was a collection of fatty materials in the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. His heart did not get blood supply; that was why he died eventually. The question is, why did that happen? How could that happen to somebody who just woke up, had not done anything and was not doing any exercise. There are people who have worse conditions than that and they are still alive. Something must have engineered the heart to behave the way it did that Abiola could not survive more than 10 minutes. We took specimen from his intestine, took his blood and sent it to toxicologists in Canada and in London.

Another question to ask was where did Pickering type his press statement? Abiola died around 3:40pm and by 4pm, Pickering read his typed-written press statement and said he must have died of heart attack. The doctor that took Abiola’s body to Aso Rock clinic had not come when Pickering addressed the press. Could something have triggered the heart attack? The answer is yes. We also know that there are drugs that can affect the rhythm of the heart. Such drugs can disturb the rhythm of the heart to an extent that the heart can stop pumping blood. If you give it to anyone to drink in tablet or liquid form, it can make the heart to stop within minutes. Does this leave traces in the blood? Yes, because medical science has perfected all that now. They just conducted the post-mortem of Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian man that died about five years ago. When he died, nobody suspected, but now they believe he was poisoned and they are trying to find out what type of poison it was.

So, you believe medical science can detect the poison now?

Yes, and that is why we are calling for a more detailed investigation into the cause of Abiola’s death. Why are the human rights activists here not pushing for further investigation into Abiola’s death? Our government did not even want to say that the man won the election, until President Goodluck Jonathan came.

But did Abiola have any health condition that could have resulted to sudden death?

Tell me who had a better health than Abiola. Before he was detained, Abiola was a globetrotter. If not because he was very healthy, he wouldn’t have lasted five years in detention. He was not exercising, not seeing people and so on. They even tried to injure him once in the office of the Commissioner of Police in Abuja. A police officer that came from Aso Rock threw Abiola against a pillar and he hit his back and his spinal cord protruded. We gave Abiola a newspaper, and the policeman wanted collect it from him, but he refused. Then we looked for CT scan and there was none in Nigeria but Abacha was ready to let him go abroad for treatment. But many people feared that if he left, they would not have allowed him back into the country. This was because he had gone once and the then interim President Ernest Shonekan, did not allow him back into the country. It was the same Abacha that ensured that Abiola returned. Abacha had to change the guards at the airport, replaced them with his own guards and asked them to fly Abiola in from Cotonou. I was close to Abacha to know all these. Abiola landed and trouble started. Then there was the afternoon coup, Abacha took over from Shonekan. As far as Abacha was concerned, his reign was not to be permanent, he had to remove Shonekan to foil Ibrahim Babangida’s plan to come back. Babangida’s intention was to transform into a civilian president.

Source: olufamous

Composer of Nigeria's National Anthem, Benedict Odiase, passes on

The composer of  Nigeria's National Anthem, Pa Benedict Odiase has passed on. Mr Odiase died last night in his sleep. He composed Arise O Compatriots” in May 1978.

Pa Odiase retired in 1992 as a Deputy Commissioner of Police after being the Director of Music with the Nigeria Police Band.

lindajkeji

June 12 @ 20: NADECO warns FG against conducting 2015 polls

 

JUNE 12—National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) marked the 19th Anniversary of Late Chief M K O Abiola’s 1994 Epetedo Declaration as President-Elect at Epetedo Multipurpose Hall, Lagos, yesterday. Rear Admiral Ndubisi Kanu, Chairman of NADECO (C) unveilling late Abiola’s statue while Baba Omojola (4th right); Mr Kayode Opeifa, Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, (3rd right) and others watch. Photo: Shola Oyelese.

By CHARLES KUMOLU

NATIONAL Democratic Coalition, NADECO, has called on the Federal Government to provide an acceptable constitution before conducting the 2015 general elections, following the power tussle between the North and the South over which of the regions should produce the next President.

It also stated that the immediate dismantling of constitutional structures would provide an answer to the country’s myriad of problems.

Chairman of NADECO, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu said this, yesterday, in Lagos at a colloquium convened  to review the Epetedo Declaration of June 12, 1993 presidential elections.

His words: “Regarding the elections planned for 2015, NADECO notes with concern the ominous rhetorics in the atmosphere wherein some elements who, prior to the 2011 elections, promised to make Nigeria ungovernable should power not return to them, are now threatening massive bloodshed should power again fail to return to them; there is a response to them from another bloc, equally threatening catastrophe should power leave them.

“Having identified the unworkable unitary ‘Constitution’ of Nigeria as the source of the many intractable plagues of Nigeria, and now faced with a situation in which, whoever wins a 2015 presidential election, “blood will flow”, NADECO, with a grave sense of responsibility, raises a question as to the wisdom of embarking on such an election without first working out an acceptable constitutional arrangement, more so since whoever wins that election will govern with the same disputed ‘constitution’, plunging the country further into further abyss, and faster towards anarchy.

“NADECO unequivocally states that the answer to Nigeria’s myraid of problems lie in the immediate peaceful dismantling of the constitutional structures which were erected and operated in negation of the soverignty of the people. The process for that peaceful dismantling is by the convocation of a Soverign National Conference the same way South Africa did via CODESA to ease out the Aparthied Constitution.

“The alternative for the country Nigeria will be disorderly, yet justifiable retrieval of sovereignties by the Ethnic Nationalities individually or in formations/groups of their choice and in a manner or manners that they may choose, which may be based on understandable violence.

NADECO positively and pointedly identifies the cankerworm, the monster, which is trying to overwhelm and usurp the soverignty of our people to the detriment of the commonwealth of everyone of us in this country since 1993, to be the cabal of suzerainty which today is palpably in the  form of an imposed 1999 constitution.

Enemies of June 12 still in power

“Many who connived with the clique in those debasing and disenfranchising years are in power today, even masquerading as champions of democracy. Such include those who chaired Abiola’s winning party, SDP. There are others in all arms of government and even amongst the progressives who ought to really search their conscience, if the survival, well-being and progress of Nigeria is truly in their agenda.

“NADECO asserts that the violent agitations in Nigeria have their roots in these constitutional grievances and cannot be peacefully addressed otherwise than by a holistic engagement with the issues by a way of a Sovereign National Conference of ethnic nationalities. In refusing to initiate this only plausible non-violent mechanism, opponents of the SNC have pushed the country into a violent, disorderly debate of the same issues.”

Conference must be sovereign

Also speaking on the theme of the event titled: Affirmation of the Peoples Sovereignty, Mr. Fred Agbeyegbe said: “We must turn round to those who now insist that they are the owners of the sovereignty upon which the ethnic nationalities of Nigeria erect their right to a Sovereign National Conference and say to them, first, that that providential prescription is the only reference to the word “Sovereignty” in the 1999 Constitution; second, that it is emphatic that it “belongs to the people of Nigeria”; third: that all the section affords them are “powers and authority”; fourth, that the powers and authority in question are all of their powers and authority.

Vanguard

Annulment was payment for Abiola’s evil deeds – Sen Owie

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

Former member of the House of Representatives, former Senate Chief Whip and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Rowland Stephen Owie  says the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was a divine recompense for Abiola’s alleged past political misdeeds.

What is your perspective on the June 12, 1993 election?
When people talk about June 12, June 12; June 12 has no meaning. June 12 is the repayment of evil for MKO Abiola. Whatever you sow, you reap. I said about four years ago that if Abiola had been president he would have been dead.

You think so?
Yes, let me tell you. Before anyone can say that the annulment was evil they should answer four questions. Number one, who was that politician that brought what was called the Maroko land deal to limelight? Who was that politician who used the Maroko land deal as an albatross on the neck of Chief Obafemi Awolowo? Who is that Nigerian or group of Nigerians who went to Obasanjo and connived with him and removed the Electoral College act from the decree of 1978?

Who is that politician or group of politicians that aided the military to take over the government of President Shehu Shagari in 1983 after the NPN convention? Who is that politician? Who is that politician that aided the military in disqualifying all the major candidates of SDP and NRC?

I say if they can answer it and the answer is negative for MKO Abiola, then the annulment of June 12 is evil. But if the answer is yes and it’s MKO Abiola, the annulment of June 12 was the best thing that happened because you can’t plant mango and reap yam.

In 1979 I was in the UPN as a member of the House of Representatives and there was a provision in the transition decree of 1978/79 which made provision for Electoral College if the presidential election became inconclusive, and it really was inconclusive, because Shagari did not get two-third of the 19 states. So, we were preparing for Electoral College. NPP, GNPP, PRP and UPN we had majority in the National Assembly which constituted the Electoral College.

The late Mallam Aminu Kano of PRP, Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim of GNPP, Nnamdi Azikiwe of NPP and Awolowo of UPN had met and we had all met. But three days to the Electoral College Obasanjo removed the clause on Electoral College; he removed the goal post within the run of play.

Sen. Owie

The Electoral College was removed after the election when we were getting ready for it and that was why Awolowo had no other option and he had to go to court and the judgment gave rise to the issue of 12 2/3! A human being cannot be half, he is either full or… and that is why Justice Sowemimo said that that judgment cannot be quoted in future.

Abiola and Obasanjo were involved as Egbas to remove that clause. Concord brought the headline “Maroko land: Awolowo where is your sincerity”. We were in Minna when it was published. Look it deflated the old man, it scattered him, in fact, he was no longer himself and he started battling how to explain.

Now NPN went for their national convention in Kano and Umaru Dikko, he is alive, he said the presidential candidate of the NPN is not for sale. MKO Abiola wanted the presidential ticket he didn’t get it and he then came and aligned with the military people who now came in.

And IBB came and set up two political parties, Shehu Yar‘adua, Adamu Ciroma and other major contenders in SDP and NRC, overnight the military disqualified all of them, aided and abetted by MKO Abiola. Because if Yar‘adua were (involved) there was no way MKO would have won. He was not even in contention until the disqualification of these major contenders.  That is why I said that June 12 was a repayment for evil that was done against other people.

But how do you see the June 12 election in terms of electoral conduct and fairness?

The June 12 election because it was an open ballot and had only two parties which cut across tribal lines was one of the fairest elections ever held in this country. June 12 showed what a good government can do in an election. If IBB and Aikhomu wanted to tamper with the election, they could have tampered with the election, but they didn’t. It was a free and fair election but what I am telling you is that the annulment that came later was the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob.

What do you mean?
What happened was a repayment for evil.

But was that justified on the nation?
Yes! What I am saying is that it was God’s own work, it was God’s own work.

For Abiola’s alleged sin of…
All the sins!

But did that justify the derailment of the collective hope of Nigerians?
What is the collective hope of Nigerians?

Democracy
Was the Buhari coup against Shagari justified? Was that the collective will of Nigerians?

That is debatable because many Nigerians welcomed the coup just as majority of Nigerians were against the annulment of June 12.

It is because you are a pressman. Do you know how many people in my village that were not interested and were happy with the annulment, even though some of us were not happy.

You, were you happy with the annulment?
The annulment served Abiola right, quote me! You cannot be destroying other people and expect to have victory. There is a parable that all those who destroy other people will end up having destruction at the hour of their victory. MKO should not have expected anything less. Tell me, was it justified for Shehu Musa Yar‘adua and Falae in the SDP to be disqualified? What did they do? Was it justified for Adamu Ciroma and co in the NRC to be disqualified? What did they do? They were all disqualified in both parties so that MKO Abiola who was a friend of the military could emerge as the strongest candidate.

It was no secret that he paraded himself as a friend of the military. That man could not have expected to become president of Nigeria when he had ruined many people. The truth is that God does not come down to do some of these things Himself. He uses human beings as instruments and that is why when a man is looking for elective or appointive position, maybe as LGA chairman, governor, minister or president, he is looking for an aspect of the divinity of God. It is out of that divinity that the man in charge of affairs 

takes, compassion, service to the people, ability to manage everybody, forgiveness.

Unfortunately, the moment you get that position and you do not utilise it, not generally, just some part of it…if you watch when Christ cured the ten lepers only one came back to say thank you, but he said where are the other nine? And if you read Hipppolytus he said that as soon as Christ asked where are the nine that the leprosy returned to the nine and they died of leprosy.

Vanguard