EXCLUSIVE: Covid-19 IDC Bill: Plot to IMPEACH Gbajabiamila unearthed, Jittery Speaker runs to godfathers

Fresh report according to Nigerian Pilot suggests that as controversy continues to trail the Infectious Disease Control Bill before the House of Representatives, the Speaker, Hon.

Femi Gbajabiamila’s seat seems to be hanging in the balance as forces not comfortable with his recent style of leadership are said to be moving against him.

According to Nigerian Pilot, it was gathered that the recent face-off between the leadership of the House led by Gbajabiamila, the state governors and former Speaker of the House and now governor of Sokoto state, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal may cause Gbajabiamila his seat if not properly handled.

According to the source, the governors who are allegedly not happy with the way the House of Representatives responded to their advice that the Infectious Disease Control Bill be “stepped down” until proper consultations are made, are mobilising against the Speaker who is the lead sponsor of the Bill.

The source further disclosed that the governors at a recent meeting in Abuja had “secretly” agreed to push for the Speaker’s impeachment through their various representatives at the green chamber.

 He said some of the governors openly accused the Speaker of being “arrogant” in his approach to “national issues” a development they said should be checked to maintain the cordial relationship between the Legislature and the Executive.

Speaking further, the source stated the governor of Sokoto state, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal’s loyalists who felt slighted that the governor was accused of misleading and misguiding other members of the Governors Forum are also “spoiling for war”.

He said some members of the House already have grudges against the Speaker over allegation of overbearing especially in handling the donation to the fight against the coronavirus also known as COVID-19.

It was also alleged that the Speaker has been making frantic efforts to get his political godfather to rally the governors to shelve their plans and create an avenue for dialogue.

 It would be recalled that the governors operating under the aegis of Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF had recently urged the National Assembly to step down the proposed Infectious Disease Control Bill, 2020 introduced by the House of Representatives until an appropriate consultative process is held.

Chairman of the Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi who is also the Governor of Ekiti state had in Communiqué at the end of the Forum’s eight teleconference meeting added that the consultation must include a public hearing to gather public opinion and concerns on the proposed Bill. 

However, responding to the advice by the Governor’s Forum, the House of Representatives said it does not legislate for the states and therefore should not be “cowed” from doing its Constitutional responsibility.

 The spokesman of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu in a statement regretted that Hon. Aminu Tambuwal who is a former Speaker of the House stood a better position to rightly inform the Governors Forum but failed to do so. Hon. Kalu went ahead to call for the disqualification of Tambuwal who is also the Governor of Sokoto state from a proposed consultative meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum accusing him of being biased towards the Infectious Disease Control Bill insisting that Tambuwal misled and misguided the Forum into asking the House to step down the Bill.

“We assume that his position was informed by his well-known personal and partisan opposition to the emergence of the current leadership of House led by Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila considering his obvious stance in 2015 and 2019,” he stated.

He said that the House of Representatives would proceed with the legislative work on the controversial Infectious Disease Control Bill because according to him, the House of Representatives and National Assembly in general are not under the control of any state governor.

Also the House of Representatives has insisted on the consideration of the contentious Control of Infectious Diseases Bill explaining that it has not been stopped by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

In a statement yesterday, he House regretted that a section of the media had erroneously reported that the Federal High Court in its ruling on suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/463/2020 last week had stopped the further consideration of the bill.

 The House spokesman explained that though the applicant, through a motion ex parts, had sought an order of the court suspending the consideration of the bill, the court declined to grant the reliefs sought by the applicant so as to allow the respondent to appear before it and enter a defence. When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Lanre Lasisi asked for time to comment on the matter but never did at the time of going to press. 

Also the spokesperson of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Abdulrazaq Barkindo could not be reached.

Culled from Nigerian Pilot 

'I didn't join politics to solve Nigeria’s problems' - Amaechi

By Dansu Peter 

A former governor of Rivers State, now the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed he did not join politics to solve Nigeria’s problems but rather, unemployment forced him to do so. 

Amaechi made the disclosure in an interview with Punch Newspapers published on Sunday. 

He said, rather than intention to solve Nigeria’s problems, it unemployment that led him to opt for Politics. 

"... I didn’t join politics because I wanted to be a leader or because I wanted to solve Nigeria’s problems. I joined because of unemployment. I also believe there is a part that grace played in it," he was quoted to have said according to Punch Newspaper.

 

Read further at Punch 

Gambari:The Slap Next Time - Nigerians reminds Femi Adesina of an article against Buhari’s new CoS in 2008

By News Proof 

Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari was one of the lead journalists working with the Sun Newspapers before his appointment as media aide to the President. 

He has written so many articles as a critique of various governments prior to his appointment. One of his numerous articles, especially against the newly appointed Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu was this morning shared on Social media. 

The article was published on The Sun Newspapers in 2008,titled : Gambari: The Slap Next Time. 

Buhari made the right choice appointing Prof. Gambari as Chief of Staff – Igbo group

By Dansu Peter 

The South East Emancipation Movement (SEEM) has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari's choice of Prof. Ibrahim Gambiri as his new Chief of Staff. 

Gambari, a renowned diplomat and academia, replaces Abba Kyari who passed away in April. 

The appointment of the Kwara native has been widely accepted by Nigerians with the South East Emancipation Movement the latest to show solidarity.  

 

In a statement signed by its coordinator, Comrade Nnaemeka Chukwuebuka, on Friday, SEEM expressed gratitude to the president for settling for someone with a clean slate and unblemished integrity like himself.

 

Given the current global situation, the group revealed that this is coming at the right time when the administration can’t afford to gamble on key decisions and policies. 

With Nigeria’s economy on an upward swing since 2015, SEEM believes Gambari's exposure and wealth of experience would be crucial in sustaining the tempo. 

Having previously worked with the president, the Igbo group reckoned that the professor would most certainly hit the ground running as he is already familiar with the terrain. 

While calling on all Nigerians to continue to support President Buhari, SEEM, however, wished Gambari all the best as he coordinates the activities for and on behalf of his boss.

Read full statement below:

The South East Emancipation Movement (SEEM), hereby congratulates President Muhammadu Buhari on his appointment of Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, as Chief of Staff to the President.

The appointment is well deserved, well thought out, done in the best interest of the nation, apt and could not have come at a better time.

Though the Chief of Staff is expected to work directly for the President by assisting him to attain the goal of his administration, the excitement that greeted the choice of Prof. Gambari suggests the impact Nigerians are expecting it will have on the overall interest of the nation.

SEEM as well other well meaning Nigerians were initially concerned that given the fervour and zeal with which the immediate past chief of staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari served the president in that capacity, that it would be difficult for Mr. President to find an able replacement.

We became more worried when we saw the names being bandied about in the press as those being considered for the position; but Mr. President in his usual calm and calculating manner took his time to search for the right person and we were pleasantly surprised when he unveiled Prof. Gambari as his choice.

We make bold to say that there is no better example of a round peg in round hole than this appointment which had placed a man with vast knowledge and experience to support Mr. President.

It is to the credit of the President that he had all these while kept the choice of Gambari close to his chest such that when the decision was announced, the applause was overwhelming, as those that raised some concerns did so purely on the basis of primordial sentiment.

Since the Chief of Staff is going to be working closely with the President, the position is one that requires absolute trust and integrity and lots of personal sacrifice to function.

Prof. Gambari is a living testimony of what service and integrity should be all about and one whom the President can place his absolute trust on without losing sleep.

We note that the respected Professor is coming in at a time when the administration, given the current global situation, cannot afford to gamble on key decisions and policies.

The fact that the world at large is going through challenges owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant consequences, requires a Midas touch that could only have been acquired through years of study and experience which Prof. Gambari evinces.

The President and his team have since 2015, served the country well in terms of improving on the economy, taking care of the security challenges bedevilling the country and fighting corruption.

It will require someone with the right attitude and intellect to sustain the gains recorded as well improve on what is on ground. 

Prof. Gambari who has held various responsible positions across the globe, we believe is eminently qualified to occupy the seat as his long years in the public service has been a record of unblemished and distinguished performance.

We note that the Professor is well a sought after material by world leaders due to his depth of knowledge and wealth of experience. He was for instance the first Special Adviser on Africa to the then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and had served Ban Ki Moon in different capacities.

He is so far the only diplomat with the record of working for five Nigerian heads of state and presidents at the UN, hence we see it is apt for the Nigerian president to offer him the opportunity to once again serve his fatherland.

This group believes that a transparent, experienced and detribalized Nigerian in the person of Ibrahim Gambari as Chief of Staff will cement the relationship between various interests groups in Nigeria and coordinate activities for Mr. President.

Having worked with President Buhari as the minister for external affairs between 1984 and 1985, the professor needs no induction nor training in the ideals of integrity, truth and justice that the president is known for.

His resumption at the villa would be seamless as he is already on familiar terrain having worked closely with the president and due to the fact that he is somebody who espouses and shares the lofty ideals of incorruptibility and integrity that have earned the president respect in Nigeria and the world.

We are confident that Prof. Gambari will make Mr. President and the rest of the country proud in discharging his duties as Chief of Staff as he is not known to have failed in the past.

Nigerians from all walks of life and across political parties, have trooped out to congratulate the Professor as well as express confidence that he has what it takes to make the difference.

We at SEEM are equally confident that Prof. Gambari will do a good job of coordinating work at the presidency and advising the president on administrative and policy issues.

We draw our confidence from his background as a detribalized Nigerian, nationalist and visionary leader who understands the Nigerian terrain very well and who has the right charisma to deliver on the job.

We are ready to support him and cooperate with him in any way we can for him to support the president to achieve his mandate for the nation.

We call on Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari, his new Chief of staff and indeed all the people working with Mr. President to move Nigeria forward.

We wish Prof. Gambari all the best as we believe that he will carry all along in coordinating activities for and on behalf of Mr. President at all times.

'I'm Not answerable to Nigeria but Buhari' - Gambari's acceptance speech

By News Proof 

In a reaction that could be regarded as an acceptance speech, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the newly appointed Chief of Staff to the President who assumed office today, May 13, has pointed that he will only be reporting to the President and not to the nation.

Gambari gave this clarification when he spoke to state house correspondents after attending the Federal Executive Council meeting in the statehouse Abuja.

The 75-year-old diplomat thanked President Buhari for his appointment.

“I thank the President of the Federal Republic for giving me the opportunity to serve him and of course, the country”, he said.

When asked what Nigerians should expect from him as Chief of Staff, he said

“We have not started, I’ll have to find out. I don’t report directly to the nation, I report to the President”.

He pledged to serve the President to the best of his ability.

Culled from LIB

Gambari's Appointment: Aso Rock Cabal in disarray as Aisha takes covert charge of power seat

There are emerging indications that fresh panic may have engulfed the Nigerian presidency since the appointment of Prof Ibrahim Gambari as Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Sources within Aso rock disclosed that palpable fear purportedly grip some principal officers over the probability of total overhaul of the State House, and by extension, the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

 

A stakeholder of goodwill in the Nigerian project insinuated that the appointment of Prof. Gambari as Chief of Staff to the President shows that “the CABAL has just been dislodged by the CARTEL.” The wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari, was depicted to have sought the alliance of a Cartel in the lobby for a new Chief of Staff to the President, against the forces of the Cabal in the State House. 

She went for an accomplished technocrat and close ally of the President, Gambari, then, solicited the support of renowned elder statesmen, and overwhelmed the perceived Cabal she has been confronting over time in the era of late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, purportedly led by Mamman Daura.

A stakeholder in the polity, Chief JC Ikunna, had taken to the social media platform to analyze the appointment of Gambari as Chief of Staff. He highlighted: “What we saw today was a coup de’tat, in which the de facto president is now 100% loyal to the *CARTEL*. In case you are not aware, the cartel is made of OBJ, TY Danjuma, Abdul Salami, Guazo, and even their latest recruit, Jonathan Goodluck.”

He alleged: “Aisha wanted control of the Villa. She knew she could not do it alone, so, she reached out to the CARTEL for their assistance, and they willingly gave it to her, knowing that the enemy of your enemy is a friend.

“Mamman Duara, the head of the CABAL, has been fully schemed out.

“Look out for a complete overhaul of Buhari’s cabinet, and all other appointments. Nigeria may just have been saved from the brink of catastrophe. We have Aisha to thank.

“Never underestimate the power of a beautiful woman who has all the facts.”

There are high expectations that with the appointment of Gambari, “things are about to change” in Nigeria.

Culled from Mouthpiece NG

JUST IN: Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari sworn-in as new Chief of Staff

Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari was earlier today resumed as the new Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. 

He was sworn-in at the state house in Aso Rock after his appointment was officially announced by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha at a virtual meeting of National Executive Council meeting. 

Surrender to the military or be crushed like Boko Haram, group tells Kaduna bandits

By Dansu Peter 

The Kaduna Peace Advancement Network ( KSPAN) has warned bandits in the state to either surrender or suffer the same fate as Boko Haram terrorists in the Northeast. 

The group, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade  Hassan Abu, on Wednesday, advised the criminal elements that failure to submit themselves to the military would ultimately lead to their deaths.  

In the last one month, the Nigerian troops have bombarded Boko Haram terrorists, with factional leader, Abubakar Shekau, reaching out for a truce, as all his top commanders have been decimated. 

This remarkable feat was orchestrated by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. T.Y, who led the troops from the front. 

With the final clearance mission in Borno and Yobe States winding down, KSPAN said all attention will be switched to Kaduna, warning the bandits that it would no longer be business as usual. 

While commending the troops of Operations Thunder strike and Whirl Punch for restoring peace to the state, the group, however, advised the fleeing bandits and their sponsors to take a new leaf else be wiped out like Boko Haram. 

Read full statement below: 

The Kaduna State Peace Advancement Network (KSPAN) has called on all criminal elements operating in  Kaduna State to surrender in the wake of the current operations by the Nigerian military against all forms of banditry or be crushed.

KSPAN is a citizens' right group for the advancement of peaceful living and for infrastructural development in Kaduna State.

The Network stated as follows:

That the Nigerian military last week, eliminated 17 bandits in Gwagwada district of Chikun local government area of Kaduna State. 

The operation according to reports, was carried out by troops of Operations Thunder strike and Whirl Punch with air support from the Air Component of Operation GAMA AIK that saw to the firing of bandits many of whom escaped with gunshot wounds.

Many communities in Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State have in the past come under various forms of banditry ranging from kidnapping to outright criminal attacks.

That between October last year and now, millions of naira have been fleeced from innocent and hapless citizens as ransom for kidnapping, and as stolen booties.

We note particularly that it was in this local government that female students of a secondary school were kidnapped last year and were  not released until ransom was paid.

That it was also in a community in Chikun LG that the wife of a popular medical doctor in Kaduna was abducted along with her two children and later killed after ransom has been paid.

The activities of criminals operating within these suburbs has turned Chikun which used to be one the commercially active and vibrant local governments in the Kaduna metropolis to lose its shine as residents abandon their houses to seek shelter in other parts of the metropolis. 

Last week's prompt action by the military has saved the community, Kaduna State and indeed Nigeria another round of weeping and regrets

The swift action of the military which took out the criminals in their numbers is the kind of action needed to send strong signals to the criminals that Nigerians have borne enough of their stupidity and will no longer tolerate same.

The military has done very well by this action as there were no civilian casualties even though the operation took place in the Gwagwa community.

We are happy to note that residents who initially fled the area due to fear of bandits’ reprisal attack, have all returned to the community and are living peacefully.

The military has been on top of its game lately with the way it is handling major operations from the insurgency in the Northeast to criminal activities in many parts of Nigeria.

We urge the armed forces to maintain the tempo of these operations to remind criminal elements that it would no longer be business as usual for them and to reassure citizens of their safety.

We thank the military for helping to restore Kaduna to its once respected position as one of the most peaceful and prosperous places to live.

Sponsors of these criminals should note that it is high time they surrender and turn a new leaf as even the dreaded Boko Haram criminals who have come under intense heat lately have already given the indication that they would soon down their weapons in surrender.

It is needless to emphasise that the days of criminals and their sponsors are numbered and it will do them a lot of good to learn from Boko Haram and surrender to before it is too late.