Date Published: 11/19/09

Yar'Adua set to sack Attorney-General, Aondoakaa over Ibori others

...Labor Minister may replace him

Mike Aondoakaa

Feelers from Nigeria's capital Abuja indicate that President Umaru Yar’Adua is set to sack Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa over his alleged role in stalling the investigation and prosecution of some ex Governors.

The move became evident with the recent appointment of new Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu. He takes over from Justice Kutigi who retires in December.

It was also gathered that Labor minister, Kayode Adetokunboh (SAN) may take over his place as Justice Minister.

It was reported exclusively by pointblanknews.com that the President recently summoned Aondoakaa to the Presidential villa to unbraid the Justice Minister over what he tagged scandalizing of his government. The Attorney General was accused of blocking the process put in place by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), to prosecute and get a conviction against some ex Governors. The Justice Minister had blamed the Presidents spokesman, Segun Adeniyi, and his Economic adviser, Yakubu Tanimu for feeding Yar’Adua with falsehood about him.

Pointblanknews.com also reported recently how the Attorney General allegedly took a N40million bribe from Mike Okiro to ensure his tenure was extended to July 2009. He cleverly made Okiro chairman of the Halliburton probe panel.

The move pointblanknews.com learnt has sent panic into the camps of those ex-Governors who got protection from the Attorney general. They include James Ibori, Bola Tinubu, and Victor Attah.

Pointblanknews.com gathered that after the recent face off between the President and Aondoakaa over his meddlesomeness and strings of allegations of bribery, the President, after consultation with his kitchen cabinet devised a means to kick out the Justice Minister.

Very dependable sources told pointblanknews.com that the President was advised to ease out his Attorney-General with the appointment of his kinsman from Benue State. Both Katsina-Alu and Aondoakaa are from the Tiv stalk which makes it impossible for the Justice Minister to continue in office after the confirmation of Katsina-Alu by the Senate.

It was learnt that when the Attorney General got wind of the impending appointment of Katsina-Alu, he made frantic efforts to block the appointment. He was said to have taken the case to prominent Tiv sons and daughters asking them to prevail on Katsina-Alu not to allow the President to use him against another Tiv man.

On his part, pointblanknews.com learnt, Ibori sees the appointment of Katsina-Alu as a move by Yar’Adua to punish Aondoakaa for backing him (Ibori).

Pointblanknews.com further learnt that the first indication that the Attorney General was on his way out came at the opening of the Judges Conference recently. Despite the presence of the Justice Minister at the conference, the President sent Labor Minister, Kayode Adetokunboh to represent him.

Said our source” the President had been trying to sack Aondoakaa for a while. They decided to take him out with the appointment of Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu who is from the same Tiv in Benue as the justice minister. “

Our source continued “before the appointment, the Attorney General had been reporting him to his kinsmen , he had also tried to block the appointment because he knew if Katsina-Alu becomes the Chief Justice, he (Aondoakaa) would have to go. “

On Ibori our source said’ Ibori is taking it personal because he believes; the President is punishing Aondoakaa fro backing him (Ibori).  At the opening of the Judges conference, even with the Attorney-General present, the President sent Labor minister to represent him”