Date Published: 02/04/10

Akunyili wants Yar'Adua to hand over

Dora Akunyili

There are indications that the Information Minister, Professor Dora Akunyili may have submitted a memo asking the Federal Executive Council, FEC to face up to President Umar Yar'Adua's incapacitation.

Professor Akunyili is reported to have asked the president to transmit a letter to the national assembly to facilitate a smooth transition.

The memo, in which she reported warned that the FEC had taken the Nigerian people for granted for too long and should do the right thing by urging the President to step down, was stood down by some members in the cabinet, who did not permit it to enter the agenda.

The council, which by the provision of Section 144 of the 1999 Constitution, is empowered to initiate the hand over process, however, rejected the memo.

Sources told one of our correspondents that her colleagues and other FEC members were divided on her request to "face reality and prevail on President Yar'Adua to hand over to the Vice-President," thereby making her to withdraw the memo with a promise to re-present it at next Wednesday's meeting of the council.

On presentation of the memo, the council became divided over the issue and no resolution had been reached on the matter.

In a surprising twist, many of the ministers went to meet her and praised her candour after the meeting.

Akunyili's action came barely seven days after FEC had passed a resolution claiming that Yar'Adua was not incapacitated to continue in office.

The council's position provoked national outrage and debate with many concerned citizens going to court over Yar'Adua's health saga.

One of the lawyers who have taken the Council to court, Bamidele Aturu, said yesterday that the action of Mrs. Akunyili is a sign that the ministers have finally realised that the game is up.

"Unfortunately for them, I think it is too late for them to extricate themselves from the mess," he said.

"Mrs Akunyili has been part of the game for the past 70 days. She could resign from the Council. I think the order we got from the court is helping us to see through the council and they are now under a lot of pressure."

Mr. Aturu said Mrs. Akunyili was beginning to labour under the weight of her conscience and Nigerians should expect some ministers to come clean and let Nigerians know where they stand.

"That may help mitigate the opprobrium with which Nigerian will hold them. The resolution they passed was odious. We need to know whether the FEC resolution on Yar'Adua was actually passed. I wrote the AG to ask for the resolution on behalf of my client. I have not received any feedback."

She, however, declined to discuss the details of the memo or the motive behind her action.

Akunyili said, "Yes, I presented the memo to the council. Somebody must have called and told you that. I presented the memo."

When asked about the content of the memo, she replied, "I will not be able to discuss the content now. It was read but not debated and subsequently withdrawn. That means it was not taken. So, I can't discuss the details with you now."

On whether it meant that the memo would be taken at the next meeting, she stated, "I will represent it because I stand by whatever I said in the memo."