Date Published: 02/04/10

Yar'Adua to hand over soon -Aide

The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Abba Aji has assured the Senate that the ailing President would comply by sending a letter to the National Assembly informing the law makers of his medical vacation.

Senator Aji who appeared at the Senate today also said President Umar Yar'Adua never wrote about his trip to Saudi Arabia, accusing the Secretary to Government, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed of misinforming the Senate about a letter from the President.

The Presidential Aide adds that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation got his dates wrong when he informed the Senate that the president had written.

Senator Aji also argues that the only letter that was written was that of his vacation for January 2009 which was shelved because of the death of the former governor of Yobe state, Senator Mamman Ali in January 2009.

Not long after the senate commenced its plenary, it went into an executive session to allow the Special Assistant to the president on the National Assembly to brief it on his roll in the prolonged absence of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from the country.

According To Senator Abba Aji, the President did not write the National Assembly on his vacation, therefore he cannot be preventing the letter from reaching the National Assembly.

Answering questions on whether the briefing given to the Senate by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Alhaji Yayale Ahmed that he had drafted a letter, but did not know the where about of the said letter this is what he had to say.

Senate spokesman Senator Ayogu, Eze on his part says the senate was satisfied with the brief provided by the Presidents' Liaison Officer to the National Assembly; Senator Abba Aji also informed journalists that the President will soon respond to the resolution of the senate that he transmits a letter to the National Assembly informing it of his medical vacation to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

It would be recalled that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, had told the senate that a letter had been drafted to be transmitted to the National Assembly but he is not aware of its where about.