Date Published: 02/09/10

Turai vows to deal with Akunyili

…As Hawks plot to kill Memo

Turai Yar'Adua

Embattled wife of the sick Nigeria President, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua has vowed to launch a pound of attack on Information and Communication Minister, Dr. Dora Akunyili for daring to raise a memo asking President Umaru Yar’Adua to hand over.

Akunyili had last week presented a memorandum to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, where she urged the ailing President Yar’Adua to hand over power to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan in view of the political logjam that has enveloped the country.

But Hajia Turai would not take such gesture from Akunyili lightly. In fact, a very close family friend of the Yar’Adua’s told Pointblanknews.com that soon after the first lady was informed of the memo, she immediately called one of the arrow heads of the Yar’Adua kitchen cabinet and the Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Sayaad Abba Ruma, and complained bitterly.

The source stated that the first lady had urged the Minister to team up with the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa to pressure Akunyili at the next FEC meeting to resign from the cabinet.

Part of the plan, the source said is also to do “everything possible to frustrate her if she fails to quit the government.”

According to the source, “madam is very bitter, she feels betrayed because she said she did everything for Akunyili including getting her very close to the President and now she has turned against her family. She called Ruma and they are working on putting pressure on Akunyili to resign or they would frustrate her out.”

Akunyili’s Yar’Adua must go memo is slated to come up for discussion at Wednesday’s FEC meeting. The approval of the memo would further legitimize the resolution of the National Assembly empowering Vice President Jonathan to act as President.

However, hawks within the FEC are strategizing to ensure that the memo is either not discussed or at most vehemently rejected. Ministers such as Aondoakaa, Ruma and Yar’Adua’s Special Adviser, Tanimu Kurfi are spearheading the moves to either kill the memo or reject it entirely.