The six Nigerian ministers selected last Wednesday by the cabinet to visit Umaru Yar'Adua in a Saudi hospital were last night unable to leave Abuja following the denial of landing rights to them by the Saudi aviation authorities who reportedly questioned the health of the ministerial jet in which they were heading to the country. Saharareporters sources also revealed that the Director of the Presidential Fleet, Captain Shehu Iyal, who is also a core loyalist to Yar'Adua, had deliberately failed to file the necessary papers for the aircraft until it was too late. Since, Jonathan was made **Acting President, Captain Iyal has refused to recall the presidential jet in Jeddah, claiming that he does not recognize Jonathan as "President". The crew of the Presidential jet is equally stranded in Jeddah as the Chief Security Officer to Yar'Adua, Yusuf Tilde, reportedly seized their passports on the orders of Mrs. Yar'Adua.
Our sources revealed that the delegation had become suspicious when earlier today the Nigerian ambassador to Saudi Arabia Abdullah Aminchi called some members of the delegation and told them the "first lady was eagerly awaiting" their arrival in Jeddah. It turned out to be a lie as the delegation could not get landing clearance a few minutes before take off.
Saharareporters had exclusively reported that Hajia Turai Yar'Adua, the ambitious wife of the sick "President" who leads a combative pack of Abuja-based Yar'Adua loyalists, last week threatened the ministerial delegation not to come near Jeddah.
Since the team set up at the last meeting of the Federal Executive Council meeting, Yar'Adua's loyalists have embarked on a new campaign to frustrate the team from visiting Jeddah to ascertain for themselves the health status of Yar'Adua, who has not been seen in public since he was evacuated from Nigeria in November 2009.
The so-called "kitchen cabinet" had met and decided that everything be done to oppose the visit. They seemed to have had a favourable breakthrough after they alleged to the Saudi authorities that the ministers were only visiting to remove Yar'Adua, a Muslim, from power, while his deputy, a Christian, would take over.
In the last couple of days, Mrs. Yar'Adua has also reached out to Northern lawmakers to oppose the trip and succeeded in turning the issue into a regional issue. Last week a group of 199 lawmakers from the North met and declared publicly that they would oppose the removal of Yar'Adua regardless of the findings of the Federal Executive Council delegation.
Mrs. Yar'Adua has also reached out to several northern foot soldiers, promising them that her husband was homebound in 10 days and that they should all resist any attempt to visit him in the Saudi hospital. But a family source told Saharareporters that Yar'Adua is damaged beyond restoration but they are determined to bring him home in dignity so that he can leave power honorably and "go to sleep" afterwards.
Saharareporters spoke to a member of the delegation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ojo Maduekwe, who answered his phone in Abuja at about 12 midnight Nigerian time. Ojo refused to answer any questions, claiming a Saharareporters reporter "insulted" him at the United Nations recently at his press conference.
It is not clear if the team plans to appeal to the Saudi authorities again tomorrow. The team ought to have taken off at 6:00p.m. from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja shortly after former American president, George Bush met with the "Acting President," Goodluck Jonathan.
Written by Saharareporters, New York Sunday, 21 February 2010 21:56
No comments:
Post a Comment