Obasanjo Adopts Illiterate Teenager
Sacks board membership appointment committee
From Josehine Lohor, Efem Nkanga in Uyo and Chuks Okocha in Abuja
A 13-year old illiterate boy, Udo, was yesterday adopted by President Olusegun Obasanjo who concludes his three-day official visit to Akwa-Ibom State today.
This is on the heels of Obasanjo's decision to do away with a committee he earlier on set up to screen nominations into vacant positions in various Federal Government boards and parastatals.
Udo, who was in the company of his mother and other well-wishers, was attracted by the President whose convoy had pulled-up at Ikot Ebekpo to exchange pleasantries with the Akwa-Ibom indigenes who had gathered to welcome him, walked to the boy and sought to know his name and his other data.
But to a perplexed Obasanjo, Udo could not utter any word in English.
Inquired why the boy couldn't , Obasanjo was told by Udo's mother that her son could not speak in English because, he has not set his feet in any classroom since he was born.
Obasanjo further asked why the boy has not been enrolled in any school, the woman said, the boy could not be enrolled in any school because she could not afford the fees.
Visibly touched the woman's story, he (Obasanjo) sought her consent to adopt the boy so that he would offer him formal education.
Udo's mother was elated by the request and publicly approved of it to a thunderous applause of other indigenes at the scene of the development.
Meanwhile, Obasanjo has disclosed that his refusal to appoint presidential liaison Officers PLOs to represent him in the states is to avoid conflict between the elected governors of the states in the federation and the PLO's.
Obasanjo made this statement yesterday in Uyo in a meeting with traditional rulers in the state after his arrival in the state for a three day official visit.
He reiterated that appointing PLO would have been like appointing governors in a parallel position to the elected governors irrespective of party affiliations.
The President who was reacting to a welcome address by HRH Apostle Owen Ukafia, the chairman, state council of chiefs and paramount rulers in Akwa Ibom State, who called on him to forgive Obong Victor Attah for the disagreement that arose between them, explained that as long as Obong Attah does what is constitutional the issue of forgiveness does not arise.
The president stated that ''the issue of forgiveness or no forgiveness does not arise as long as the governor of Akwa Ibom State, who is my representative does what I believe is unconstitutional, I will call him to order, that's part of my responsibilities, that is what strengthens democracy''.
President Obasnjo, also added that Obong Attah too can call him to order, if he does anything unconstitutional, by pointing out the unconstitutional act to him.
The president reiterated that he would be unhappy with Obong Attah if he does not represent his people well. According to Obasanjo, "the only thing that would disturb him is if he (Attah) is not performing his duty because that is what he is elected to do. He added that looking after the welfare of the people of Akwa Ibom State and ensuring a healthy, strong state, within a cohesive united and progressive Nigeria was a task that Attah must achieve.
In his welcome address delivered earlier, the chairman state council of chiefs, HRH Ukafia urgedthe president to forgive Governor Attah for any disagreement that arose in the heat of the onshore/offshore imbroglio. He added that Obong Attah was only fighting on behalf of the people.
The royal father also called for the conferment of a national honor on late General Philip Effiong. In addition, he urged the president to immortalizes, the late Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Governor, Dr. Clement Isong by putting his portrait on a naira denomination.
The Royal father also called on Obasanjo, to ensure the provision of constitutional rulers in the constitution. He alerted the president, on plans to cede some oil wells located within Akwa Ibom territorial waters to Akwa Ibom's neighbors, and urged the president to ensure that "justice and fairness prevailed and that no boundary dispute is allowed to be introduced where non exists"
The president who arrived the state and was received at Akwa Ibom boundary -Uyo Capital limit at 2.30 pm and inspected a guard of honor before heading off with traditional rulers, inspected a no of projects and commissioned a water project at Uruan Local Government Area.
In another development, piqued by the deluge of petitions from some aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the sharing and allocation of the over 1400 slots for the chairmen and members of the Federal Board of Parastatals, Obasanjo has taken over exercise from the Committee headed by the Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
THISDAY gathered that petitions have continued to come to the presidency from Lagos, the five Southeastern states, and the South-south states.
Investigations by THISDAY reveal that the petitioners are protesting the high handedness of some influential governors and ministers in deciding who gets appointed into the 1400-slot boards that were declared vacant by President Olusegun Obasanjo recently.
According to sources at the national secretariat "the party chairmen are complaining that some influential politicians, governors and ministers have sidelined them in the appointment of members into the Board that might be reconstituted by earlier next month."
This is coming on the heels of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP resolving to make case for its ex officio members to be given special preference in reconstituting the Boards.
For instance, it was gathered that Obasanjo personally called the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sule Lamido and asked him to submit his own list.
The intervention of the President was as a result of the fact that the list submitted by the party had no nominee from Lamido.
Also, another petition from Sani Zorro, from Jigawa state was said to be receiving attention within the National Secretariat of the party.
But in an interview with THISDAY, the Jigawa State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Usman Alto Roni defended the sharing of the 29 slots to the state saying that it was done to the satisfaction of all members of the party in the state.
According to him the 29 slots given to the state consists of five chairmanship and 24 members of the Federal Boards of Directors of Federal Parastatals.
He said "Out of the 29 slots allocated to the state, we gave nine to the party executive council, two to the women group, another two to the youth's group, and five slots to the Elders Council of the state."
The remaining slots, he said were shared in the following order; four to the former local government council chairmen, while two slots each were given to the Hadeja Senatorial and Dutse zones and three slots were allocated to the Gumel Senatorial zone because it contains more local governments than other senatorial zones.
Also, complaints at the weekend were still trailling the nominations from Abia and Anambra States as some members of the party accused the Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara of side lining the governors in the final list that was submitted to the presidency.
It was alleged that the southeast list consists of 'supposed friends of the presidency' with little input from the governors.
Also in Lagos state, party loyalists were seen complaining against the nominations said to have been done by the duo of Chief Bode George and Chief Ashorobi.
According to the petition from Lagos state, the group of Funso Williams, and other members opposed to Ashorobi, complained that Ashorobi and George nominated themselves as chairmen and still reserve other chairmanship slots for themselves.
Particularly, the Funso Williams group lamented in their petition that no member of the group was deemed qualified to be made chairman of a Board.
Similar complaints also poured in from states like Benue, Oyo, and Kwara.
Within the South south zone, the accusation is that the Acting Chairman of the party's Board of Trustees, Chief Anthony Anenih has an over bearing influence in the nomination of candidates for the Board appointment.
The party had early this year set up a five-man committee made up of the Vice President as chairman to reconstitute the membership of the dissolved boards.
Other members of the Committee include the National Deputy Chairmen of PDP (North) and (South).
Also the Northwest zone is under the chairmanship of the Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, North-east has Atiku Abubakar as chairman, Olusegun Agagu is the head of the Southwest committee, and the Southeast is chaired by the senate president, Wabara.
Meanwhile, in the last NEC meeting of PDP, it was agreed that a special request should be made for members of its ex officio members to be offered appointment in the new Board that will be reconstituted.
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