Opinion: Much ado about breaking of fast

Posted by admin Goodluck Jonathan (2010-present), Ibrahim Babangida (1985-93), Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-79, 99-07), Presidency Friday, August 9th, 2013

By Olalekan Adetayo

President Goodluck Jonathan is not a Muslim but he participates in the annual Ramadan fast religiously. As a tradition, he also invites dignitaries to join him in breaking the fast in the evening. Some of his regular visitors on such occasions are members of the diplomatic corps in Nigeria.

During the week however, a newspaper came up with a report that former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), turned down Jonathan’s request for him to break his fast with the gap-toothed former leader in his Minna Hilltop mansion.

The report, no doubt, rattled the President and his handlers so much that they had to issue a rejoinder denouncing the story. They went a step further to demand for an apology and retraction from the newspaper.

They however got more than they expected when the newspaper published the following day that it stood by its earlier story. Despite the Presidency’s explanation that it is not in the character of Jonathan to leave the premises of the seat of power in order to go and break his fast with a private citizen, the publishers said they were not convinced.

While the President’s media men were still considering their next line of action however, the military dictator fondly referred to as the evil genius, also came out to say that there was no iota of truth in the report.

In fact, he said he would jump at any opportunity to eat with even his Ward Councillor without equivocation, let alone the President of the Federal Republic.

I suspect strongly that the news report might have emanated from the comment of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Anthony Anenih, during a reception organised to mark his 80th birthday at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Sunday.

Anenih, while soliciting support for Jonathan in steering the ship of the country, had said that he would return home and sleep a happy man anytime he enters the Villa and he is told that Jonathan, Babangida, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former military leader, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar are eating together inside.

Celebrating Sambo’s birthday in his absence

Last week Friday, President Goodluck Jonathan summoned an emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council. Because FEC’s statutory meetings always hold on Wednesdays, there was anxiety among some of the ministers that the emergency meeting might have been summoned to announce a cabinet reshuffle.

As it later turned out, the agenda of the meeting was far from cabinet reshuffle. The meeting was convened to discuss the nation’s 2014-2016 medium-term fiscal framework.

Despite the anxiety that preceded the meeting, cabinet members did not forget to remember one of their own, Vice President Namadi Sambo, whose 59th birthday coincided with the emergency meeting. They really planned big for him. I guess as at the time they were preparing, many of them did not envisage that the birthday boy would not be at the meeting.

Some individuals, mostly politicians, also doled out some cash to place congratulatory advertorials in some national newspapers for the Vice President.

Sambo had left the shores of the country the previous night to take part in the lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia. He returned to the country on Tuesday evening.

Apparently not aware that the Vice President would not attend the emergency meeting, cabinet members took turn to sign a giant birthday card meant for Sambo as they arrived the venue of the meeting.

Minister of Housing, Lands and Urban Development, Ama Pepple, coordinated the exercise. The giant card was placed on her desk as she called members to come and sign.

It finally dawned on them that Sambo would not attend the meeting when Jonathan arrived the venue without the Vice President behind him as the usual practice. They however handed over the card to the Deputy Chief of Staff for onward presentation to the Vice President.

A number of special cakes were also made that saw each minister leaving the venue after the meeting with one big cake each. Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, was magnanimous enough to hand over his own to journalists before he started the post-meeting press briefing.

Anglican primate warns minister

What could have made a clergyman to hand down a stern warning to a serving minister? That incident played out during the week at the official residence of President Jonathan inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Revd. Nichols Okoh, had led some clergymen and members of the church to pay a condolence visit on the wife of the President, Patience, who lost her foster mother, Mrs. Christy Oba, fondly called Mama Sisi, in an auto crash in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The visit of the church delegation coincided with that of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, who has been on the firing line from journalists who are eager to know the position of the Federal Government on same-sex marriage. He was reported to have said recently that Nigeria would welcome gay diplomats. He has since denied the claim.

Immediately members of the delegation stepped out of the President’s living room, Okoh left members of his folks and approached Ashiru. He was apparently speaking to the minister on the need for the country to maintain its anti-same sex marriage stance.

Suddenly, the bishop increased his voice and was heard saying, “That thing (same sex marriage) must not come to Nigeria o.” He repeated the warning like three times and the minister kept smiling and assuring him that all was well.

Is Edem Duke afraid of sack?

Penultimate Friday, President Jonathan summoned an emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council. Many Nigerians thought the President would use the opportunity to send his ministers packing by dissolving his cabinet. The speculation became the major stories in national newspaper that day.

Expectedly, the speculation caused panic among ministers who attended the meeting with the fear that that might be their last one. As soon as they arrived, however, they were given documents relating to the 2014-2016 medium term fiscal framework. They sat on their seats and perused the documents while they waited for the President to start the meeting. The atmosphere was clearly tensed.

While all of them were still engrossed in their perusal of the documents however, Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, betrayed them. He showed what was going on in their minds when he suddenly shouted, “Let’s get this over please!” without necessarily addressing anybody in particular. All his colleagues started laughing while broadcast journalists, especially television cameramen, struggled to get him and the response of his colleagues recorded.

Lest I forget, the interim chairman of the newly registered All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, wants Jonathan to “port” from his PDP to APC. Will the President join the likes of the popular actor, Saka, to shout “I don port o”? Let’s wait and see.

-Punchwp_posts