Jonathan seeks Senate nod to appoint five advisers, fear grips ministers

[bayo4luv]

Jonathan seeks Senate nod to appoint five advisers, fear grips ministers

•SNG holds rally to make him substantive presidentBy seeking the endorsement of the Senate to appoint five senior advisers, indications are that more aides appointed by ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua may lose their jobs as Acting President Goodluck Jonathan moves to strengthen his group of advisers in line with his enlarged responsibilities. Subsequently, fear, it was learnt, has gripped ministers and special advisers on the next move of the acting president who on Monday sacked the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sarki Muhktar and in his stead appointed Mohammed Aliyu Gusau. There was palpable fear yesterday within the circle of ministers in Abuja as many of them, according to people close to their aides are either "lobbying or putting their records straight" in the event that they are asked to quit. The position of the "12-wise minister" is even more precarious as the former NSA who used to be their source of courage and assurance that ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua is  in charge has been sacked and not available to fight for them, an analyst who pleaded anonymity told BusinessDay last night. "It's obvious that more heads will roll as Jonathan cannot add more senior advisers without reducing the current number which is more than 78", another source volunteered.Yesterday, Jonathan formally sought the nod of the Senate to appoint five senior advisers to assist him to be fully in charge. His action is coming on the heels of a planned mass rally by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) to force government to impeach Yar'Adua and make Jonathan a substantive president. Jonathan had on Monday after a meeting of security chiefs announced the sack of the NSA and replaced him with Aliyu Gusau who performed a similar role during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.Ordinarily, Jonathan was not expected to send names of the special advisers unlike in the case of appointment of ministers where names of all the nominees and their states of origin are to be supplied. The practice had always been for the president and now acting president to seek the Senate approval in the appointment of special advisers and after the approval; he would then be at liberty to appoint the special advisers.In the letter sent to the Senate and read by the Senate President David Mark, Jonathan said he needed the approval because "the responsibility of my office has increased tremendously and for me to cope effectively, I seek the senate's approval to appoint five special advisers". Senate is expected to formally slate the request of the acting president on the order paper this morning and the approval is expected to be given without any objection.There are already indications that the seeking of approval of the acting president to appoint five special advisers may be a prelude to the expected dissolution of the executive council which meets today amidst a planned rally by the Save Nigeria Group. Expected at today's rally that will take off from Unity Square by Transcorp Hotel, Abuja, about two kilometers to the seat of power, Aso Villa where the Executive Council of the Federation will be meeting today are Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Tunde Bakare, Alani Akinrinade, among others. It was however learnt that the rally may terminate at the Federal Secretariat, less than a kilometre to the Square where they will present their request to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed.

Source: latest news, breaking news, business, finance analysis, comments and views from Nigeria :: Businessday

[bayo4luv]