Olalekan Adetayo
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday clocked 57. He said it was not in his character to celebrate his birthday. He even recalled that former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, had to literally force him to celebrate in 2004 when he was his (Alamieyeseigha’s) deputy.
This was how he told his story, “Just like you know, the only year I celebrated my birthday was 2004 and then as the deputy to Alamieyeseigha, he used to celebrate on 16th November and since we moved into Government House Bayelsa State then, I never told him I wanted to celebrate my birthday and his own used to be very elaborate. So he was feeling guilty at a time, feeling that because our birthdays are so close and that is why I didn’t want to celebrate after celebrating on the 16th, keeping people almost two days. He didn’t know that naturally I don’t celebrate. He insisted that I must celebrate that year.
“To prove his seriousness, he said he was not going to celebrate his own in 2004 so that I could celebrate. I said he should go ahead and celebrate that I don’t celebrate, but he insisted that I must celebrate, and he provided resources and we did that celebration which you were all involved. Since then, the celebrations stopped, but every morning during morning devotion, people do some presentations of cards and cakes and show pictures on television. You know there are a lot of photo tricks on television, you will think that a big celebration was done.”
Although the President might not have rolled out the drums to celebrate the birthday on Thursday, some people played Alamieyeseigha’s role again by dragging him (with his consent?) to celebrate (or mark) the day.
The day started on a solemn note. State House correspondents were told that the President would start the day with a prayer session at 6am, following which he would cut his birthday cake(s). Yours sincerely and other colleagues had to cut short our sleeps to be part of the event.
The President’s Chaplain, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba, presided over what he called “an abridged holy communion service” to start the day. A few presidential aides, government officials and family members of the President attended the prayer session. The President’s mother, Mama Eunice and his wife, Patience, were with him.
With the spiritual aspect over, they moved into a bigger living room where the birthday cake was cut. The President’s aides and relatives posed for photographs with him.
In what eventually became the most surprising event of the day, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, announced that members of the State House Press Corps should pose for photograph with the President. We paused a bit to be sure we heard him well before joining the first family for the photograph.
While that session was on, Mrs. Jonathan observed loudly for all to hear that photojournalists might ensure that that particular shot was published because they were involved. The room erupted in laughter.
That over, glasses clicked and the President returned into his inner chamber. He later played host to a delegation from his home state, Bayelsa, led by Governor Seriake Dickson.
The birthday boy later in the day left for London where he presided over a meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investment Council.
Who is dropping Okonjo-Iweala’s name?
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is arguably one of the most powerful members of President Jonathan’s cabinet.
This is probably responsible for the manner in which other members of the cabinet, including ministers, mill around her whenever she enters the Council Chamber. They are either making one financial request or the other for their ministries or soliciting her support for a memorandum on their ministries that will be discussed at the Federal Executive Council meeting.
Despite this special attention she is receiving however, Okonjo-Iweala is currently not a happy woman and she is not hiding her feelings.
She opened up on Wednesday before the commencement of the weekly meeting. Her grouse was that many people specialised in dropping her name when they wanted to carry out one activity or the other.
“I am not happy about this and I have been saying this. Some people here are fond of dropping my name when doing their things. They keep portraying me as a bad person,” she was saying loudly for all to hear.
What could have caused such an outburst? The problem started when some Presidency officials started placing some copies of a book titled “Goodluck Nigeria” on the desks of ministers before they arrived for the meeting. At a point, they withdrew the books when it was not sure who instructed them to share them.
As it later turned out, it was discovered that the book was written by one of the awardees of Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria who got a grant for his printing press. The officials therefore approached Okonjo-Iweala whose ministry supervises the YouWin! programme.
On proper scrutiny, it was discovered that the book had a different title. The author obviously had written the book long time ago but saw the goldmine in writing books in the name of the President especially as the 2015 general elections approach. Rather than writing another book, the author only did a green paper cover with the inscription “Goodluck Nigeria” to cover the original title of the book!
The books were quickly “confiscated.”
More lapels’ pin-ups among President’s men
As the 2015 presidential election draws nearer, President’s men are falling over one another to display their loyalty to the man who has been endorsed as the sole candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
One of the ways they are showing their loyalty is the way they attach pin-ups on their lapels and dresses in the case of women. Some of the lapels only have the President’s portrait.
There are other pin-ups with only inscriptions such as “Goodluck to you” among others.
The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs introduced another dimension to the matter when it produced digital pin-ups, seeking votes for the President. The item which is rechargeable has the message scrolling on the chest of whoever attaches it to his lapel.
Another dimension was however introduced to the issue on Wednesday when the Minister of Special Duties, Taminu Turaki (SAN), sighted one with the inscription “No More Polio” on the chest of the Supervising Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan. Turaki jokingly advised Alhassan to produce another one with the inscription “No more sanitiser,” apparently to convey the message that the country is now free of the Ebola Virus Disease. The two ministers and others who heard Turaki laughed over it.
If that advice is heeded, then some President’s men and women will not have a choice than to be using five or six pin-ups!
This was how he told his story, “Just like you know, the only year I celebrated my birthday was 2004 and then as the deputy to Alamieyeseigha, he used to celebrate on 16th November and since we moved into Government House Bayelsa State then, I never told him I wanted to celebrate my birthday and his own used to be very elaborate. So he was feeling guilty at a time, feeling that because our birthdays are so close and that is why I didn’t want to celebrate after celebrating on the 16th, keeping people almost two days. He didn’t know that naturally I don’t celebrate. He insisted that I must celebrate that year.
“To prove his seriousness, he said he was not going to celebrate his own in 2004 so that I could celebrate. I said he should go ahead and celebrate that I don’t celebrate, but he insisted that I must celebrate, and he provided resources and we did that celebration which you were all involved. Since then, the celebrations stopped, but every morning during morning devotion, people do some presentations of cards and cakes and show pictures on television. You know there are a lot of photo tricks on television, you will think that a big celebration was done.”
Although the President might not have rolled out the drums to celebrate the birthday on Thursday, some people played Alamieyeseigha’s role again by dragging him (with his consent?) to celebrate (or mark) the day.
The day started on a solemn note. State House correspondents were told that the President would start the day with a prayer session at 6am, following which he would cut his birthday cake(s). Yours sincerely and other colleagues had to cut short our sleeps to be part of the event.
The President’s Chaplain, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba, presided over what he called “an abridged holy communion service” to start the day. A few presidential aides, government officials and family members of the President attended the prayer session. The President’s mother, Mama Eunice and his wife, Patience, were with him.
With the spiritual aspect over, they moved into a bigger living room where the birthday cake was cut. The President’s aides and relatives posed for photographs with him.
In what eventually became the most surprising event of the day, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, announced that members of the State House Press Corps should pose for photograph with the President. We paused a bit to be sure we heard him well before joining the first family for the photograph.
While that session was on, Mrs. Jonathan observed loudly for all to hear that photojournalists might ensure that that particular shot was published because they were involved. The room erupted in laughter.
That over, glasses clicked and the President returned into his inner chamber. He later played host to a delegation from his home state, Bayelsa, led by Governor Seriake Dickson.
The birthday boy later in the day left for London where he presided over a meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investment Council.
Who is dropping Okonjo-Iweala’s name?
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is arguably one of the most powerful members of President Jonathan’s cabinet.
This is probably responsible for the manner in which other members of the cabinet, including ministers, mill around her whenever she enters the Council Chamber. They are either making one financial request or the other for their ministries or soliciting her support for a memorandum on their ministries that will be discussed at the Federal Executive Council meeting.
Despite this special attention she is receiving however, Okonjo-Iweala is currently not a happy woman and she is not hiding her feelings.
She opened up on Wednesday before the commencement of the weekly meeting. Her grouse was that many people specialised in dropping her name when they wanted to carry out one activity or the other.
“I am not happy about this and I have been saying this. Some people here are fond of dropping my name when doing their things. They keep portraying me as a bad person,” she was saying loudly for all to hear.
What could have caused such an outburst? The problem started when some Presidency officials started placing some copies of a book titled “Goodluck Nigeria” on the desks of ministers before they arrived for the meeting. At a point, they withdrew the books when it was not sure who instructed them to share them.
As it later turned out, it was discovered that the book was written by one of the awardees of Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria who got a grant for his printing press. The officials therefore approached Okonjo-Iweala whose ministry supervises the YouWin! programme.
On proper scrutiny, it was discovered that the book had a different title. The author obviously had written the book long time ago but saw the goldmine in writing books in the name of the President especially as the 2015 general elections approach. Rather than writing another book, the author only did a green paper cover with the inscription “Goodluck Nigeria” to cover the original title of the book!
The books were quickly “confiscated.”
More lapels’ pin-ups among President’s men
As the 2015 presidential election draws nearer, President’s men are falling over one another to display their loyalty to the man who has been endorsed as the sole candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
One of the ways they are showing their loyalty is the way they attach pin-ups on their lapels and dresses in the case of women. Some of the lapels only have the President’s portrait.
There are other pin-ups with only inscriptions such as “Goodluck to you” among others.
The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs introduced another dimension to the matter when it produced digital pin-ups, seeking votes for the President. The item which is rechargeable has the message scrolling on the chest of whoever attaches it to his lapel.
Another dimension was however introduced to the issue on Wednesday when the Minister of Special Duties, Taminu Turaki (SAN), sighted one with the inscription “No More Polio” on the chest of the Supervising Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan. Turaki jokingly advised Alhassan to produce another one with the inscription “No more sanitiser,” apparently to convey the message that the country is now free of the Ebola Virus Disease. The two ministers and others who heard Turaki laughed over it.
If that advice is heeded, then some President’s men and women will not have a choice than to be using five or six pin-ups!
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