Ministers pay solidarity visit to Jonathan

The Presidential Villa, Abuja wore a mournful look in the early hours of Wednesday, the morning after President Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election bid.

A few workers who had already closed from work at the time the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, named Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) of the All Progressives Congress the President-elect, were seen discussing the development in hush tones.

The weekly Federal Executive Council meeting did not hold.

But some members of FEC, mostly ministers, gathered at the President’s office later in the day to pay a solidarity visit to Jonathan.

Some of the ministers who met with the President were the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN); Minister of State II, Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali; and Minister of National Planning, Suleiman Abubakar.

Some female ministers also visited the President.

They included the Minister of Women Affairs, Zainab Maina; Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson; Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe; Minister of Environment, Laraba Mallam; Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Akon Eyakenyi.

One of the ministers who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that they used the opportunity of the visit to encourage the President and commend him for his achievements.

The government official expressed the optimism that Jonathan might win the Nobel Peace Prize for ensuring that the nation remained peaceful after conducting a free, fair and credible election.

It will be recalled that some ministers and governors had on Tuesday evening visited the President.

Among the early callers were Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State; Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State; Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and a former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Emeka Worgu.

Also, the nation’s service chiefs on Wednesday visited President Jonathan.

They were led to the closed-door session with the President by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

The service chiefs who met with Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja included the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu.

None of them spoke with journalists at the end of the parley that lasted about an hour.

After the meeting, they also consulted briefly with Dasuki at the forecourt of the President’s office before they left.

Details of discussion at the meeting were not available at the time of filing this report.

The last time the security chiefs met with Jonathan was on March 17 when they briefed him of their preparation for the general election and the success recorded in the anti-terrorism war in the north-eastern part of the country.

Source; Punch