Anxiety As N/Delta “Mafia” Takes Over Aso Rock

BY MERCY OCHEJE

After Yar’adua’s cabal, the new helmsman’s “mafia” moves in.

Those who had thought that with the death of the then, President Umaru Yar'adua, Nigeria would be free from the vicious grip of that cabal which had manipulated power to its advantage as Yar'Adua lay helpless on his sick bed, may be wrong after all. From every indication, it is obvious that just as the infamous cabal which included the then First Lady, Turai Yar'Adua, as running for cover following the death of Yar'Adua, another set of hawks that is apparently hell bent on hijacking  the levers of power, has started to emerged under the administration of the new man holding sway, President Goodluck Jonathan.

One example is Mr. Mike Ogiadoomhe, the man who hitherto held sway as Jonathan's Principal Secretary. Last week he was elevated to the powerful and influential position of chief of Staff. Interestingly, this office had been scrapped during Yar'adua's tenure. It is noteworthy that aside from the position of National Security Adviser (NSA) the Chief of Staff is usually the most influential person in Aso Rock, with the possible exception of the Abacha era when his aide De Clamp (ADC) Major Hamza Al-mustapha, reigned supreme.
Ogiadomhe, who was once the deputy governor of Edo State, got his elevation at the same time when another powerful person in the Yar'adua era, Mr. David Edevbie, was eased out. Having served in the administration of ex-Delta state governor James Ibori, as Secretary to Government, Edevibei was hand picked by his old boss and mentor to serve as Yar'Adua Principal Secretary, a sensitive post which entails access to vital information and documents. But with his principal (Ibori) on the run following Jonathan's emergence, first as Acting President, then as sustentative president, Edevbie's days in Abuja became numbered.  
Just as Ogiadomtre and his ilk are spreading that tentacles in the “new” Aso Rock, Jonathan's kinsmen are being entrenched in the oil and gas sector. Already, the key cabinet post of Petroleum minister is firmly in the lap of a Niger Deltan, Mrs Allison – Mdueke. Engr. Augustine Oniwon, a native of Kogi state, may have been appointed group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) but a cursory glance of the oil industry's most lucrative or strategic Positions indicate that Niger Deltans are now well rooted in different areas.
In fact, President Jonathan's home region now occupies a whopping eight out of the eleven board appointments in the oil and gas industry. That is a few states within 36 in the federation.  This means only three posts are left for the other regions to “manage”. Six Group Executive Directors (GENS), three Group General Managers (GGM); as well as the positions of Company Secretary, head of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and chairman of the Board are all in the laps of Niger Deltas.
The “lucky” fellows are Bayelsa State's Andrew Obaje who heads the DPR; Rivers States faithful Ebiyye who is the GED in charge of corporate services, Imo State's Phillip Chukwu who is the GED in charge of exploration and productions; and Delta State's Billy Agha and Voka Mukoro who are GEDs in charge of Engineering/Technical and Gas/Power, respectively.
Chris Ogarumwense (Edo State); Anthony Fiddi (Bayalsa) who are the GGMs in charge of National Petroleum Investment management services (NARIMS) and Human Resources respectively, along with their counterpart from Delta State who heads the Crude Oil and Marketing Department, are the others.
Not unexpectedly, there is palpable disquiet in that sector. “We are concerned that the principles of federal character are being sacrificed on the alter of primordial sentiment”, “lamented an NNPC senior staff who pleaded for anonymity”. “The curious things and in fairness to president's defenders, is that during his own time Yar'Adua also filled most of the strategic positions in the NNPC with his region's indigenes. But at the same time you would agree with me that what Mr. President is doing not the best, for it simply means substituting Yar'Adua's Pro-North extreme for Jonathan's pro-Niger Delta Extreme”.
That may be so, but the most absorbing melodrama continues in Aso Rock where a new cabal is taking root. The oil minister, Allison – Maduekwe, as well as one of Jonathan's former Commissioners during his governorship era, but who is yet to be assigned any official role in Aso Rock, are believe to be among the powerful members of this cabal. Interesting both ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo and his old pal-turned – foe, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) are reportedly waging and undeclared war in their desperate bids to dominated the centre of activity and, by extension, Jonathan.
And just as the disgraced former Delta helmsman, Ibori, used to peddle influence during the Yar'Adua presidency, it is believed that Obasanjo's erstwhile lieutenant, Andy Uba, is vigorously acting as Jonathan's “Mr. Fix It”. Uba, who was in Aso Rock recently in company Obasanjo shortly after the duo returned from foreign trips is allegedly being used as Obasanjo's arrow-head to influence some significant policies and appointments.  
Another curious twist is the recent order by President Goodluck Jonathan for a comprehensive blue print on how to distribute and supply efficient power to  the Niger Delta region. Noble as this initiation may be, analyst believes it could have been extended to cover the entire Nation moreso as Nigerians are yet to enjoy enough power supply. Nigerians are very fertile in detecting motive behind policies. There is also a justify fear in the land that the Man at the helms of affair lacks political maturity to withhold some of his favouritism projects. The political atmosphere presently is one of suspicious and caution. If he continue to demonstrate a glaring lopsidedness in appointing and instituting policy, the same whip that was used to send the first wife away, was hidden in the roof. It can be dust and used again by Nigerians whenever the need arises.  
With this development, analysts are wondering how Jonathan would navigate through the likely backslash, more so as unlike hitherto he now has a deputy in the person of newly appointed Vice President Namadi Sambo. Will the new man on the block “siddon look” or will he also conjure his own version of the famous Kaduna Mafia? As the late bob Marley use to say “time shall tell”