Son of Equatorial Guinea’s Dictator Plans One Of World’s Most Expensive Yachts-Global Witness

Equatorial Guinea Playboy, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue

Popular US Rapper Eve was Teodorin's ex-girlfriend who once acted as his treasurer

Teodorin once had a $700,000 -per-night party on the "Octopus", the Yacht owned by Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen

Teodorin owns this $35 million mansion in Malibu

Equatorial Guinea dictaor father of Teiodorin with the Obamas at the US White House

Standing in front of one of his mansions

By Robert Palmer/ Oliver Courtney

Global Witness has learned that Teodorin Obiang, the notorious son of Equatorial Guinea’s long-ruling dictator, commissioned plans to build a superyacht worth $380 million – almost three times more than his energy-rich country spends annually on health and education programs combined [1]. This news comes amid an increasingly heated debate about how Middle Eastern dictators and their family members have enjoyed luxury lifestyles, as well as stashing their assets in foreign countries.

Teodorin (full name Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue) asked Germany’s Kusch Yachts to draw up a basic design for the secret project, which is codenamed “Zen.” Last year, Global Witness revealed details from a U.S. Justice Department investigation into Teodorin which mentioned plans to build a yacht. After discovering that it was to be built at Kusch’s shipyard in northern Germany, a Global Witness investigator visited the company and obtained key details about the project, confirming the identity of the client, and the yacht’s price tag. The vessel’s basic design was completed by Kusch in December 2009 for €250,000 ($342,000) with an original delivery date set for late 2012. However, construction has not yet started.

The Obiang regime has a long track record of looting money that belongs in Equatorial Guinea’s treasury. Global Witness has previously revealed Teodorin’s profligate lifestyle in the US and elsewhere with a $35 million dollar Malibu mansion, a fleet of luxury cars and a private jet, while earning a ministerial salary of $6,799 per month [2]. It would take him some 4,600 years to pay for Project Zen on his reported official salary.

“Evidence points to corruption by Teodorin on a scale that would not be possible or attractive if countries like Germany and the U.S. were not safe havens, in terms of free passage for him and for his questionable private wealth,” said Gavin Hayman, Director of Campaigns at Global Witness. “$380m is a staggering sum - that a President’s son from such a poor country has ordered this yacht is outrageous extravagance on his part."

Teodorin’s father, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, took power in 1979 following a bloody coup and presides over a repressive government almost entirely dependent on energy revenues generated by ExxonMobil, Marathon and other multinational giants and has one of the worst human rights reputations in the world [3]. Obiang came eighth on a 2006 list by Forbes of the world’s richest leaders with a fortune estimated at $600 million, whilst the majority of Equatorial Guinea’s people live in poverty [4].

Incredibly, since oil was discovered in the mid-1990s, poverty levels have actually worsened. Equatorial Guinea enjoys a per capita income of about $37,900, one of the highest in the world. Yet 77 percent of the population falls below the poverty line, 35 percent die before the age of 40, and 58 percent lack access to safe water [5].

Forty-one-year old Teodorin is the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and vice president of the ruling party, and is apparently being groomed to succeed his father. A US embassy cable from March 2009 posted by Wikileaks describes how Teodorin was given a significant tract of pristine jungle to log, leaving him with a “large windfall”. The author of the cable paints a picture of a nepotistic state where choice natural resource concessions are handed out to the President’s family and close associates. Responding to corruption allegations, Teodorin told the US official: "I've been very lucky in business […] and I like to live well” [6].

According to the Justice Department investigation Teodorin funneled roughly $75 million into the United States between 2005 and 2007 through three European banks -- Banque de France, Natixis and Fortis -- and then on to the U.S. through Wachovia (later bought by Wells Fargo), Union Bank of California, and Bank of America [7]. Global Witness questioned what checks these banks had done on Teodorin’s funds; they could not comment on this.

“[I]t is suspected that a large portion of Teodoro Nguema OBIANG’s assets have originated from extortion, theft of public funds, or other corrupt conduct,” says a Justice Department document dated 4 September 2007. The document relates to a preliminary investigation; as yet no charges have been filed [8].

Kusch employees who spoke with Global Witness’ investigator said that Teodorin’s yacht will be 118.5 meters (387 feet), housing a cinema, restaurant, bar, swimming pool and a $1.3 million security system complete with floor motion sensors, photoelectric barriers and fingerprint door openers. Teodorin reportedly met a representative of Kusch at a hotel in Switzerland to discuss the design.

Its total contract price is approximately €288 million, or $380 million at current exchange rates. This would make it the world’s second most expensive yacht, behind Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s $1.2billion Eclipse [9]. England’s Tim Heywood, one of the world’s most renowned yacht designers, produced the drawings for Project Zen. Heywood’s previous designs include the 377-foot Pelorus, which served as the blueprint for Project Zen and is also owned by Abramovich.

“Kusch’s motto is, ‘we don’t just build yachts that you use, we create a dream that you live’. But this sounds more like a nightmare for Equatorial Guinea’s oppressed and brutalized citizens, whose money may once again be put to Teodorin’s benefit rather than theirs,” said Hayman. “The yacht company involved should refuse his cash and repudiate any involvement in the project. In addition, this order should raise loud alarm bells for whichever bank handles this transaction.”

Kusch confirmed to Global Witness that Teodorin was a client, but would not give further details "for reasons of confidentiality". Tim Heywood declined to comment.

The Information and Press Bureau of the Government of Equatorial Guinea confirmed that Teodorin had ordered the design, while adding that he “then dismissed the idea of buying it”. The spokesperson claimed that if the order had gone ahead Teodorin “would have bought it with income from his private business activities and he would not in any case have bought it with funds derived from sources of illegal financing or corruption”. She clarified that in Equatorial Guinea “there are no legal restrictions prohibiting public figures from taking part in private lucrative activities” [10].

Some countries, such as the U.K., require luxury goods dealers including yacht builders to abide by anti-money laundering rules. Like banks, they have to monitor their customers for suspicious activity and report doubts about dirty money to the authorities. Global Witness is calling on Germany to implement similar regulations. In addition, Germany should work with EU member countries to produce mandatory revenue payment disclosure laws for extractive companies, such as those required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Finance Reform Act. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) conference hosted by President Sarkozy in Paris next week would be a good place to start this process.


Contact: Robert Palmer on +44 (0)20 7492 5860, +44 (0)7545 645 406, rpalmer@globalwitness.org; or Oliver Courtney on +44 (0)7815 731 889,ocourtney@globalwitness.org.

Notes:

[1] Details on the misappropriation of state money by Teodorin can be found in Global Witness, Undue Diligence: How banks do business with corrupt regimes, March 2009 and Global Witness, The Secret Life of a Shopaholic, November 2009. Budget figures: IMF, Republic of Equatorial Guinea: 2008 Article IV Consultation—Staff Report, March 2009, p. 17.

[2] Statement by the Information and Press Bureau of Equatorial Guinea Director, 17 February 2011.

[3] The US State Department’s most recent Equatorial Guinea human rights assessment was damning, describing unlawful killings, torture of prisoners, official impunity, arbitrary arrest and restrictions on free speech: U.S. State Department, ‘2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Equatorial Guinea’, 11 March 2010. For more on the oil industry see the website of the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Energy, as well as Human Rights Watch, Well Oiled: Oil and Human Rights in Equatorial Guinea, July 2009.

[4] Luisa Kroll, ‘Fortunes Of Kings, Queens And Dictators,’ Forbes, 5 May 2006.

[5] GDP: CIA, The World Factbook, 2010 estimate. Poverty level: IMF, ‘Republic of Equatorial Guinea: 2008 Article IV Consultation—Staff Report’, March 2009. Mortality rate and access to water: UNDP, ‘Human Development Report 2009: Equatorial Guinea’.

[6] US embassy cable 196480 posted on www.elpais.com. 

[7] Global Witness, The Secret Life of a Shopaholic, November 2009.

[8] Ibid., p. 2.

[9] www.mostexpensiveyacht.net.

[10] Statement by the Information and Press Bureau of Equatorial Guinea Director, 17 February 201

More Trouble For Sully Abu, Jonathan’s Ex-Campaign Spokesman, As Atiku Strikes

Sully Abu

These are not good times for Sully Abu who was until recently the media and publicity director of the Jonathan/Sambo campaign organization.

Mr. Abu was recently dropped from Jonathan's refurbished presidential council, a new campaign organization set up by Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo that included Nigerian billionaire, Aliko Dangote and Kwara state governor, Bukola Saraki. An inside source within the Jonathan camp told Naija News Desk that Mr. Abu was considered too inept for the job. “He was hired to anchor the publicity and media part of this campaign, but he is too laid back,” said the source, adding that Mr. Abu was responsible for the edge that the Atiku campaign held in the media during the ruling party’s primary season. “He was snoring while Atiku’s media aides made life difficult for President Jonathan in the media,” said the source.

Smarting from being edged out of his position in the Jonathan/Sambo camp, Mr. Abu now faces more trouble from his former employers, according to documents obtained by us.


In a letter written by Niyi Akintola,SAN one of Atiku's lawyers, Mr. Abu was given up till February 28, 2011 to return the properties belonging to New Age Newspapers and its publishing company, Century Media Limited. Naija News Desk learnt that the newspaper company, which went under a few years ago, was entirely owned by Mr. Atiku.

A source told us that Mr. Abu had yet to account for some assets of the newspaper still in his possession.

A source close to the embattled Abu told Naija News Desk that the company owed Mr. Abu a lot of money in unpaid salaries and other entitlements. “They know they owe the man money and yet they are harassing him because he decided to work for President Jonathan. That’s his crime,” said the source.

Libyan Update: The Libyan State No Longer Exists, Says Italy

The Italian Foreign Minister said in Geneva on Sunday that Italy was suspending a non-aggressive treaty with Libya on the grounds that the Libyan state “no longer exists.

He was speaking following a meeting of foreign ministers of the most developed nations aimed at establishing a more robust response to the uprising in Libya, reported the New York Times. Suspending the treaty means that Italy could take military actions to stop Gadhafi from further attacking protesters who have taken a large part of the country.

This is happening as rebel leaders massing in cities around the capital took steps on Sunday to establish a unified command. The rebels have pushed back pro-Gadhafi forces that attempted to retake the city of Zawiyah. Following each battle, scores defecting soldiers raised their machine guns in the air and held up two fingers for victory, reported the Associated Press.

As the rebels increased their military strength, they prepare for a final push into Tripoli to free the capital city still in control of Gadhafi. The capital city has been on a lockdown as Gadhafi’s militia, secret police and paramilitary forces continue to terrorize the residents.

Following the Italian move to suspend its non-aggressive treaty with Libya, the French government said that two planes carrying humanitarian aid would arrive into opposition stronghold of Benghazi on Monday, reported Reuters. Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced the move in Paris. The plane he said would bring doctors, nurses, medicines and medical equipment to Benghazi. "It will be the beginning of a massive operation of humanitarian support for the populations of liberated territories," he said on RTL radio

The rebels are moving ahead with plans to tap revenue from oil, 80 percent of which is under their control, in support of their goal of ridding Libya of Col. Gadhafi.

Meanwhile, the United States Secretary of States, Hilary Rodham Clinton said Sunday in Geneva that the United States was also reaching out to the rebels to “offer any kind of assistance.”

In interviews with ABC News on Sunday, two of Colonel Qaddafi’s sons remained defiance. “The people — everybody wants more,” said Saadi el-Qaddafi. “There is no limit. You give this, then you get asked for that, you know?”

He predicted, “Chaos will be everywhere.” If his father left, he said, Libya would face a civil war “one hour later.”

Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi continued to challenge journalists to look for signs of unrest. “Please, take your cameras tomorrow morning, even tonight,” he said. “Everything is calm. Everything is peaceful.”

Getting out of Debt

Getting out of debt is a big task! If it is difficult to meet up with financial challenges resulting from Debts here and there, there are things you can do to help your self out from credit. If you spend more than 10% - 20% of your income on debt repayment (excluding Mortgage) you are financially stressed.

Outline what you owe on loans and others etc. This may surprise you so be prepared! List out the repayment conditions and period for each. Then check the limit of your spending. It should not be more than 10%-20% of your total income.

You should work towards increasing your income so that you may be eligible to apply for government assistance such as tax credit or rent if your income is low. Get far away from credit!

Similarly, you should apply for a part time job to increase income or you can rent out your spare room to reduce spending much money on rent or to getting out of debt.

If all these didn't workout for you, think of other ways to reducing your spending.

Shop for cheaper items (products) at the shopping mall or supermarket. You can go for "own brands"

Go for cheaper substitutes for goods of the same value and satisfaction.

Another important solution to getting out of Debt is to reduce your social activities like night clubbing and other social life activities that involve much spending.

Place limit on the purchasing of ostentatious goods. It is rather amazing how much your grocery bill can be reduced by buying "Cheap brands".

Reduce the use of your vehicle in other to reduce your gas bills and also assist you greatly in getting out of Debt.

Some of the distance can be covered doing walking. This will also help to keep you fit.

If at the trial of the above methods and it still did not work out well, you can arrange for a meeting with your creditors and tell them to suspend the interest so that you can start to settle what you owe them.

Make sure you go into a legally binding agreement with your creditors called an Individual Voluntary Arrangement. This will considerably reduce the total amount you owe.

And above all, go for bankruptcy on the advice of a legal practitioner at the local Citizen's Advice Bureau. This will make you free from from credit

How Okah threatened, abused President Goodluck Jonathan and Ministers right from a Jail in South Africa

detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Mr. Henry Okah

South African police authorities on Wednesday said it had proof that the detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Mr. Henry Okah, was constantly making phone calls from his cell to abuse and threaten President Goodluck Jonathan and other senior officials of government in Nigeria.

The police who raided Okah’s B-Max cell said they caught the detainee with eight phones from which they believed he was calling to verbally abuse and threaten the president with plans to further launch terror attacks in the country.

A map and other documents believed to constitute security threats were also found in Okah’s cell.

“In these phone calls, which we believe he made from the prepaid cell phones we seized, he is alleged to have verbally abused several senior Nigerian government officials, including the president.

“He is also believed to have told the president and his minister about further terror attacks MEND is believed to have been planning on carrying out,” Pretoria News quoted a senior official of the Department of Correctional Services to have said on Thursday.

Officials of the correctional services department raided Okah’s cell on Tuesday night.

But spokesman for Jonathan, Mr. Ima Niboro, on Thursday denied that Okah was calling to abuse and threaten the President.

“He did not call the President, and could not have reached him if he even tried. Please ignore the tale. It is just that, a tale!” Niboro wrote in a text to our correspondent who asked for the presidency’s response.

However, the correctional services official further said, “It is clear this man is powerful and extremely dangerous. Information in our possession indicates that he allegedly made several threatening phone calls to the Nigerian president.

“Also among the items seized was a detailed map of what is thought to be the court where he is to appear in April. We believe that this was to be used to aid him in a possible escape,”

The Nigerian Senate last week passed the Anti-Terror Act which prescribes death sentence for offenders.

Okah is currently in detention in South Africa where he is standing trial for terror attacks in Nigeria. He is believed to be the mastermind of the Independence Day twin bombings in the Federal Capital Territory.

About 12 people died in the attacks while members of MEND claimed responsibility.

The South African correctional services officers, after the raid, said they believed that Okah, whom they described as “powerful”, was still at the head of MEND and that he coordinated the activities of the organisation from his cell.

The spokesman for the South African police, McIntosh Polela, was quoted to have confirmed the raids on Okah’s cell and the shocking discoveries made.

Apart from the cell phones and the map, the other documents seized from Okah were said to contain phone numbers of Jonathan and his cabinet ministers.

Consequent upon the discoveries, there are indications on Thursday that the South African police are initiating the relocation of the MEND leader from the B-Max section of the prison, where he is currently held, to the A-Max, being the maximum security section of the prison.

Okah was arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday, October 2, 2010, and charged to the court for terror activities. But he continued to deny links with the October 1 bombings in Abuja, few meters to the Eagle Square where Jonathan was hosting international guests to the celebration of Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary.

While he has been battling for bail, Okah also continue to maintain that his ordeal is political and that it is because he has refuse to give his blessing for the 2011 presidential ambition of a fellow Ijaw man, Jonathan.

He once said, “As an Ijaw man, they believed I should support an Ijaw man automatically but I said no. This is a struggle and the struggle is not about me, it’s about millions of people.”

Okah, 43, was born in Ikorodu, Lagos State. He is an indigene of Bayelsa State. He holds a BSc in Marine Engineering. He is a licenced door-to-door gun salesman. He moved to South Africa, 2003; arrested in Angola, September 2007; deported to Nigeria, detained and charged with 62 counts including treason, terrorism and gun-running, offences carrying the death penalty.

The administration of late President Umaru Yar’Adua released him July 13, 2009 as part of the government’s amnesty programme.

THE AGONY OF THE NIGERIAN WORKER…suffering in the midst of plenty

THE AGONY OF THE NIGERIAN WORKER…suffering in the midst of plenty.

Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking form the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.

.......Martin L. King Junior

When we talk about freedom, certain quarters of the society see freedom as only political for as such they benefit, but individual freedom stems from first being economically free; this economic freedom definitely will guarantee politico-social freedom, which in turn will engender better living standards…access to qualitative education, shelter, mobility and such things that make life worth living for humans.

Today the upper chamber of the Nigerian Federal legislative house have finally but unceremoniously passed the recent minimum wage bill, many today celebrate such as a landmark, (well in a country where legislators are but prebendalists) but they failed to actually find out the true state of the Nigerian worker viz a viz the current living standard occasioned by high cost of living and sporadic inflation which increases geometrically.

No thanks to the senate deputy president who asserted thus “

“today is a happy day because we have shown that we are conscious of the sufferings of our people. This country is rich enough to cater for everybody if we avoid the avarices of some few people”

Because we and them already know that Nigeria is endowed with abundant material and human resources the it is only bad governance and parasitic political office holders that deprive our people of a better living standard.

Nigeria happens to be a state where we import  what we have (petroleum products) and export what we do not have (democracy). We have a decayed system, a state where the economic minister will deplete the national reserve in the face of booming oil price and sales (what will he do when oil prices fall), a country where excess crude oil revenue is shared between the central and subordinate governments instead of saving for the evil days, a state that have failed for decades to build refineries but rather choose to import finish products of resources they have in abundance at extremely high cost. The list is inexhaustible..

The Nigerian worker has nothing to be happy about as the forces of demand and supply are still in existence, after all both federal and state owned universities have increased school fees, where will these workers start from, is it the high cost of building materials fro them to have a roof over their heads or the school fees of their wards that they will pay with N18,000. Thank God its minimum wage, and it will be for possibly the minimum person in the minimum wager home that it will take care of.

The agony of the Nigerian worker is unending expecially in the face of these parasitic governments and their cronies.

Lagos Big Man Returns From Prison, I Went To University Of Life Says Bode George

Bode George

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, yesterday breathed the air of freedom 16 months after he was thrown into Kirikiri Maximum Prisons over charges of financial impropriety.
On hand to welcome him back to society and normal life were former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who led other eminent Nigerians and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to welcome him from prison.

Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of Lagos High Court convicted him for conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order, inflating contracts and contracts splitting while he was chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

He was found guilty of 47 out of the 63-count charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and was handed 28 years in prison, but served them concurrently. But yesterday, despite the monthly environmental sanitation, which held in Lagos, hundreds of PDP supporters mostly from Lagos and Oyo states had arrived the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons before 7 a.m. to welcome him from incarceration.

Clad in ankara attires, T-shirts and carrying banners with various inscriptions, the supporters greeted George with a loud ovation on sighting him, even as they joined a long convoy including the deputy Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Taofik Arapaja. The former chairman, Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), left Kirirkiri with his wife, Roli, in a black jeep led by a motorcade of PDP chieftains and supporters for the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, for a thanksgiving service.

In his sermon entitled “A minister and a witness”, the Canon Residentiary, Ven. Tayo Aduloju, admonished George to forget about vengeance. He said that embarking on such would mean the famous politician was ungrateful to God. According to him, having just left prison, he should ask God to show him direction, stressing that there had been divergent opinions regarding the thanksgiving service for George. He said some had even alleged that the church priest might have been bribed for the event to hold.

The clergy reasoned that though George might have gone to prison, it would be uncharitable to reject him, saying it was better for politicians to come to God rather than Satan. Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo had shortly before the end of service left the church. But speaking with journalists, George said he regarded his prison experience as attending the University of Life.

According to him, this was in view of the fact that the experience had further expanded his worldview.
Apparently referring to the coming election, George said he would be very busy with the project.

Meanwhile, a PDP Lagos West senatorial district candidate, Hon. Moshood Salvador, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to grant George pardon.

He hinged his call on the fact that George’s incarceration was politically motivated. Distinguished Nigerians at the church service included Minister of Defence, Adetokunbo Kayode; Minister of Environment, John Odey; Governor Gbenga Daniel, ex-Govs Raji Rasaki of Lagos State, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, and Dr. Segun Agagu of Ondo.

Others are Alhaji Taju Oladipupo, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, former administrator of Ekiti State, Col. Tunji Olurin (rtd); and former Director-General of IBB Campaign Organization, Chief Raymon Dokpesi. 

The Kirikiri odyssey of the retired naval officer-turned politician began when EFCC under the new leadership of Mrs. Farida Waziri revisited his case (he had previously been indicted by the Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led EFCC, but was not convicted due to his perceived closeness to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, president at the time).

Earlier on Thursday, a football match was organized in his honour inside the prison yard. 

A reliable source, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that there was a cat and dog relationship between him and Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, who claimed that he knew nothing of the charges preferred against him. Asked about his relationship with Aminu Dabo, Olusegun Abidoye, Zanna Maidaribe and Sule Aliyu, the source said their relationships were cordial.

“They have been maintaining a good relationship except for Abdullahi Aminu, who almost spent all his days crying in prison, he claimed that he was innocent,” the source said. 

George and five others – Aminu Dabo, a former Managing Director of NPA; Olusegun Abidoye, Abdullahi Tafida, Zanna Meidaribe, and Sule Aliu, were jailed on October 26, 2009.

Tinubu Says Jonathan Is A Traitor, Is He Right Or Wrong?

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

More knocks came yesterday for President Goodluck Jonathan from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) over his remarks that the South-West was too important to be left in the hands of rascals.

ACN leaders led by former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, took turns in Ibadan, where Jonathan made the comment, to pillory him.

They spoke at the launch of the campaign for ACN governorship candidate, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and other party candidates in the April elections in Oyo State.

Tinubu, who had in his first reaction to Jonathan’s comment at a session with newsmen in Lagos described the president as a “drunken sailor fisherman,” called him a traitor and an ingrate.

He chided Jonathan for making such ‘uncouth’ statement, saying it was unbecoming of a president.

Recalling Jonathan’s rise to power, the ACN chief accused the president of being treacherous and even lying to Nigerians that “in 2011, he would not mind becoming a Vice-President again to a Northerner if God made it so…

“He came here and called us rascals. We are rascals for progress, development and for all the good of our people…We are not rascals, we are not bastards; he came here to abuse our parents— fathers and mothers alike. We are educated people,” he said.

Tinubu accused the Federal Government of destroying the country in the last 12 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration and called on the people to reject the party at the April general elections. “Use your votes to reject them. Send them away. They have been ruling for the past 12 years; yet you don’t have good roads, no electricity, no water, unemployment is on the increase, insecurity gives room to kidnapping, no food on your table. It has been 12 years of deceit, lies and bad governance,” he said.

Presenting Ajimobi to the people, Tinubu said all the good things going on in Lagos State would be replicated in Oyo State, if ACN is voted into power.

Former governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina, described Jonathan as a bad representative of the Niger Delta, which had produced patriots and visionary leaders such as Isaac Boro. Reacting to the ACN leaders’ statements, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, through his Special Adviser on Public Communication, Mr. Dotun Oyelade, said: “The Ibadan rally, as usual, was bankrolled, organised and personified by the chief rascal himself…Tinubu.

“Instead of scolding his surrogates for playing to our hands by using the same podium erected by the Akala campaign at Mapo for their own rally without the decency to construct their own, Jonathan has been proved right because decency and self-esteem, which are the hallmark of the Yoruba, have been utterly discarded by these characters by that singular insensitivity. The record of achievements of Akala will continue to haunt them until they stop promising what they cannot give.”

FG Evacuates 499 Nigerians From Lybia | President Goodluck Did It Again

The Federal Government has evacuated 499 Nigerians, out of the about 2000 said to be stranded in Tripoli over the political crisis in Libya. The returness arrived the Abuja International Airport at 1:30 am on Sunday, via a chartered flight.

It was gathered that the Director General of the National Emergency Management agency (NEMA) Muhammad Sani-Sidi led the rescue team and promised that the exercise would continue till all Nigerians stranded in the Arab nation are brought back home.

He said that the federal government has established a special camp to accommodate the returnees who will be discharged after necessary documentations and screening exercise. Sani-Sidi also announced that the second flight has flown to Libya to bring the remaining Nigerian nationals.

Libya Uprising: Gadhafi’s Voluptuous Night Nurse Goes Home

Moamar Gaddafi with his Ukranian nurse, Galyna Kolotnytska-Photo: EPA

Moammar Gadhafi’s Ukrainian nurse is heading home, reported Wall Street Journal on Saturday. Galyna Kolotnytska, described in a U.S. diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks as a “voluptuous blond” called her family in the Ukraine to inform them that she has had enough.

The nurse who travels everywhere with Col. Gadhafi will join a long list of associates who have deserted the embattled Libyan leader.

"Mom got in touch yesterday. She said she was now in Tripoli," said her daughter, Tetyana Kolotnytska, to the Ukrainian newspaper, Segodnya. "She spoke in a calm voice, asked us not to worry and said she'd soon be home."

The cable from September 2009 revealed that Col. Gadhafi "relies heavily" on Ms. Kolotnytska, as "she alone 'knows his routine.'" It also suggested that Gadhafi “have a romantic relationship” with four Ukrainian nurses, one of whom is Galyna Kaoltnytska.

Ms. Kolonytska came to Libya nine years ago as a hospital nurse. She later began work as Gadhafi’s personal nurse.

In a related story, President Barack Obama has called on Moammar Gadhafi to step aside immediately. According to the Associated Press, President Obama made the call in a statement released by the White House following Obama’s conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"When a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now," the White House said.

American allies are considering further sanctions on Libya, including imposing an arms embargo as well as travel ban.

In her own statement, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that Libyans "have made themselves clear."

"Gadhafi has lost the confidence of his people and he should go without further bloodshed and violence. The Libyan people deserve a government that is responsive to their aspirations and that protects their universally recognized human rights," she said.

In new sanctions announced by Clinton on Saturday, the U.S. has revoked visas for senior Libyan officials and their immediate family members. She said applications from such government officials and their families for travel to the United States would be rejected.

The United Nations also imposed similar sanctions on Saturday. The 15-nation Security Council agreed to refer Gadhafi to the International Criminal Court, or ICC, at the Hague for possible trial for crimes against humanity.

Moamar Gaddafi: Rise, Virgin Body Guards And Inevitable Fall

These photos tells of the life of Africa longest serving despot, Moamar Gaddafi, whose penchant for "virgin bodyguards" has come to define his eccentricity. Now the despot is facing an uprising from the people of Libya.

Wikileaks Cable on Moamar Gaddafi

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TRIPOLI 000771

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND INR.

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/29/2019

TAGS: PREL PGOV LY PINR

SUBJECT: A GLIMPSE INTO LIBYAN LEADER QADHAFI’S ECCENTRICITIES

CLASSIFIED BY: Gene A. Cretz, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy Tripoli,
Department of State.

REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)

1. (S/NF) Summary: Recent first-hand experiences with Libyan Leader Muammar al-Qadhafi and his staff, primarily in preparation for his UNGA trip, provided rare insights into Qadhafi’s inner circle and personal proclivities. Qadhafi appears to rely heavily XXXXXXXXXXXXX reportedly cannot travel without his senior Ukrainian nurse, Galyna Kolotnytska. He also appears to have an intense dislike or fear of staying on upper floors, reportedly prefers not to fly over water, and seems to enjoy horse racing and flamenco dancing.
His recent travel may also suggest a diminished dependence on his legendary female guard force, as only one woman bodyguard accompanied him to New York.
End Summary.

QADHAFI’S PERSONALITY REFLECTED IN HIS PHOBIAS

2. (S/NF) Muammar al-Qadhafi has been described as both mercurial and eccentric, and our recent first-hand experiences with him and his office, primarily in preparation for his UNGA trip, demonstrated the truth of both characterizations. From the moment Qadhafi’s staff began to prepare for his travel to the United States, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX of his 40-year rule, various proclivities and phobias began to reveal themselves in every logistical detail. When applying for Qadhafi’s visa, XXXXXXX asked whether it was necessary for the Leader to submit a portrait of himself that fit consular application regulations, noting that his photo was displayed throughout the city and that anyone of hundreds of billboards could be photographed and shrunken to fit the application’s criteria. When the rule was enforced, XXXXXXXXX reluctantly conceded to take a portrait of the Leader specifically for the visa application.

3. (S/NF) When XXXXXXX began to search for proper accommodations for Qadhafi, XXXXXXXX informed us that the Leader must stay on the first floor of any facility that was rented for him. (XXXXXXXXXX separately told U.S. officials in Washington that Qadhafi could not climb more than 35 steps.) XXXXXXXX cited this requirement as the primary reason that the Libyan residence in New Jersey was selected as the preferred accommodation site rather than the Libyan PermRep’s residence in New York City. XXXXXX also sought to find accommodations with room to pitch Qadhafi’s Bedouin tent, Qadhafi’s traditional site for receiving visitors and conducting meetings, as it offers him a non-verbal way of communicating that he is a man close to his cultural roots.

4. (S/NF) Qadhafi’s dislike of long flights and apparent fear of flying over water also caused logistical headaches for his staff. When discussing flight clearances with Emboffs,XXXXXXX explained that the Libyan delegation would arrive from Portugal, as Qadhafi “cannot fly more than eight hours” and would need to
overnight in Europe prior to continuing his journey to New York. XXXXXXXX also revealed in the same conversation that Qadhafi does not like to fly over water. Presumably for similar reasons, Qadhafi’s staff also requested a stop in Newfoundland to break his travel from Venezuela to Libya on September 29.
[Note: The Government of Canada recently confirmed that the
Libyan delegation canceled plans to stop in Newfoundland. End
Note.]

DEPENDENCIES: RELIANCE ON A SELECTIVE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS

5. (S/NF) Qadhafi appears to be almost obsessively dependent on
a small core of trusted personnel. This group includes XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX coordinate the logistics of Qadhafi’s visit. XXXXXXXXXX balanced the UNGA preparations between equally frenetic preparations for the August 31 African Union (AU) Summit and September 1 celebration of Qadhafi’s coup. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX At large events such as the August 31 AU Summit and September 1 celebrations, XXXXXXXXX every last detail of these complex gatherings, ranging from the overall program to the position of the press pool. At UNGA, XXXXXXXXX Qadhafi to the podium at the UNGA and XXXXXXXXXX his papers and props upon the conclusion of the Leader’s remarks. Long-time Qadhafi Chief of Staff Bashir Salah appears to play an equally important role in Qadhafi’s personal retinue, and XXXXXXX via an old-fashioned green phone XXXXXXXX. It is next to a red phone, which presumably connects to Qadhafi himself. We constantly hear that National Security Adviser and son, Muatassim, also plays a key role as his father’s confidante and handler during travel abroad.

Muatassim also seems to have been tasked with insuring that the Leader’s image is well-preserved through the full array of carefully-planned media events.

6. (S/NF) Finally, Qadhafi relies heavily on his long-time Ukrainian nurse, Galyna Kolotnytska, who has been described as a ”voluptuous blonde.” Of the rumored staff of four Ukrainian nurses that cater to the Leader’s health and well-being,
XXXXXXXXXXX emphasized to multiple Emboffs that Qadhafi cannot travel without Kolotnytska, as she alone “knows his
routine.” When Kolotnytska’s late visa application resulted in her Security Advisory Opinion being received on the day
Qadhafi’s party planned to travel to the U.S., the Libyan Government sent a private jet to ferry her from Libya to
Portugal to meet up with the Leader during his rest-stop. Some embassy contacts have claimed that Qadhafi and the 38 year-old Kolotnytska have a romantic relationship. While he did not comment on such rumors, a Ukrainian political officer recently confirmed that the Ukrainian nurses “travel everywhere with the Leader.”

PREFERENCES - FROM DANCING TO HORSEMAN

7. (S/NF) In addition to the personality quirks revealed through Qadhafi’s travel to New York, the Qadhafi’s preferences for
dancing and cultural performances were displayed over the last month. The three-day spectacle of his 40th anniversary in power included performances by dance troupes from Ukraine, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco, as well as musical performances by bands from Mexico, Russia, New Zealand, and a number of other nations. Qadhafi appeared particularly enthralled by Tuareg horse racing during two of the events, clapping and smiling throughout the races. The flamenco dancers that participated in his celebratory events appeared to spark a similar interest, as Qadhafi decided to stop in Seville (for a “personal trip” according to the Spanish Ambassador here) on his way back to Libya from Venezuela specifically to attend a flamenco dance performance. [Note: That stop has reportedly been scrapped for unknown reasons. End note.]

NO NEW YORK PHOTO OPS - QADHAFI LEAVES FEMALE GUARDS AT HOME

8. (S/NF) While Qadhafi’s reported female guard force has become legendary, it played no role in his travels to New York. Only one female guard was included among the approximately 350-person strong Libyan delegation to New York. This is the same female bodyguard who sticks close to Qadhafi in his domestic and international public appearances and may, in fact, play some sort of formal security role. Observers in Tripoli speculate that the female guard force is beginning to play a diminished role among the Leader’s personal security staff.

9. (S/NF) Comment: Qadhafi’s state visits and appearances at various conferences and summits, both at home and abroad, have revealed greater details about his personality and character. While it is tempting to dismiss his many eccentricities as signs of instability, Qadhafi is a complicated individual who has managed to stay in power for forty years through a skillful balancing of interests and realpolitik methods. Continued engagement with Qadhafi and his inner circle is important not only to learn the motives and interests that drive the world’s longest serving dictator, but also to help overcome the misperceptions that inevitably accumulated during Qadhafi’s decades of isolation. As  XXXXXXX told us, pointing to a larger-than-life portrait of Qadhafi, “When you have been
isolated for so long, it is important to communicate.” End comment.

CRETZ

Goodluck Jonathan Unmasked

President Goodluck Jonathan

By Adaka Oboro Anda

Once again, Nigerians are looking for the people’s president. The people’s president can be explained as that man or woman who will not rest until Nigeria regains its momentum and realizes its potential.

He is that man or woman who strives to ensure that Nigerians are safe and well in their homes and work place, or that person determined to create the right atmosphere for Nigerians to achieve their life goals and visions in a society of free and equal citizenship.

The question is: Is Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP the man? Does he have the proven track record for going to any length to give Nigerians the ‘good life’? Is he going to work tirelessly to deliver on Nigeria’s dreams and to create the kind of federal structure the founding fathers designed and envisaged for the country?

These are important questions Nigerians must ask themselves at this point.

It is time that all well meaning Nigerians, irrespective of class, ethnicity or religion took a deep dispassionate look at our country and rose in unison to take back our country from the looters and local colonizers who have sworn to rule us for a hundred years. Why is the polity so quiet while the people are being deceived? Are we all practicing the politics of the belly?

Tam David-West, a man of great learning and moral assets, proves that some people cannot be bought. I have profound respect for Professor David-West for his critical and objective assessment of Dr. Jonathan. I see David-West as a bold and fearless man who is ready to say the truth—whatever the personal price.

Inspired by his example, I feel duty bound to reveal certain facts in this essay in order to help our teeming misled and misguided Ijaw people to grasp the dynamics of society and politics. No minority ethnic group can survive without basic agreements and principles in society. Sadly, our president does not understand the meaning of social agreements.

On April 9 2011, Nigerians will choose between twenty-six presidential candidates. But I believe that the ultimate choice is between Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari. Our choice will shape the social-political future of Nigeria. But who are these two candidates?
The answer to this question will go a long way in helping Nigerians decide whom to elect. We know Buhari in different ways depending on where and what you were between 1984 and 1985. Some see him as rigid; others see him as tough.

Some view him as a religious fanatic, but others see him as a decent incorruptible man. The political elite see him as their tormentor, while the teeming masses see him as their liberator. Who is Buhari? In a two part series I will dissect these two personalities, as I know them quite well.

In this first part, I throw the searchlight on President Goodluck Jonathan. Who is he and what does he represent? Many people are bound to be greatly disappointed after reading this piece because their prejudices and misconceptions about this man will be shattered.

To begin, politicians in their natural and constructed elements are master deceivers. Whether in America or Europe they are all the same. They deceive you and make you see what they want you to see. Goodluck Jonathan is a good apostle of this doctrine. A critical look at the events in the country would demonstrate the truth of this assertion. The Jonathan I know presents the very opposite of what he preaches, revealing a man of two
personalities.

Goodluck Jonathan will promise to secure Nigerians and make security his priority, but the real Jonathan will spare no life in achieving his personal ambition. The story of the massacre in Jos is an excellent illustration of this attitude. His friend and co-conspirator Timi Alaibe is having it rough in Bayelsa State while Jonathan pretends to be deaf and dumb. He is not unaware of what his protégé, Governor Timpre Sylva, is doing with executive power, but Jonathan deceives his friend, Alaibe, that he is supporting him. If Jonathan cannot stop bombs in Bayelsa, his own state, what happens to the rest of the 35 states and Abuja?

The real Jonathan looks for people to use and do his bidding because of his lack of capacity and ability. I have read many people describing him as very humble and very quiet. On the surface, he exudes these characteristics, but it is all part of a game of pretending to be a listening man. It is part of his weapons to disarm and destroy. Aristotle in his wisdom wrote that humility is a vice while pride is a virtue. If you have a reason to be proud having accomplished a great feat, what is wrong with that? And if you have nothing to be proud of, why would you not be humble? Jonathan’s sense of humility is a fake custody of weakness and lack of enlightenment.

As the second in command to DSP Alamieyeseigha and Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Jonathan used this weapon in dislodging and capsizing them at the nick of opportunity. The rest is history. He presented the image of a humble man for a long time, but when the time came to show real loyalty, he betrayed DSP and sold him to former President Obasanjo and was adequately compensated for his treachery.

I am sure DSP himself is not aware of the role his humble and loyal deputy played in his impeachment. They say it is politics. Today, because of the craft of Jonathan, the Ijaw nation has been decimated, decapitated and made powerless and subdued. The experience of the Okerenkoko and Ayakorama peoples illustrates Jonathan’s perfidy. You wonder if Jonathan is really an Ijaw man.

Any attempt to completely unmask Jonathan would be impossible since the man is more crafty and wily than former General Ibrahim Babangida, the Maradona of Nigeria, more brutal than OBJ, more political than Atiku and more slippery than Machiavelli’s prince. The same people he dribbled over the zoning palaver, he is romancing. This is his trademark.

For instance, my sources in Bayelsa revealed that when he was appointed vice to Yar’adua in 2007, he nominated one Francis Doukpolagha who came third in the primary to replace him. But he watched as his political organization, the ‘Green Movement,’ tore the man to shreds until OBJ dropped him. I am sure Doukpolagha is still in shock. The truth is that he simply deceived Ijaw people into believing he loves them. His then deputy, Peremobowei Ebebi, and his then Secretary to the State Government, Godknows Igali, can tell more about these antics. The humble and quiet Jonathan finally accepted Sylva when OBJ settled for his archrival, Timi Alaibe. And while Bayelsa people are ruing Sylva’s misrule and lack of direction and preparing for a change in 2011, Jonathan was comfortable to re-present Sylva.


To get the PDP ticket in 2006, Jonathan was ready to do anything and everything to please his godfather. He thus left a big hole in Bayelsa finances when he left in 2007. Sylva attempted to spill the beans, but was immediately called to order—and his then political adviser, George Fente, was sacrificed as he lost his position when Jonathan reached a truce with the governor. What a lot of people did not know was that, while DSP was being prosecuted, Jonathan was only marking time for his turn. However, in a deft move, he was able to use this weakness to negotiate his survival. He became governor, funded the PDP fully, and massaged the OBJ ego well, including funding and supporting third term. He became Nigeria’s paymaster to all and sundry, including actors and show businessmen, at the expense of development in Bayelsa. Today there is no project that carries Jonathan’s signature.  Ask EFCC and Ribadu for Jonathan’s file. It has disappeared.

In his typical element, Jonathan is nothing but an opportunist. But some may retort, are we not all opportunists? Is it not the nature of man? This may be true. The only concern and imperative is that those who wish to be in public service and hold public office must exhibit great character and acumen. Being an opportunist is not one of them. Those who wish to lead must be above board. Not that they must be infallible, but they must be men of integrity and high intellect.

Some people make a big deal of his doctoral degree. I laugh. What is the connection between having a PhD in Hydrobiology and leading a society of 150 million people? None. The man simply lacks an iota of idea on how to run a clan much less a multi-ethnic and highly complex society. Jonathan does not read. He has no knowledge of political philosophy or ideology. He knows nothing about the principles of justice and political stability—two areas of urgent need in Nigeria.

It is typical of a ruler of Jonathan’s ilk to adopt all Machiavellian tactics he can muster including pretending to be very religious. See him going to churches and kneeling down to be prayed for. What a sacrilege! He knows that the organization he and his godfather belong to is antithetical to Christianity. Ask the Olowu of Owu and Alake of Egbaland to explain Jonathan’s position in their “kingdoms.”

He had decided that the game must be played according to their gospel of deception. There are collaborators along the line, to ensure that people are fooled. Those who know Jonathan well would tell you he has so much disdain and contempt for Pentecostals and would only be ready to do business with them when it would enhance his personal political interest.

Part of the deceptive arsenal of this President is the campaign of freshness and fresh air. Interesting, is it not? It’s like saying that IBB, Atiku, Anenih, Ahmadu Ali, Arthur Nzeribe, Ojukwu, Nnamani, and the like are the fresh air Nigeria needs. The people who cried themselves hoarse over zoning and Northern presidency are the same people falling for his pretence for rapprochement. He has so bamboozled these political zombies that they believe they can enter into an agreement with him to do only one term and return power to them. The man must have abundant political charm and charisma to be able to manipulate all these politicians, but I believe it is more than that. The witches and wizards that worked with him against Atiku would be smiling to the bank now.

Meanwhile, history has shown that you cannot deceive the people all the time as Mubarak, Ben Ali and Gaddafi can testify. The funny thing about deception is that it ends up deceiving the deceiver himself. Nigerians are beginning to see the fruits of deception. After ten months as president of Nigeria, Jonathan has no clue where the country is going and has spent all his time buying support—just as the colonial masters did in the client-master type of politics. The economy is comatose, there is no safety of life and property, and the ship of state is stinking and sinking.

Nigerians must brace to the fact that Jonathan’s presidency is first and foremost to promote and protect the political and economic fortunes of his political group within and outside the PDP. Nigerians must not be deceived into believing that Jonathan is popular. He pays any amount even if it means borrowing to buy support to get political power. And then he gets lost on what to do with the power. He over patronized a section of the media so much so that we hardly know the truth from propaganda, as Nigeria has become a commodity for the highest bidder—and nobody wants to be on the losing side. People today flow to Jonathan because that is where the money is. They forget that the structural-functionalist nature of society makes all members of society victims of wrong leadership, whether they like it or not.

Our president needs to come clean with Nigerians on his weaknesses and allow those with the character and spirit to take the country out of the woods. His confessions to the Americans last year, according to Wikileaks, represent the true portrait of the real Jonathan—timid, fearful, weak and opportunistic.

Those who want to take power from Jonathan must know that those who misunderstand the real meaning of power and end up abusing power will never let it go without a fight. Think about it: If Jonathan leaves power today, where does he go, the classroom or business? Neither. He is therefore on a suicide mission that simply translates to: It is either I win or I die. It is a variant of his godfather’s do-or-die politics.

From now on, Nigerians must begin to organize and mobilize for change whether Jonathan wins or not. If nothing is done by the masses and if there is no signal of an impending catastrophe in the form of a people’s resistance, the PDP will rig and damn the consequence. They will argue that the courts are there for electoral disputes. And while that is going on, the settlement scheme introduced by his mentor and good friend IBB would be unleashed. 

Compared to such peers as Malaysia, India, and Brazil, Nigeria has drifted far away from the mark. As the father of the late Umaru Musa Yar’dua said in the First Republic, while the world is running towards the North, Nigeria is running fast towards the South, obviously in the wrong direction. With Jonathan as president, Nigeria will continue to go southward—at dizzying speed.

More Updates On The Libyan Uprising

Libyans step on Gaddafi

Yesterday, the United States closed its embassy in Tripoli, Libya. According to the New York Times, Obama’s administration made the announcement as soon as the last American in Libya had been evacuated.

The administration also ratcheted up pressure on Col. Muammar el-Qadhafi by imposing unilateral sanctions against Libya. The sanctions included a freeze of the Libyan government assets which is estimated to be in billions of dollars. Also included in the freeze were assets of Col. Qadhafi, three of Gaddafi's sons – heir apparent Seif al-Islam, Khamis and Muatassim – and a daughter, Aisha as well as other top government officials involved in the violent crackdown.

“It’s clear that Colonel Qaddafi has lost the confidence of his people,” said the White House press secretary, Jay Carney. “His legitimacy has been reduced to zero.”

The Associated Press reported on Friday that after issuing a formal executive order freezing the American-held assets of Colonel Qaddafi, his children and family, and senior members of the Libyan government, President Obama is exploring other options to help protect the people of Libya from Col. Qadhafi. The options on the table included an imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya

The ferry carrying 167 Americans finally arrived at Malta on Friday. Long delayed by high waves in the Mediterranean Sea, CNN reported stories of horror seen in Libya by the evacuated Americans. A charter plane carrying additional Americans also left Libya on Friday.

President Nicolas Sarkozy of France called on Col. Qadhafi to resign. He made the call while on a visit to Turkey. The French leader leads a more aggressive response from the European Union which has imposed its own freeze of assets of Libyan government and top officials.

Reuters reported Friday that the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, unanimously condemned Libya for its violent crackdown of protesters.  The body launched an investigation into possible crimes against humanity by Gadhafi and members of his regime. As part of its resolution, Libya was suspended from the U. N. body.

Meanwhile, Libyan diplomats to the Human Rights Council announced their defection. They pledged their support with the people of Libya determined to end the 42- year old regime of Col. Gadhafi.

Similarly, The Herald Sun reported Friday that the Libyan ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Shalgham, has followed in the footsteps of his deputy and defected:
"Please, the United Nations, save Libya. Let there be no bloodshed, no killing of innocents. We want a decisive, rapid and courageous resolution from you," Mr Shalgham told the Security Council.

Time magazine on Friday published an interview with a Libyan woman whose family had been part of the opposition to Gadhafi for years. In the interview the woman named Rahma, said that Gadhafi’s health should offer an insight into his behavior.

"He's obviously insane, and most people who heard his voice yesterday are sure it wasn't his, that it was just someone they found to imitate his crazy ranting," she comments. "But because it's all so confused and no one knows where he really is, people just hope the rumors that he's sick and in poor health are true and that he dies quickly so this can end."

Meanwhile, the Guardian of London reported Friday that Gadhafi’s son, Saif al Islam Gadhafi, held a press conference in Tripoli where he claimed that the Libyan armed forces were ‘holding back’ in its dealings with rebels. He said that his father’s administration would want to negotiate with the rebels. "We are dealing with terrorists ...” Saif al Islam said, “The army decided not to attack the terrorists, and to give a chance to negotiation. Hopefully we will do it peacefully and will do so by tomorrow."