3rd July, 2012
Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
There was drama at the meeting of President Jonathan’s Economic Management Team on Tuesday as the suspended Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh made a surprise appearance.
Oteh who was a member of the EMT based on her former position as the SEC boss was suspended as the boss of the Commission some weeks ago.
Therefore, it was expected that she will also cease from being of EMT and allow Ibrahim Bello, who has been appointed acting DG of the Commission to take over from her as member of the Team.
Bello was however not present at the meeting.
But she appeared at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, the usual venue of the meeting and was allowed to participate in place of the acting SEC boss, though this was not without some initial drama.
The former SEC DG first appeared at the Chambers at about 1.30pm and went straight for the seat reserved for DG SEC.
But she had hardly settled on the seat before a female protocol staff approached her approached her and engaged her in a discussion for some seconds.
After the discussion, Oteh, who was clutching two handbags, left the Council chambers with the protocol official towards the direction of the President’s office.
Oteh and the Protocol official came back to the Chamber some minutes later.
Oteh went back to her seat and later walked to the other side of the hall where she consulted with the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Again, after the consultation, she carried her two bags and headed towards the President’s Office.
But she returned again to take her seat at the Chambers some minutes later before the arrival of the President who kicked off the meeting.