By: Taylor Goodling Published: Thursday, 29 Jan 2009 The remains of the late Governor of Yobe State, Senator Mamman Ali, will arrive from Florida in the United States today for burial in Potiskum. Skip to next paragraph click to expand image Photo file MAMMAN ALI. A source close to the family said on Wednesday that the body would be interred in the community in line with Ali’s father’s directive. The governor died on Tuesday after a prolonged battle with cancer of the blood. His younger brother, Alhaji Abubakar Ali, has been approved by the state House of Assembly as deputy governor. Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam, who was deputy governor, was inagurated as governor few hours after the news of Ali’s death filtered into the country on Tuesday. Abubakar, 41, was until his new appointment the Acting Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Housing. It was unclear as at 9pm on Wednesday if he would be inaugurated today as preparation for his brother’s burial preoccupied the minds of the state’s top government officials. Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, has said that Ali’s death had derailed President Umaru Yar’Adua’s vacation programme. Adeniyi, who spoke with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, said the President will not depart for Obudu Cattle Ranch, Cross River State, until the remains of the late governor had been interred. “Mr. President will leave Abuja after the burial to enjoy whatever remains of his two-week vacation, ” he said. Adeniyi had said on Tuesday that the President will head for the ranch on Wednesday for the first leg of the two-week vacation. Yar’Adua is also slated to spend some days at Dodan Barracks, Lagos, and his home town of Katsina, Katsina State, during the leave that had been mirred in controversy. The presidential spokesman also disclosed that Yar’Adua, who spent most part of Wednesday working in his study at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, had already selected several books he would read during the vacation. The President’s leave had become a subject of controversy since the media reported that he did not inform the Senate and the House of Representatives in writing about it in line with the stipulation in Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution. Adeniyi, who said the President was surprised at the controversy, argued that he was not the proper person to say if the President had complied with the constitutional provision or not “The President has a liaison officer to the National Assembly, who should be able to speak on the matter,” he said. Adeniyi had earlier on Monday said that the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa(SAN), was in a better position to say if the President had written the National Assembly on his leave or not. Aondoakaa is yet to speak on the issue since the controversy broke out. Defending the vacation, Adeniyi said that the timing of the vacation was “most auspicious,” especially as the budget was yet to be passed by the National Assembly. “While awaiting the passage of the 2009 budget by the National Assembly, he needed some time away from the daily demands of his office and away from disturbance, not only to relax, refresh and reflect on governance, but also to engage in intellectual exercise,” he said. The presidential spokesman added that since the inauguration of his government, Yar’Adua had not spent up to 20 days in Katsina. He said, “What people may not know is that altogether, President Yar’Adua has not spent up to 20 days in Katsina since he assumed office, if you total the cumulative number of days we have spent on our visits. “Sometimes we don’t even sleep there. We usually arrive town around mid-day, drive straight to the government lodge, he refreshes and then goes to spend about two hours with his mother. He returns to say his prayers and then we come back to Abuja. “The routine is almost always the same. This time, he said he would need some time away to relax, and ease the stress from the demands of everyday life by escaping from the confines and pressures of office. “The timing is also auspicious because the 2009 budget is still being expected and as at last week, he had lined up some books he said he would read while on vacation. Incidentally, he spent most part of Monday working in his study. “The only good aspect is that there has been practically no disturbance as ministers and governors now go to see the Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.” Adeniyi also disputed claims that Yar’Adua’s predecessor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, never went on vacation. He said that, as a journalist, he was aware that Obasanjo spent quite a considerable time at his farm in Otta, Ogun State, on vacation. In Lagos, the authorities of the state Police Command, hinted that they were yet to be informed that Yar‘Adua would spend part of his vacation in the state. Investigations revealed on Wednesday that the command was not putting in place any extra-security measure for the President‘s stay in the state. A highly-placed source in the command who spoke with one of our correspondents said, “It is true that if the Commander-in-Chief will spend part of his vacation in Lagos, all security agencies including the police are naturally expected to collaborate to ensure a hitch-free stay, security wise. “But this can only be done if and when the command is officially briefed on the issue. As at today, I can confidently tell you that we have not received such briefing or directive. “Since nothing cannot be built on nothing, therefore, it follows that we do not need to put any extra security in place until we are asked to do so.” When contacted on the telephone, the command‘s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, said that the issue was beyond him.