|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
While the rumour of the President’s death fermented and brewed, all thanks to the unnecessary secrecy of the President and his aides. Many persons, including myself decided it was untimely to comment. We thought that since the President had said he would be back on the 5th of February to resume “work” on the 6th. The benefit of doubt was strongly in his favour. Many of us eagerly awaited the 5th,the same way we are eagerly awaiting the 2019 general elections. The reasons are obvious.
During this wait period, I tried to occupy myself with the affairs of the presidency, its budget etc. One thing that caught my attention was how the presidency computes time. While embarking on his trip, the President said he was going on a 10 days working vacation. Starting from the 19th of January to end on the 5th of February. No matter how it is counted, the 19th of January to the 5th of February exceeds 10 days. Some quarters claim that in the letter he wrote to the Senate, the leave was meant to start on the 23rd of January. If this is true, then why did he leave on the 19th?
Back to the 5th of February. On this faithful day, Femi Adesina, our once respected colleague in the fourth estate, announced that the president wouldn’t be returning because he needs more time to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.
Another colleague, Garba Shehu, said the president’s doctor had assured him the president wasn’t in any serious condition. He said, “the President and his delegation were ready to come home on the 5th but for the delayed test result which came in yesterday necessitated that he delays his return”.
Not only was the President not returning on the 5th, his expected return is now indefinite and unknown. This has raised the question: is the president dead or terminally ill?
The questions are inevitable when the president’s advisers on media and publicity are saying two different things. While Garba’s statement posits that the president is only awaiting results. Adesina’s statement is saying that Mr Buhari has to undergo more tests. One is tempted to ask, can’t these results be sent via email or through any other means?
As the story builds up, the Acting President, Yemi Osibanjo, isn’t left out in this interesting plot. He said the President is hale and hearty and that he is keeping the President abreast with the 2017 budget and the protests. The Senate President and the Speaker of the House have also being enrolled as casts in this melodrama. Apart from speaking with the president they have also paid him a visit.
Isn’t it fishy that the only persons the President has spoken to, are either his employees or his party members? Despite the clamour of 15,424,921 Nigerians who voted for him and the several other millions who didn’t vote for him but have accepted him as their President. Rather, they are left with third-parties to pass on his message but it’s lost in transit. We would have been spared this high-tension drama if we saw and heard him speak. The impression is that President Buhari is obstinate and Nigerians aren’t worth his time or because he isn’t “there”.
Even when Lia Mohammed informed us that President Buhari isn’t and wasn’t in the hospital but was in Abuja House in London. Nigerians in London, took out time from their busy schedules to see the President but the President didn’t also speak nor see them. But he was able to welcome Bola Tinubu and Bisi Akande. Our dear Femi Adesina quickly uploaded the pictures on his Facebook page. The refusal of President Buhari to speak to Nigerians evidences that contrary to his claim during his inauguration that he belongs to everyone i.e Nigerians. He indeed belongs to some people and he is serving their interests.
In a similar vein, the call of President Trump to Buhari doesn’t prove anything in favour of the health status of Buhari. It isn’t conclusive evidence that all is well. Moreover how are we even sure that the person Trump spoke to was Buhari? Trump doesn’t know Buhari’s voice. I doubt if a speech recognition device was used to ascertain that the person speaking was Buhari.
While the presidency is eager to convince Nigerians that the President is hale and hearty by encouraging the principal officers of government to admit they’ve spoken with the President and by showing pictures. They have failed in even convincing themselves. If they had convinced Nigerians, Tinubu, Akande, Saraki and Dogara wouldn’t have gone to check on Buhari. His numerous media and publicity aides should advise him on the damage his secrecy is doing to his remaining image & publicity. Isn’t what they are paid for?
What they have only achieved -albeit indirectly- is to oil the wheels of the rumour mill and stir our curiosity and impatience. They aren’t realising that the mere fact that the President spoke on the phone with 6 persons isn’t proof that the President is alive neither does it negate the possibility that he is gravely ill and therefore incapacitated for governance.
The uncommon silence of the First lady, Aisha Buhari is not making things any easier and all these are reasons to worry
While we appreciate that sickness is default to every human being and as such shouldn’t be joked with. I don’t think that power/leadership is default to every human being. Consequently it shouldn’t also be joked with.
Although there is no constitutional requirement mandating the President to disclose his health status. He shouldn’t act mischievously and enjoy the lacuna of the law. If Buhari is a man of integrity and honour as he prides himself to be, he should be open and transparent. This path is not uncommon. Just last month, without the heavens falling, the Minnesota Governor, Mark Dayton announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer a week earlier.
That’s why I wouldn’t agree with some Nigerians including Victor Attah, who say that Nigerians have no right to discuss Buhari’s health. Rather we should be praying and praying.
I would agree with them if Buhari was a private citizen. But the moment he contested the election he lost some privacy and when he won more privacy was lost. Not only is Buhari not a private citizen; he is akin to a public property. He is maintained with public funds. His accommodation, feeding, security, transportation etc are all from public funds. Even his trip to the UK, the treatment he has received and the many more he will receive are all paid from public funds. Though absentfrom work his salary and other perks of government are guaranteed.
Nigeria’s problems are enormous. Healthy person haven’t been able to effectively bear the weight of the office. At this time, when the nation is inflicted with economic recession, we desire a brave and healthy leadership to quicken our recovery process. It will be unfair also to suffer leadership recession.
Joshua B. Nwachukwu is a lawyer and a writer
