By Okolo Chimennma
I have seriously refrained myself from speaking on the new drama unfolding with regard to the health status of President Mohamadu Buhari and how information has been handled by supposed trained media professionals.
Now that he has failed to return, it is obvious that maybe something is not right and his handlers have been less than truthful about his situation.
Sometimes I sit back and can’t fathom why we as a people elevate the mundane and trample on real issues.
The President wrote to the NASS on his desire to go for a 10 day vacation during which time he would visit his doctors (you can call it medical vacation if you like) and informing them that Prof. Osinbajo will be in charge.
He was meant to resume office by Monday 6th February 2017.
However, not soon after he left the media was awash with speculations as to his health status with some claiming he is dead or in a vegetative state, instead of his media managers to quickly douse the speculations with tangible information they masturbated all over the social media in an uncoordinated manner. Femi Adesina will say one thing, Garba Shehu another and still oga Lai will give us his own disjointed version.
Asking Nigerians to pray for Gen. Buhari when you declare him fit as a fiddle is hypocrisy taken too far!
If President Buhari is fit why pray for his health? If he is on vacation why the specific call to pray for his health? We are a religious people but hey what will be our prayer point?
All Nigerians desire is an honest answer to two simple questions; to wit;
- a) Is the President sick?
- b) If yes to (a) above what aileth him?
The attempt to bluster away the peoples’ concern with such inane posts as that “Buhari doesn’t need to speak to his fellow countrymen because he is on vacation” is extremely duplicitous and an irritating reminder that the presidency under the APC led government is averse to transparency.
I recall the loquacious Lai Muhammed in his hey days as the spokesman of the ACN during the 2009 imbroglio demanded transparency now he is in charge and wants to arrest people for asking after the man 15m Nigerians put in Aso Rock.
Buhari is now Nigeria’s property and servant and he can’t just abscond while the garden, dishes and other things are unattended to without letting us (his bosses) know why!
All the rumours about the death of Buhari is a reaction to the poor management of Information from the Presidency and it won’t go away until the people are told the truth or he returns; whichever comes first.
There is nothing wrong in Buhari been sick, but everything is wrong in how information has been managed.
In advanced democracies the health information about their leaders are open to all their citizens.
PS- By the way with all the money been “expended” on the National Hospital why was he not taken there? Why are we paying a personal physician for him here when he has his personal doctor in London?
Was it not this same Buhari at Chatham House who declared that if he wins no more medical tourism? What is he doing in an UK hospital?
Buhari lacks integrity!
This one na talk for another day.
Okolo Chimennma is a lawyer, youth activist, political commentator and environmental rights campaigner.
