Leadership (Abuja)
31 August 2008
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua received kidney transplant in faraway Saudi Arabia, LEADERSHIP SUNDAY can authoritatively reveal.
It was learnt that the operation was undertaken at the King Abdulaziz Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This has put to rest the many speculations about the president's health.
During the last week, there was anxiety over the president's health. Government claimed he was in the Arabian country performing the Ummrah, a Muslim religious pilgrimage. Speculations had been rife that the president was hospitalised at the Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital in Jeddah. But nobody knew what ailment he was being treated for.
Anxiety over Yar'Adua's health peaked again with his failure to travel for an earlier scheduled visit to Brazil. It was learnt that an advance team of the president had been in the South American country only to learn that the president would not make the trip. Instead, a spokesman for the deputy chief of mission for Brazil in Abuja told a bewildered public that the visit to his country by the Nigerian president had been cancelled.
At first, the minister of foreign affairs, Ojo Maduekwe, said that the visit to the president was not cancelled but rescheduled. Also, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) told the public that the president was hale and hearty in Saudi Arabia and performing the lesser Hajj, Ummrah.
When the president travelled out on August 20, he went in company of a lean entourage comprising his wife, daughter, chief security officer, two other security aides and two medical doctors - one Nigerian and the other foreign. This created a bit of suspicion. But even more curious for many was the claim by government officials that the president had gone for the lesser Hajj. This was because the Ummrah, some adherants believe, is performed during the period of fasting.
But with the recent revelation of the successful kidney transplant for the president, all speculations as to the president's health have been confirmed.
Attempts made to get a response from government on the matter was not successful. Repeated calls to Segun Adeniyi, special adviser on media to President Yar'Adua, got no response. LEADERSHIP SUNDAY also exclusively gathered that the president is fast recuperating from the operation and would be back in the country soon.
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No amount of Fasting or doctor's care or transplant can cure a callous heart. While on Lesser Hajj, Yar better pray harder for God's forgiveness for his sin for cancelling the construction of health care facilities in every local govt areas of the federation that the previous administration planned to cater of the poor (99% of the electorates - Yar's boss). Even the Quran teaches that care of the poor is a bedrock of Islam. A self described "Servant Leader" that do not care a hoot about the number of poor Nigerians dying everyday for lack of basic treatment of preventable diseases like Malaria, does not deserve the anxiety of the nation in return except among the less than 5000 "ruling elites" that have held 140 million Nigerians hostage in their own land for even daring to criticise their callous and correupt tormentors - the govt.
It is really funny that it is only in Nigeria that the state of health of the President is not in the public domain. What is wrong with Yaradua coming clean and telling his country that he is sick or as in this case, that he had gone for a kidney transplant. I weep for Nigeria. Such a pity that all the old men in the FEC cannot tell the truth concerning their boss. Anyway, if you don't tell us what ailment you are sffering from, we will know when you die.
MAKE THE MAN DIE, MAKE WE ELECT OUR NATURAL RULER........ NAA GOD YEE VERDICT
AS A TRUE NIGERIAN I WISH THE PRESIDENT QUICK RECOVERY, AND MY ADVICE TO MY FELLOW COUNTRY MEN, IS TO PRAY FOR THE PRESIDENT, AND FOR OUR DEAR COUNTRY. BROTHERS AND SISTERS, LET US FOCUS ON THE WAY FORWARD NOT BACKWARD.
As a true Nigerian like Albosuye, I wish the President Quick recovery. We all Know that to run a great nation like ours is not at all easy. We need you Mr.President!
I wish the selected president fast recovery.My advice for
him is for him to resign, and take care of his health.The country will still be govern if he dies.
Did Obasanjo know of the frail health of his protegé? Was it a strategie to have a lame duck after him so as not to face any prosecution for state crimes? It is high time Voters in Africa have the constitutional right to know the state of health of their leaders to be for reasons of state security. The old order shall die!
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While on Lesser Hajj, Yar better pray harder for God's forgiveness for his sin for cancelling the construction of health care facilities in every local govt areas of the federation that the previous admin planned to cater of the poor (99% of the electorates - Yar's boss), while he, Mr. Yar can fly, at govt's expenses, abroad with his family to receive medical care that is not available to the rest of us. Even the Quran teaches that caring for the poor is a bedrock of Islam instead of cutting off the poor's arms for stealing food that they lack to feed their families due to govt inaction and greed. A self described "Servant Leader" that do not care a hoot about the number of poor Nigerians dying everyday for lack of basic health treatment of preventable diseases like Malaria, does not deserve the anxiety of the nation in return except among the less than 5000 "ruling elites" that have held 140 million Nigerians hostage in their own land for even daring to criticise their tormentors - an unresponsive govt.