Habeeb I. Pindiga & Abbas Jimoh
1 September 2008
Abuja — There is uncertainty yesterday over the state of health of President Umaru Yar'adua, with government officials insisting that the president is very well in spite of reports that he underwent surgery in a Saudi hospital.
Yar'adua left for Saudi Arabia penultimate Wednesday ostensibly to perform the Muslim lesser hajj (umrah). He was to proceed to Brazil, where he was to commission the Nigeria Cultural House last Friday.
But the president cancelled the Brazil trip at the last minute because of what officials said were "developments" that needed the president's immediate attention elsewhere. No details were, however, given and the president stayed back in Saudi Arabia.
Before Yar'adua left Nigeria 12 days ago, unconfirmed reports said he was actually going to Saudi Arabia for medical attention.
The Federal Government last week dispelled the reports of the president's ill-health and said he was still performing umrah in Saudi Arabia. The lesser hajj takes a few hours to perform.
Reports at the weekend said Yar'adua had undergone surgery at the Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah. Rumours pervaded Abuja yesterday that the president was in a critical health condition.
In an apparent bid to contain the rumours, Minister of Information and Communication John Odey and his foreign affairs counterpart Ojo Maduekwe yesterday reiterated that the president was very well and would soon return to Nigeria. But none of the ministers confirmed or denied the reports of surgery on the president.
In a short statement emailed to Daily Trust in Abuja yesterday, Odey said, "The Federal Government wishes to appreciate the concern that has been raised in the newspapers and some sections of the media over the past few days on the state of health of Mr. President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'adua.
"The Federal Government wishes to restate here that Mr President is very well and healthy. He is in good health to steer the affairs of the state to bring about better livelihood for the generality of the people of Nigeria. He is expected back in Nigeria soon after his trip to Saudi Arabia where he has gone on lesser hajj. We urge all Nigerians to continue to support this administration to achieve the development goals of the country."
Maduekwe, who spoke on the BBC Focus on Africa monitored in Abuja yesterday, said the health of the president was not "something to cause consternation."
He said, "The president is in good shape, functioning quite normally, there is no basis for the rumours going around or indeed the alarm."
Asked when last he spoke with the president, Madue-kwe said, "I have been in touch with him."
Neither Maduekwe nor Odey could say specifically when the president would return to Nigeria.
Yar'adua's health has been a source of controversy even before he became president. He has a long history of kidney-related ailment and was said to have had a renal transplant years ago.
In the heat of the presidential campaign last year, Yar'adua reportedly slumped and was rushed to a German hospital. Rumours of his death followed, but he later recovered and returned to Nigeria. Earlier in the year, he had to rush to the German hospital again for treatment of what officials said was allergy to anti-malaria drugs.
The latest confusion over his health came after the president in May spoke on his medical history. He had said that as a human being he was bound to fall ill every now and then.
The Action Congress (AC) yesterday accused government officials of telling lies over the president's health.
In a statement in Abuja, AC's national publicity secretary Lai Mohammed said the government's information managers have failed the nation by their inability to manage the information concerning the President's health.
Mohammed said, "What should have earned the President the sympathy and prayers of his country men and women has again become a matter for wild speculations, no thanks to an inept information machinery. The state of the President's health is an important issue. It should neither be politicised nor trivialised
"We recall that while in office, (unelected) President Ibrahim Babangida told Nigerians when he was going abroad for radiculopathy treatment. Much more is expected from an 'elected' President."
He added, "The veil of secrecy surrounding Yar'adua's health can only lead to unhealthy rumours, which will in turn create an atmosphere of panic over his (President's) health status – with dire implications for the country's overall wellbeing. As the President, Yar'adua is the father of the nation. The health of the father cannot be kept as a secret from his children."
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Lai, don't blame the messenger who is acting on the command of his master (Yar is famous for diverting blame to his minnions for his own lack of vision) - is it not the same President and his image makers that were floating ideas left and right to sample the public opinion b4 the "Servant Leader" makes a pronouncement or deny the previous blurb as mere rumors in his effort to smell like a rose. We witnessed it on the issue of Naira denomination, to Ribadu's sacking among a plethora of rumors and innuendos "Ruse" (as my favorite commentator promptly observed shortly after Yar was innugurated). Why would "the people" empathise with a "Servant leader" who cares little about "the people" he ought to be serving instead of covering up the "ruling elite" that has bankrupted the nation over the years but are now parading about with their loot while the reformers are in hiding for doing good - (I guess "no good deed goes unpunished" is the motto of this administration) They have turned "the people" into beggars in their own land, that have to be fed (to keep their mouth shut) for 30 days during Fast breaking instead of teaching them how to fish for a lifetime by providing them with jobs and skills (education) that would fetch good income enough for a man to be man and free enough to take care of his own family instead of relying on govt handout that will last only a few days then back to square one. There is no guarantee that the oposition can do better either, perhaps with the exception of Buhari, if Jonathan feels he is too weak and incapable of moving this nation forward at this critical juncture. We have no time to wait for one man to get well while the nation continues to grows sicker by the minute (with no health facilities in every local govt areas to cater for the poor). Its time to move on.
I think Nigerian Authorities have to be more explicit about the information been given on President Yar Adua present health condition because i think that it is not ridiculising for Nigerains to know more about our President health condition.As a patriot i wish the president quick recovery so as for him to continue to directs the state affairs normally and i also urge all Nigerians to continue to pray for Nigeria and our President.(MAY GOD BLESS NIGERIA AMEN)