By Nwamkpa Modestus
I may have to disappoint the expectations of some of my fans or readers who might expect me to delve into full discussion concerning the actual health situation of our President Muhammadu Buhari. I will not entirely do that not because of any other thing but mainly because I do not have the facts of the matter. As I write, I am not even aware of the actual Hospital that our President is neither do I have the details of his health status.
However, I am particularly disturbed just like many other Nigerians with the unverified rumor surrounding his health and the unfortunate and bizarre manner this issue is being handled by the so called presidential ‘Cabals’. Well, one thing is clear here; the president is a human being and he is not immune to sickness just like you and I. Again, another thing that is also very clear here is the fact that Nigerians deserve the right to know or enquire at any point in time the whereabouts including the health status of a man whom they voted to be their President. Such demands from Nigerians are quite innocuous and inoffensive and that is why I am beginning to lose my balance with the way some of the characters around Mr President are handling the matter.
Clearly, this could be a sad reminisce of what happened in 2010 when the issue of late Yar’dua was being mishandled allegedly by the same Cabals. Anyway, all is now history.
Permit me to say that in the business of Information management, both the dispensers or purveyors and peddlers of information must all meet at the junction of Truth and correctness. Otherwise, misinformation, suspicion and rumor will reign supreme leaving the large percentage of the people confused, bewildered and ultimately misinformed.
Now, our president penultimate week communicated to the senate in line with section 145 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 as amended about his desire to commence a ten day leave in order to attend to his health abroad. This time he headed to London where his Doctors were already expectant of his arrival for a medical trip that would only last for just 10 working days. Just less than five days after he had left the shores of Nigeria, the social media went viral from a quarter I do not know that Mr. President was dead. Haba! It is wicked, inhuman and uncharitable for anybody to wish his fellow human let alone a President of the country death. It is unchristian and antithetical to humanism.
In the first place, the ten expected days have not elapsed and the President did not come back. I wish he could he comes back on or before the ten days period, Why not we wait until the expiration of the date he said he would return! Although, as I earlier said that Nigerians have the right to insist on knowing the actual whereabouts of their President but obviously nobody has the right to wish Mr. President Death. Again, the so called ‘Cabal’ inside the Presidential villa do not have right to deny the people answers to that question of ‘Where is Mr Pesident?.
NLC last week demanded that President Buhari talked to Nigerians as a prove that he is hale and hearty as claimed by the same ‘Cabal’. Even if he is in a sick bed, what is the big deal about it? After all, he is a human being and can fall sick or subdued to the vagaries of illness. Out rightly, I know that the President is alive because there is no how information to the contrary would be hidden from the world not in this globalised world but what I do not know is if he is in the hospital bed or not. So this dark cloud must be cleared by those who know better because our polity is unnecessarily getting heated up over an avoidable situation.
In any case, i will not talk about this issue again until after February 6th 2017, being the date Mr. President is expected back based on his letter to the senate. No doubt, We have passed through this lane before in our chequered history as a nation. I will therefore wish that Nigerians pray for Mr President’s safe return and also wish that the Cabal should not take us to this inglorious road of hide and seek. Enough of the Cabals. Mr. president, please get well soon.
It is therefore at this stage that as usual I shall momentarily alight from this vehicle of Truth. Maybe, needless to remind you once again that we are still holding our swagger sticks of Truth. Truth remains our only concern at all times as we must continue to profess it uncontaminated and it is only the same Truth that will continue to set us free.
Truthfully, Yours, Nwamkpa Modestus.
