Editorial: Buhari’s Health and Imperatives for Full Disclosure
For the second time in three weeks, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday failed to attend the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which held in the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting was presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. The president had first stayed away from the FEC meeting a fortnight ago without prior notice and the meeting was cancelled. Consequently, his absence generated concern about the state of his health. Information Minister Alhadji Lai Mohammed tepidly explained that Buhari had decided to “rest” at home. The minister said Buhari has requested that all important files be sent to him at home; from where he will be working, during this period of unspecified rest. This is an insult to the collective intelligence of Nigerians. The president cannot be resting at home and working at the same time. That Buhari is sick is no longer in doubt. The responsibilities of the office of the president are exalting. In the interest of transparency, Nigerians need know what is afflicting their President. The secrecy around the President’s health, which has long been the currency in official circles, can no longer be said to be in the public interest.
While the storm over Buhari’s health has been compounded by this latest request for to rest and work from home, the task of leading Nigeria suffers. Nigerians are therefore asking questions as to who now leads the country. The president has not availed himself of Section 145 of the constitution. He neither notified the National Assembly of his indisposition; nor transferred his powers to the vice-president. The question now becomes: who is in charge? Who is making the important decisions that affect the lives of millions of Nigerians? Without unduly emphasizing it, Nigerians are becoming increasingly restless over Buhari’s health condition, fueling suspicions that all is not well with the president.
Making so much fuss about Buhari’s health is a distraction from the life and death challenges facing the nation. Buhari is human and prone to illness like anyone else. And as a human being, he is likely to suffer occasional bouts of ill health. There is nothing in human nature that says the president cannot fall ill. However, the secretive disposition of the President’s handlers and their poor judgment seem to have fueled the wild speculations about his condition. It is certainly not a crime for anyone to be indisposed but in the case of a sitting President, the farcical excuses and labored explanations by the presidency has only fueled rumor mongering and unnecessary speculations. Even just for reasons of decorum, of respect for the Nigerian people, a sense of propriety and consideration for the best practices in public office, the presidency should be even with the Nigerians by informing the people what is afflicting the man they elected to be their president.
When Buhari returned to the country last month after sojourning in London on medical leave, he did not disclose the ailment for which he received treatment. Buhari flew to London on January 19, officially on holiday and to have what his office said was “routine medical check-ups” but on the eve of his expected return on February 5, his office announced he had extended his stay to receive medical test results. He had travelled to London in June last year to receive treatment for what was described as a persistent inner ear infection. But his prolonged stay raised questions about what kind of ear infection and drew parallels with the 2010 death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from a long-standing, but previously undisclosed, kidney complaint. On this, history should have even been a guide. This same drama played out each time the late Yar’Adua was indisposed until he passed on.
After returning to the country amid wild rumors and speculations, the president did not give any indication of his illness but said “I have received, I think, the best of treatment I could receive. I couldn’t recall being so sick since I was a young man,” he added, referring to “blood transfusions, going to the laboratories and so on and so forth”. But he said he was “pleased to be back”, although he disclosed that he may need “further follow-up within some weeks.” Yar’Adua’s illness and treatment abroad triggered months of political uncertainty, leading to the infamous doctrine of necessity, until then vice-president Jonathan, took over after his death. Nigerians are wary of history repeating itself. And the same shoddy information management system has been responsible for so much of the tension in the land. While Buhari was away, his aides had to counter persistent rumors, especially on social media, that he was dead, despite photographs showing him looking pale and painfully thin in meetings with senior Nigerian politicians.
While Buhari’s decision to go abroad for medical check-up has understandably generated a heated debate and sometimes harsh condemnation, his action is not really an exception. Indeed, practically every Nigerian who can afford it does the same. The problem however, is that no one has confirmed what’s ailing the President and, in the absence of official information, speculation and rumor has dominated the headlines. It hardly matters if the rumors are true or not; official silence implies they are true. No smoke without fire. From his physical demeanor, Nigerians can see that the president is showing more wear and tear mostly in his frail and diminished frame, the declining swagger of his gait and the deterioration in his voice. The President’s men insist all is fine even when Buhari cuts the picture of a man isolated, frail, distraught, distracted and completely out of touch. This, of course, is the shame.
There is nothing sacred about the health of the president. The president is a public figure, at least in his capacity as head of state. A public figure enjoys limited privacy. If Buhari is in poor health, it is in the public interest to inform the nation. A culture of secrecy undermines rather than enhances the image of the government. Better communication over what Buhari is suffering from, what the prognosis is and even some comment from the President himself would go a long way to ending all these speculations.
Comments
Post a Comment