Re: Yar’adua’s health–upping the ante

I also want to give kudos to Tope for using the internet to google the medical conditions and ailments of past leaders of the developed countries of America and Europe to support the rather skewed logic he desperately (albeit unsuccessfully), tried to force down our conscious and well-informed psyche.  Kudos to Tope, once more, in […]

I also want to give kudos to Tope for using the internet to google the medical conditions and ailments of past leaders of the developed countries of America and Europe to support the rather skewed logic he desperately (albeit unsuccessfully), tried to force down our conscious and well-informed psyche.  Kudos to Tope, once more, in aptly reminding us of the excellent human qualities and personal character Yar’adua possesses, and the few accomplishments he has been able to chalk up for himself during his rather tumultuous presidential tenure.

I, however, vehemently disagree with the dismissive and elitist tone used in his comments as to the concerns raised by well-meaning Nigerians following the incessant hospital visits of the president, the seriousness of his health condition, and the seriouness for which the issue should be handled. These concerns stem from the fact that the well-being of the Nigerian state and its approximately 150 million population is at stake. Tope’s effort at shutting-up and thrashing the candid voices that raised legitimate and valid concerns reminds me of the proverbial ostrich that buried her head in the sand.

I am very sure that Tope can attest to the kind human nature/spirit of millions of Nigerians. To buttress this fact, none of the comments that have been expressed by Nigerians has ever wished President Yar’Adua dead. Comments on the vexed issue of the president’s ill-health have only been advices for him to resign in order to take care of his deteriorating health condition. It is pertinent to state here that any excessive comment(s) have only gone to show the frustration(s) of commentator(s) as to why someone would be so sick, yet doggedly hold on to the reins of power. Or is he the Messiah that has come to salvage Nigeria?

The attempts to equate the ill-healths of former American and European presidents to that of Yar’Adua also greatly surprise me. I am sure discerning Nigerians would be perplexed as the motives for comparing the medical conditions that afflicted and affected these presidents almost a century ago to that of Yar’adua. I make bold to state here that there exists no platform for comparison whatsoever. It should be pointed out that the world must have turned 360 degrees more than twice between the eras referred to and the present. Moreover, it would be a gargantuan exercise to even try to list the numbers of economic, cultural, socio-political changes, events of war, peace, terror, government/regime changes, accomplishments, innovations, etc that has occurred in all spheres of lives, all over the world in the intervening periods between the 1940s and present date. The only tenable fibre of comparison I can subscribe to here would be the descriptive noun of “President”.

In the present global and competitive environment, plagued not only by vigorous jostling for economic, political and military relevance by the big, small, powerful and not-so-powerful countries, but also by multi-faceted socio-cultural, political, environmental, and ecological upheavals, not even the countries Tope made reference to, would dare elect a president that is not “as fit as a fiddle”. Note here that being human, an elected president could become ill after he has been sworn into office. This however is not the case with Yar’Adua whose poor health conditions were known to all, but at the same time stylishly shrouded and disguised by “The King Makers” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The sick candidate Yar’Adua couldn’t even withstand the rigours of the 2007 presidential campaign. Or do we need a reminder as to the Obasanjo speaker-phone campaign stunt?

It would also be foolhardy to subscribe to Tope’s logic that this issue is not serious enough and thus, does not warrant the attention, hue and cry it is being given. Be reminded that the world is presently a constantly-changing, inter-twined and inter-dependent global economy, where agility and proactiveness, driven by the power of information technology is the name of the game. In this clime, the functions of running the affairs of a state do not require a “Part-time” or “Absentee” president in whatever guise. This point becomes even more critical when you consider a nation-state as diverse as Nigeria, with her numerous underlying problems of ethnicity, constitution amendment wahala, resource control/Niger Delta, federal character, tribalism, security, infrastructures, political uncertainties/upheavals, etc. Come on Tope. If I do not know that you were made of finer stuffs, I would have classified you as a government apologist that has been silenced or bought over by an appointment or a juicy contract.

Irrespective of Nigeria’s internal turmoil and developmental problems, the country definitely commands the status to be well-represented on the world stage. Need Nigerians be reminded that since being sworn in as the president of the Federal Republic, Yar’Adua has not featured on the global stage, or in any of the important forums where the destinies of nations are decided and affected. Or does Tope reckon that the presence of Ojo Maduekwe and Michael Aondoakaa as representatives to these forums actually equates to the presence of the president?

I sincerely wish President Yar’adua quick recovery as he battles his ailments. He however urgently needs to resign his appointment as no singular Nigerian is bigger than the country. At present, Nigeria is at an abysmal level when matched against all developmental indicators. The country definitely needs the services of an able, strong and healthy president to tackle the onerous task of governing 150 million diverse, deprived, angry, hungry, infrastructure-less, education-less, health-less, homeless, etc Nigerians in this present day of the 21st century.

My advice that the president resigns is devoid of any ulterior motive as I consider all lives sacrosanct. I am sure Yar’Adua himself would attest to the fact that there are equally qualified (probably more qualified) and healthier Nigerians to run the country. He remains a president for life and has earned his seat as a member of a select few of past presidents that act as an advisory body, and contribute in no small measures to the running of Nigeria.

Oluwi Victor Abayomi, Dublin Ireland, [email protected]