Visit to Mr. President

Dotun Olusi

Unimpeachable facts have emerged for the first time on the true state of President Umar Yar'Adua's health. A close friend of one of the aides to the Presiding Bishop of Living Faith World Outreach Ministries, Dr. David Oyedepo has revealed that contrary to the recent bashing of Bishop David Oyedepo by Nigerians over his non-disclosure of the outcome of his visit to Umar Yar'Adua, the Bishop and other Christian leaders who visited and prayed for the sick president should actually be commended. The aide was alleged to have revealed that reporting what was seen and experienced in Aso rock during the visit of the men of God to Yar'Adua could ignite an unprecedented civil unrest in Nigeria and further consolidate public hatred for the First Lady Mrs. Turai Yar'Adua.

The source swore that his friend, the aide to the Bishop heard Dr. Oyedepo praying afterward because he was deeply disturbed over the level of deteriorating in the physical condition of Umar Yar'Adua and that ordinary Nigerians had been right all along when they suggested that Yar'Adua was in a vegetative state.

According to the aide, Yar'Adua was said to have been so emaciated and sunken. He was met positioned in near upright state specifically for the visit of the Christian leaders and that it was obvious that he was in serious pain throughout the brief visit. Yar'Adua was described as "positively oblivious of his surrounding and seemed lost most of the time". Before the end of the short prayer, "he had fallen flat on the chair which embarrassed the First Lady. He remained motionless afterward, just lying on the chair without talking or shaking anyone although his eyes remained wide open, but he just stared blank into space".

It was also revealed that contrary to the insinuation that the team spent close to 10 minutes with Yar'Adua, they actually spent less than 5 minutes and were told that he had to rest immediately after the second prayer was said by Bishop David Oyedepo. Contrary to the 'grunt' widely credited to Pastor Kure which he allegedly translated to imply an 'amen', the source said that what was uttered was a 'groan' signifying critical level of pain.

Our source confirmed that Yar'Adua is indeed alive but in a vegetative state and that the person the Christian leaders saw would definitely not be able to eat or drink as widely reported nor walk or talk. He added that Turai Yar’Adua was the de facto person in charge as she allegedly took control and choreographed the entire visit including 'revealing' to the Christian leaders that the state they saw Yar'Adua was actually an improvement over what he was before then and that she appeared very desperate in wanting them to believe her statement. After leaving Yar'Adua, the men of God were still held up for upward of one hour by Mrs. Turai Yar'Adua in another large visitors' room inside Aso Rock. She was reported to have used the opportunity to tell them the tribulations she has passed through since president Yar'Adua took ill.

The source added that it was a very difficult choice for Dr. Oyedepo and the other Christian leaders who unlike their Islamic counterparts were afraid of the wrath of God if they should face Nigerians and lie to them. "Hence, instead of lying to Nigerians, the Christian elders decided to be guided by the word of God in Proverbs 16:21 'The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips' hence their prudent silence".