YAR’ADUA: WHEN ALLAH’S MEN LIE!

AUSTYN OGANNAH



Until lately, I had deliberately chosen to refrain from making comments or writing openly about the state of health of President Umaru Yar’Adua and his rumoured recovery because I felt I owed it to the sick leader, to rest and recover in God’s appointed time, after all no one is above falling sick.

However, very recent developments including reports being strategically planted in the media by some Islamic clerics, anti-constitution elements and their collaborating media owners, claiming that they presumably met and prayed for Yar’Adua at the Presidential Villa has drawn me back into this conversation.

Particularly, the statement below, credited to Dr. Datti Ahmad, President of the Supreme Council of Sharia in Nigeria, in an interview with The Nation, a local newspaper, is the basis for this opinion.

Dr. Ahmad said: "We met the President around 5.00 pm late in the afternoon. Contrary to what some people have been saying, the President is not in a situation where he is almost dead; he is only sick.

"He was sitting down on a dinning chair when we came in and met him. He was not being supported by anybody but himself, he was sitting down calmly. He did not look like someone who is almost dead.

"When we entered, we were not sure of what we were going to meet. So we entered and stood at a respectable distance and greeted him. He extended his hand to us and we shook it one by one. This is contrary to the view of those who keep saying he doesn’t know where he is.

"After that, we prayed for his health. He joined us in the prayers, raising his hands the way we raised our own; his lips were moving. When we finished, we told him we only came to greet him. He shook hands with us.

"We did not wait as such after that. However, we told him that we just wanted to see him to know the truth from the lies that they have been telling us that he is dead, no longer able to recognize anyone and all the lies that you and I have heard before.

"Obviously, he has lost some weight and he is a bit weak but he was sitting down calmly. He shook our hands on arrival and when we prayed with him for his quick recovery, he again shook hand with us.

"I wish to warn that there is need for people to be careful in the utterances being made about incapacitation, taking the presidential authority and giving such to other persons.

"Some people had to reflect before they stage a civilian coup against him. President Yar’Adua has his deputy who could act for him while he is not there. He knows that he is alive and is only unwell at this point in time.

"However, nobody should take over his position because he is not available. The president still has a good chance of recovery. Nobody should take over his post and create problems for the country. Those who are thinking of doing that are playing with fire.

"I will suggest that Dr. Jonathan continues to act as president till Yar’Adua is fit enough to resume. If he does not get well by 2011, election will take place and another person will emerge through a democratic process.

"But if any person attempts to seize that presidential authority now, the consequences will remain with the country for a long time.

"It will not be a wise decision and not in the interest of even younger generations of Nigerians."

Undoubtedly, there is a political motive behind Datti Ahmad’s comments, considering the fact that it is just a few hours to the inauguration of new federal cabinet ministers by the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.

Dr. Ahmad, sorry I do not believe that you saw Yar’Adua, and if you must know, I did my checks as a reporter who knows the inside very well, and if not for the respect I have for your religious office, I would have categorically said you lied in the account you gave of your ‘encounter with Yar’Adua.’ You insult my intelligence and reasoning and am sure I speak the minds of many Nigerians as well. I can authoritatively tell you that you are collaborating with some anti-constitution interests both in government and the media to continue to use Yar’Adua’s illness to play dirty politics and this is quite disturbing.

It was alleged that you were accompanied by the Chief Imam of the Abuja National Mosque, Ustaz Musa Mohammed; Yakubu Musa, a Muslim Sect leader in Katsina; and Isa Pantami.

There have been inconsistencies in the various accounts rendered by you and the other clerics on this supposed encounter. One account said the meeting lasted for 10 minutes and another in the Daily Trust newspaper said it was for about two hours. Pantami has refused to be quoted that you saw Yar’Adua. Another account said Yar’Adua spoke while you claimed he didn’t say anything.

One distinct characteristic of Truth is that it is constant it doesn’t change no matter the number of times it is told. You claimed you were on a fact finding mission on your visit, wouldn’t it have been logical to take a photo camera or video recorder with you so that we too can see and judge for ourselves?

The facts are very clear, since President Yar’Adua presumably returned to Nigeria more than a month ago, he has not been seen in public. While he was in Saudi Arabia, his wife, Turai worked tirelessly with a few elements to ensure that Nigerians did not get to know the facts about the President’s ailment but for the determined efforts of online media, she would have had her way.

Curiously, why is it that it is only when Jonathan is about to make a landmark move that reports about 'Yar’Adua is getting better'; 'Yar’Adua is climbing 25 steps'; 'Yar’Adua is eating and jogging'; 'Yar’Adua is playing in the garden'; etc, begin to surface in the media?

The President’s handlers say he is in Abuja, he has been there for more than a month and we have not seen a video clip, even if its for one minute showing him walking, sitting, or even sleeping on a sofa in the villa. Do they think we are as ignorant as we were in the era of military dictatorships? Even Fidel Castro’s handlers showed the world video clips and photographs of Castro when he was very sick. Lately President Mubarak’s people did the same.

There is nothing strange about Yar’Adua falling sick after all he is human and the constitution is clear about how to handle situations like this especially when it involves the President. Only a medical panel can tell us the true state of the President’s health and if they determine the President is not permanently incapacitated, we will await his full recovery and return to power, but if they determine otherwise, the constitution is clear on the process of removal.

I have said it before and I will say it again. In my opinion, Yar’Adua is incapacitated, that is the intelligence available to me and I will stand by it until I am proved wrong. My logic is very simple, if Yar’Adu is not incapacitated, he would have made an appearance when Jonathan removed his NSA, sacked his cabinet, nominated new Ministers who would be sworn in on Tuesday, and of note is Jonathan’s offer to Nuhu Ribadu to return and serve as an Adviser on Corruption, which Nuhu has gladly accepted. What other proof do we need that Yar’Adua is incapacitated? Sadly, I hate to compare my President to the proverbial dead horse that no matter how hard you flog it, it cannot get up.

My credible sources tell me that once the cabinet is inaugurated it will move to invoke section 144 of the constitution, which will finally expose the deceits of the Turai led gang. This is why the gang is desperately using all means necessary including sectional religious leaders to propagate falsehood.

Section 144 states:

"(a) By a resolution passes by two-thirds majority of all the members of the executive council of the federation it is declared that the President or Vice-President is incapable of discharging the functions of his office; and

"(b) The declaration is verified, after such medical examination as may be necessary, by a medical panel established under subsection (4) of this section in its report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives."

Recall Turai also frustrated all attempts by Nigerian officials to see Yar’Adua in Saudi Arabia. Twice Jonathan tried to see him in Abuja and Turai politely turned him down.

Believe me, Turai will do everything possible to ensure that the panel does not get access to Yar’Adua even it means playing the religious and ethnic card as Dr. Ahmad did in the last paragraphs of his statement.

We all know how politics work in Nigeria. If Turai and her gang could work so hard to hold on to power for as long as they did, leaving the Office of the President of Nigeria vacant for more than three months, if Yar’Adua could do half of what they have said he did lately, he would have taken back power from Jonathan a long time ago. And if he refuses to do so, trust me Turai will beat the hell out of him.

My submission is that the provision of the constitution should be fully implemented to the last so that we can leave this distraction from more serious national issues behind us once and for all.

We will not allow selfish interests continue to use Yar’Adua as a tool to stir unnecessary anxiety in the polity.

There will be no consequences for Nigeria if the truth is told about the present state of health of our President. He belongs to us, he is our servant, we will do what is right as a country with a big heart when we learn facts. We are tired of the tales.