Musa Yar Adua’s Health: the President of Nigeria Musa Yar Adua’s Health teetering on the brink
Today’s BBC interview with Musa Yar Adua in a hospital bed in Saudi Arabia for the first time in 50 days since he was hospitalized for a heart and kidney condition confirmed my two worst fears: that Musa Yar Adua’s health is bleak and that he is probably too sick to notice that he cannot execute the duties as the President of Nigeria effectively.
Now that every Nigeria has confirmed that their president is critically ill, the logical step that the government of Nigeria should do is to transfer power to the vice president Mr. Goodluck Jonathan without further delays. With the kind of ailments that Musa Yar Adua is suffering from, it will still take a long time for him to be able to execute presidential duties in Nigeria.
Musa Yar Adua spoke for close to one minute in a low, breaking and strained voice that betrayed his pain and ill health. He sought to reassure Nigerians that he is alive but his voice could not dispel the fears of a cabbage president. He said that ‘he hope he will make tremendous progress that will allow him to return to his duties’ From his words, he himself is not convinced of if and when he will be well.
He also took the opportunity to wish the Super Eagles success in Cup of African Nations campaign.
He told Nigerians that he is undergoing treatment and will return to his presidential duties as soon as his doctors could release him. When asked when, he said that the answer lies with his doctors and health.
If Musa Yar Adua could resign or is impeached, it will lift the anxiety of return and give him room to concentrate on his health.
It is for the good of Nigeria that the president hand over power. His absence is already hurting Africa’s most populous country. His voice and leadership was conspicuously missing in the biggest diplomatic fix that Nigeria has ever been embroiled in history; Umar Farouk Abdumutallab’s botched attempt to bomb a Detroit bound US jetliner.
The subsequent black listing of Nigeria by the US as a terrorist hub is still unresolved. Even though Umar Farouk Abdumutallab’s terrorism attempt is the first case, Nigeria has now been lumped with Yemen, Somalia and other notorious countries as possible hosts of terrorists. A diplomatic lobby could easily overturn this but the president is AWOL.
The economy of Nigeria might as well be hurting. There are allegations that Musa Yar Adua’s signature was forged and appended to the budget. The Chief Justice tenure is the subject of a law suit owing to the absence of Musa Yar Adua in his swearing in ceremony as per the constitution.
For a country that has the reputation of the most corrupt country in Africa, the absence of firm and direct leadership cannot be gainsaid. Some incorrigible leaders in his government might be siphoning off oil money out of state coffers.
Again, for a country that has suffered the most military coups in Africa that sits in a vey unstable region, fears of a military coup are not totally unfounded. Guinea Conakry, her neighbor to the west suffered a coup immediately the President Mr. Lassane Conte died. The power vacuum might tempt some unruly military officers.
Already, the truce that was signed with Niger Delta rebels is wavering and militants are back to their saboteur mission.
The anxiety that has gripped Nigeria is affecting her productivity immensely. Speculations on his health are flying from every Nigerian lip. Today, opposition figures and human rights activists lead by Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka are holding a demonstration. Electioneering mood will soon grip Nigeria. Calls of impeachment of the President are gaining momentum.
The problem with Africa as a whole is that leaders do not have the conscience to resign even when their position is untenable. They are under hostage of a lot of interests. Selfish, tribal and godfathers. Musa Yar Adua is faced with the same situation. There is talk that he cant be replaced with the vice president Goodluck Jonathan simply because he is a southerner while the turn is of a northerner where Musa Yar Adua hails from. Olesugun Obasanjo was a northerner.
I wish Musa Yar Adua could display one last act of statesmanship and leadership by transferring power to his Vice President and save Nigeria unnecessary trouble. He should know that he is not indispensable and that the interest of 140 Million people is more important that the interest of one man.
I wish him quick recovery and a much quicker sense of leadership!
Today’s BBC interview with Musa Yar Adua in a hospital bed in Saudi Arabia for the first time in 50 days since he was hospitalized for a heart and kidney condition confirmed my two worst fears: that Musa Yar Adua’s health is bleak and that he is probably too sick to notice that he cannot execute the duties as the President of Nigeria effectively.
Now that every Nigeria has confirmed that their president is critically ill, the logical step that the government of Nigeria should do is to transfer power to the vice president Mr. Goodluck Jonathan without further delays. With the kind of ailments that Musa Yar Adua is suffering from, it will still take a long time for him to be able to execute presidential duties in Nigeria.
Musa Yar Adua spoke for close to one minute in a low, breaking and strained voice that betrayed his pain and ill health. He sought to reassure Nigerians that he is alive but his voice could not dispel the fears of a cabbage president. He said that ‘he hope he will make tremendous progress that will allow him to return to his duties’ From his words, he himself is not convinced of if and when he will be well.
He also took the opportunity to wish the Super Eagles success in Cup of African Nations campaign.
He told Nigerians that he is undergoing treatment and will return to his presidential duties as soon as his doctors could release him. When asked when, he said that the answer lies with his doctors and health.
If Musa Yar Adua could resign or is impeached, it will lift the anxiety of return and give him room to concentrate on his health.
It is for the good of Nigeria that the president hand over power. His absence is already hurting Africa’s most populous country. His voice and leadership was conspicuously missing in the biggest diplomatic fix that Nigeria has ever been embroiled in history; Umar Farouk Abdumutallab’s botched attempt to bomb a Detroit bound US jetliner.
The subsequent black listing of Nigeria by the US as a terrorist hub is still unresolved. Even though Umar Farouk Abdumutallab’s terrorism attempt is the first case, Nigeria has now been lumped with Yemen, Somalia and other notorious countries as possible hosts of terrorists. A diplomatic lobby could easily overturn this but the president is AWOL.
The economy of Nigeria might as well be hurting. There are allegations that Musa Yar Adua’s signature was forged and appended to the budget. The Chief Justice tenure is the subject of a law suit owing to the absence of Musa Yar Adua in his swearing in ceremony as per the constitution.
For a country that has the reputation of the most corrupt country in Africa, the absence of firm and direct leadership cannot be gainsaid. Some incorrigible leaders in his government might be siphoning off oil money out of state coffers.
Again, for a country that has suffered the most military coups in Africa that sits in a vey unstable region, fears of a military coup are not totally unfounded. Guinea Conakry, her neighbor to the west suffered a coup immediately the President Mr. Lassane Conte died. The power vacuum might tempt some unruly military officers.
Already, the truce that was signed with Niger Delta rebels is wavering and militants are back to their saboteur mission.
The anxiety that has gripped Nigeria is affecting her productivity immensely. Speculations on his health are flying from every Nigerian lip. Today, opposition figures and human rights activists lead by Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka are holding a demonstration. Electioneering mood will soon grip Nigeria. Calls of impeachment of the President are gaining momentum.
The problem with Africa as a whole is that leaders do not have the conscience to resign even when their position is untenable. They are under hostage of a lot of interests. Selfish, tribal and godfathers. Musa Yar Adua is faced with the same situation. There is talk that he cant be replaced with the vice president Goodluck Jonathan simply because he is a southerner while the turn is of a northerner where Musa Yar Adua hails from. Olesugun Obasanjo was a northerner.
I wish Musa Yar Adua could display one last act of statesmanship and leadership by transferring power to his Vice President and save Nigeria unnecessary trouble. He should know that he is not indispensable and that the interest of 140 Million people is more important that the interest of one man.
I wish him quick recovery and a much quicker sense of leadership!
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