Good evening guys! Happy new month. Can’t believe it’s already the third month of the year(time really flies). Today, we are sharing an article written by Jegede Abiola(@baviofficial). This article is political and was written due to frustration about the state of Nigeria at present and also a major event that occurred in the past. Please do not forget to contact us if you have any questions, suggestions or write ups to share. Enjoy, comment and please inform others about this beautiful website.
WHAT IS IT THAT “YOU THINK?”
Nigerians (in general) statistically stating, has this habit and mindset of taking what they ‘think or assume’ to be ‘facts’. This has indirectly brought about Nation disorder; in the sense that they put their thoughts and assumptions on the social media and tend to furnish it so well like they were present in that state of happening and it really happened.
This is how rumors generate, it’s like a virus and it continues to spread.
A very funny example in this recent state is the so called popular phrase “Buhari Dead”, it’s so unfortunate for the president to have his fellow citizens wish him dead. Wishing him dead would still be better as the case may be; some people pushed further by making burial posters and sending it round as if they had seen his corpse.
This is why I ask “what is it that ‘you think?’”
If you ask me as the writer, I’ll say there is a very big possibility ‘of his death’ since the governance of this country, Nigeria is in secrecy.
I am going to link this literally with a short thread by calling on the case of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and placing it side by side with this; President Muhammadu Buhari.
The late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who served as the president of Nigeria (2007-2010) spent months in Saudi Arabia in the Middle East due to his medical treatment. He went for treatment at a clinic in Jeddah for Pericarditis, an inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart. There were rumours about his health and just like this present state, his “prolonged absence” led to protests about the lack of clear lines of authority in this country.
Yar’Adua had suffered kidney problems, left the country several times for what his advisers called “medical checkups” before he went to Saudi Arabia in November. On the day after he arrived, he was admitted leaving the country in a political vacuum.
Now this is the open secret: There were rumours of his condition stating skin cancer, brain loss, life support and massive stroke which created “political tussle” and “constitutional embarrassment”. He was smuggled back into the country on Wednesday, February 24, 2010. The first plane that landed was at the time 1:47am and it was an air ambulance, the second one, the presidential aircraft landed at about 1:54am, in a very highly secured environment, the ‘anecdote’ continues. Nigerians at that point had no idea of his condition dead, alive or critically ill, they wondered where the president was.
Yar’Adua was finally moved into a room in Aso Rock, possibly still in coma a week after he ‘purported’ return to Nigeria. He hadn’t addressed his fellow citizens through the media or any possible means.
To cut the long story short, it was said by a presidential spokesman telling the associated press, that Yar’Adua died on the 4th of May, 9:00pm at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. He had not been seen since he returned from the Middle East.
Just before he returned to Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, the Vice-President was voted by the Parliament to take over the Presidents seat until he was fit to resume.
Now as the case may be, the president had on Thursday, January 19, 2017, left the country for London, United Kingdom, in what he described as the term “short leave” to undergo some series of “checkups” due to his health condition. On February 5, 2017, he was expected to resume work.
After some time, the news that the president was dead went viral and that he had died in a London hospital where he was receiving medical attention. The news was later rendered false by the presidency stating that there was no truth in the report.
Nigerians had dropped several calls for the president to address them from the UK and the Nigerian Labour Congress had intensified Nigerians’ calls that the President should speak to the citizens from the UK.
Unfortunately, the presidency insisted that Buhari could not be compelled to speak.
On February 5, 2017, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina filed a three Paragraph statement for his extension
He said the extension was necessary to allow the president complete the series of medical tests recommended by doctors and get the results.
He stated that Buhari had sent a letter to the National Assembly on the extension but did not specify the duration of the extension.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the National Assembly today, February 5, 2017, informing of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.
“The President had planned to return to Abuja on Sunday (5/01/17) evening, but was advised to complete the test cycle before returning. The notice has since been dispatched to the Senate President, and Speaker, House of Representatives.
“Mr. President expresses his sincere gratitude to Nigerians for their concern, prayers and kind wishes.”
Expressing my mind as a citizen, this is genuinely wrong. What possibly in existence would stop the president from personally addressing his fellow citizens just to assure Nigerians of his wellbeing?
This isn’t to directly criticize him but after spending millions on The Aso rock Clinic, Nigerians still throw questions on why he travelled out for his medical checkup. Buhari had been criticized on February (according to the web) on his enormous budget amount for The Aso Rock Clinic been higher than Federal hospitals.
Now why wouldn’t Nigerians think the president is dead if there hasn’t been a live message sent or broadcasted for the nation to hear? Or are we going to wait for him to be smuggled into the country at night like the late president Yar’Adua?
Pictures or images with other politicians going to visit him isn’t enough as only God knows if they are recent or old, but we can only hope that he is truly alive.
This is a call to Nigerians to stay on the path of truth and not assumptions to prevent confusion or any cause of violence.
This is also a call for the Presidency to brief the Nation on truths of vital issues that happen or occur in the country.
Jegede Abiola Olumuyiwa.
