Date Published: 12/17/09

Stop lying about the President's health, Arewa tells top govt officials

THE North spoke yesterday on the controversy over the President Umaru Yar’Adua’s medical trip to Saudi Arabia, and state of health, condemning top federal and state officials for being economical with the truth

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the northern geo-political organization, on Thursday maintained that should there be need for succession, the Constitution should be followed.

It came down hard on government officials who it believes are hiding the true position of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s health from Nigerians.

The President is at the King Faisal Hospital in Saudi Arabia where doctors are treating him for acute pericarditis (inflammation of the heart’s lining). He has been away since November 23 without handing over to the Vice President. This has sparked a huge row.

The Forum regretted that rather than put Nigerians in the true picture of the health condition of the president, there have been conflicting statements from government officials about the real situation.

The Forum issued a communiqué at the end of its National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Kaduna. It was signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani.

Officials overseeing the President’s health should be more forthcoming with information on his illness, the ACF said.

To the ACF, Nigeria is passing through trying times, but, according to the organization, difficult circumstances often bring about national grandeur, define purposeful leadership and "bring out the best in everyone".

The meeting was presided over by the Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Saidu Bada. The communiqué reads:

"The meeting considered the public interests that have been generated by the reported health status of Mr President. The sittings also took note of the conflicting statements by the government functionaries about the health of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the progress of his treatment in hospital all of which have tended to stoke the rumors in the media.

"It is against this backdrop that ACF wishes to call on all Nigerians to be on their knees and pray to God for quick recovery of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

"And in order to douse down the negative rumors and altercations between politicians with dire implications on the security and unity of the nation, government functionaries charged with the duty to oversee the health of the president are called upon to be more open and forthcoming with information on the illness of the President.

"ACF believes that true knowledge of the actual health situation of Mr. President by Nigerians would go a long way in dousing the current tension in the nation and enable the relevant authorities have the patriotic courage to do what is required of them in such circumstances under our constitution.

"There can be no doubt that the nation is in trying times. But difficult circumstances often bring about national grandeur; they define purposeful leadership and bring out the best in every one.

"That explains why the current situation in Nigeria demands patriotic courage and sacrifice from those with the responsibility and authority to take action towards addressing the problems.

"...In the event of any need to engage in the politics of succession, it is the position of the ACF that the provisions of the Nigerian constitution should remain the only effective guide for the process."