It’s about two full weeks the nation commenced a drama over the real situation of the health of Nigeria’s President, Umar Yar’Adua. The matter, which is actually no issue, as every human being takes ill, became the issue it now is because a group of people in government mismanaged the information. They have not said the truth about the health situation of Mr. President.
However, there are certain points about Yar’Adua that make it important that Nigerians should ask and know what is happening to him. First among them is the fact that he is the president. When he was a private citizen, teaching at the university or when he was Katsina State governor, the entire nation never worried about what his health was. Now that his life – ill or good health – impacts on the nation one way or the other, the people have reason to ask and be informed.
Interestingly, Nigerians want Yar’Adua to live and complete his tenure of office. Even the opposition does not wish him dead, and no other reasonable human does because that would not solve any of the multifarious problems facing the nation, including the biting kerosene scarcity. So, it has been bad politics and information management for Odey and other aides to present the nation a false picture of Mr. President’s health condition. It is rather their attitude to introduce an abnormality clause into the issue that has raised the curiosity of Nigerians the more. Being ill also does not make Yar’Adua less qualified as a president because if a nation is to search for a person that is illness-free to be president, nobody will qualify to occupy that position.
No doubt, the job of a president is so burdensome to bear that it needs stout shoulders to support. It entails flying around, within and outside the country, and only capable and willing hearts would accept a job that keeps them in the sky month to month, with all the breath-skipping encounters. Whoever has a nagging and chronic frailty is just out of it. Such can’t even concentrate and do the office work, meetings and conferences that border on very serious issues where little mistakes could have spiral effects on the lives of many citizens and even the entire nation. That is the more reason Nigeria needs a fairly healthy person to take this task. But if the lot falls for us in places where a not-very-strong-president is in saddle, he needs understanding and prayers from all. The sympathy and understanding would be destroyed by a lying clique of aides who try, in vain, to cover facts in an age of information, where millions can log unto the Internet and pick whatever information they want.
An incapable President
The drafters of the constitution, the prime law of the nation knew that presidents or their deputies are human and can take ill. Therefore, provision was made for grounds on which a president or his deputy can be excused out of office.
Section 144 of the 1999 Constitution in the two sub sections clarified on this.
Section 144. (1) said: The President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office, if:
(a) by a resolution passed 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.
Section 144(3) says that “the President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office as from the date of publication of the notice of the medical report pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.”
A confused state
The situation we face today has not come to the scenario here. What it means is that Mr. President is still very much available and in office by the provisions of the law. But when he is not actually there to carry out his duties, it becomes another problem because by the provisions of the law, the president remains intact and nobody can usurp his duties. The present case is that Mr. President traveled for lesser hajj. We later heard he was hospitalised with a not-so-comfortable health situation, renal surgery and the rest. It implies that the president, who travelled for a personal religious function, would not have deemed that a vacation as to have written the National Assembly so that the Vice President would become the Acting President as provided for in the constitution.
Section 145 said: “ Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.” With such situation, the work Mr. President should do remains undone until he is back and fit to act in his office. This is retardation to the process of governance. Such is not too good for a nation whose leadership crisis has been legendary, a nation that had been hoping for a breather.
Why Yar’Adua hangs on
Many Nigerians outside power and PDP see Yar’Adua’s position in office as out of party interest. The speculation is that even if Yar’Adua had found out that he can’t carry the burden, he would, in the interest of the party, hang on until the Supreme Court gives the final decision. It is the belief of the party that Yar’Adua leaving office may influence the decision of the final court in the petition against his election.
This line of argument is that if he has found out he can’t go the whole hog, he will, at last, throw in the towel after the final word is heard of the petition. If the verdict favours him, he can then leave and hand over to his second in command or if removed by court, he would find good reason to go, not, making any effort to re-contest.
If Yar’Adua leaves
If the health problem of the president leads to his ouster before the end of the tenure, there are so many issues that would be thrown up for resolution in PDP. Some of them include the disposition of the north in accepting a legal and constitutional replacement that would come from another zone – South South. That would upset the PDP power sharing and zoning formula, which vests the office on Yar’Adua’s zone. If presidency goes to South South, how would the offices of the leadership of the National Assembly be handled? Which zones will produce the Vice President?
Moreover, should a situation arise, where Goodluck Jonathan takes over from his boss, would the National Assembly spare him or would they be incited by the north where Yar’Adua comes from to remove him through impeachment to make way for fresh elections where a candidate from Yar’Adua’s zone will take back the position. And how would that be received by the South South if their man is impeached? How would it escalate or stop the militancy down there? These are the reasons and considerations that make many feel that Yar’Adua should be well and kicking and recover fast to continue in order to save us another disruption.
The Niger Delta question
The next question of concern is what would be the scene in the South South regarding militancy and the other security problems should Jonathan become the president.
Many Niger Deltans have never said what they want is producing the president to be appeased. All they have always called for is total control of the wealth of the creeks, or at least to pay the nation royalty for the proceeds. So, if we come to a stage where Jonathan takes the throne, would that not inflame the Niger Delta the more and make the actors go wild and beyond control? It would be a tough task for Jonathan to handle because he would be faced with a serious dilemma – to please his kinsmen and let them have the oil as they please and remain a good Ijaw man or say no to them to safeguard what is called the unity of the nation greased by oil flow in the South South.
But if the Niger Delta feels assuaged by their brother’s mere presence on the throne when they already accuse him presently of being a stooge and sell-out that would be good news. The possibility of such accession for a people who have tested the proceeds of jungle antics would always remain slim and unlikely as such compromise would not put money directly in the pockets of those that reap from crisis and kidnap.
