About three decades ago, American TV Anchorman, Dan Rather, caught a cold, and was compelled to wear a vest under his coat, to read the 7pm CBS-TV Evening News. Curiously, the ratings of the programme shot up positively. Rather, looking like somebody’s uncle, somewhat became more believable. If donning a mere acrylic sweater had so much effect on the viewers, you can imagine the effect such would have on the American citizens if sprightly President Barak Obama were to appear before the White House press corps with a grey cardigan wound around his neck. Apart from the “Ohs! and “Aahs!” Wall Street would go abuzz and the stock market performance indices, the Dow Jones and Standard & Poor’s, would go into a tailspin. To borrow and rework a phrase used by Eugene Lyons to describe the effect of 1933 Great Depression on the American economy, one could say that, when a Presidential malady is known, business (would be) paralyzed; bank withdrawals would skyrocket; and stock prices… (would) tobogan (or drop drastically).
Okay this may sound like an overkill, but it is clearly plausible. When the news of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy hit Wall Street, stock prices took a dive; Standard & Poor’s index plunged to 2.8 per cent. In the political uncertainty that followed the 1984 attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, newspapers printed extra editions, churches held prayer services, the New York Stock Exchange closed early, the United States Senate hastily adjourned, and the Russians– Oh those Russians! They moved their submarines close to America’s Atlantic coast, and were tempted to invade Poland to knock off the budding workers’ Solidarity protest movement. Vice President George Bush had to quickly rally to announce: “I (observe the first person pronoun) can reassure this nation, and a watching world, that the American government is functioning fully and effectively. We’ve had full and complete communications throughout the day.” Above all, Reagan’s popularity rating rose to a handsome 73 per cent.
When the news broke recently that Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan had checked into a London hospital after severe abdominal pains, and could not attend a scheduled meeting of the Honorary International Investors’ Council, he didn’t seem to have got the sympathy of many Nigerians. Some even got infuriated when they heard (what has been described as the mischievous) news that the President took ill after a lavish birthday party binge at his InterContinental Hotel suite. Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, President of civil rights group, Campaign for Democracy, thought the President should cut the horse manure, and report for duty without delay. She said, “The country needs him at this particular time because there are a lot of issues that need his attention. Issues like insecurity, unemployment and university shutdown should be addressed.” And it didn’t look like the economy had a shock as a result of the rumble in the Presidential abdomen. Of course, some polite elder statesmen have said kind words to the President. Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, who (condescendingly, it seems) describes the President as a young man bristling with life and energy, prayed that he would recover quickly and get back to work.
One would like to disagree with Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, Afenifere Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, All Progressives Party chief, Prince Tony Momoh, and Peoples’ Democratic Party chief, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, who suggest that there shouldn’t be much ado about the President’s health. Opinions like this, calling for the people’s willful, voluntary amnesia or pretense, contributed to the negligence that led to the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar ‘Adua. The secrecy and denials led to a prolonged political crisis that was only resoled by the forthrightness of a former Minister for Information, Dr. Dora Akunyili, and the constitutional safety valve called ‘the doctrine of necessity.’ Maybe if the Yar ‘Adua Presidency had been more open, President Yar ‘Adua would have been alive today, and would be preparing to round off his second term of office. Nigeria could have avoided the unfortunate events of his death, and the skirmishes that delayed, and almost aborted, the constitutional order of succession. At a point, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan claimed that he did not know enough about the health condition of his principal.
If President Jonathan is stressed as a result of a frenetic travel schedule, everyone should agree with Abati that he should seek precautionary medical attention. A medical expert, Professor Oladapo Ashiru, was reported to have said: “The consequences of not having enough rest, as is evident in most of our political office holders, are very grievous… Our President and political office holders are working at high speed, and there should be no need for it… Once there is stress, the immunity is lowered, and the adrenalin gland function is reduced. When that happens, it goes to the heart and kidney. Once the two organs are compromised, the person will break down with chronic diseases, hypertension, diabetes and kidney failure (and) it can lead to mental health problems.” Nobody should wish the President to be in this condition. But the concerns expressed by Nigerians — and Sahara Reporters — must be appreciated and not rebuffed. Nigerians must be told exactly what is happening to their President. This will do two things: Assure Nigerians about the state of health of their President. And being truthful will enhance the credibility of the President and his Government.
The bubble from the series of denials spewing from the Presidency concerning the health of First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan, some months ago, burst at a Thanksgiving Service held after her recovery. Her personal testimony gave a lie to the denials of the spinmeisters in the Presidency. If they were Caucasians, her admissions would have made them blush and turn red in the face. It is interesting that the Presidency, not only condemned the “utterly irresponsible, deplorable highly unprofessional and unethical antics of certain fringe elements operating in the nebulous sphere of cyberspace,” but seems to have forgotten that both the 1999 Nigerian Constitution and the 2011 Freedom of Information Act require, and empower, the press to draw the attention of citizens to every act of the Government, even if somebody thinks it amounts to being meddlesome. But to be fair, the Presidency has commended a section of the Nigerian media, which it says has been fair, objective and supportive, in reporting the ill health of Mr. President.
In spite of the vituperation emanating from the Presidency, one would still like to put the question, not to the President’s image makers, but to his personal medical team: Did the President suffer from too much intake of alcohol? While it is not polite to ask if the President is an alcoholic, one cannot ignore the talk on the street before now, that the President loves to take an occasional swig. The devil in that rumour, lie, speculation, imagination, or whatever, must be dealt with. No one should blame Nigerians who worry about this issue. It was once rumoured that a former Nigerian Head of State was almost permanently in a state of inebriation. So, someone must tell the truth to the people — and to God. Some Puritan sages have said: “The magistrate is the servant, not of his own desires, not even of the people, but of God.”
Copyright PUNCH.
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