The seeming confusion over the health of President Umaru Yar’Adua, raged on Saturday as top Federal Government functionaries snubbed enquiries on the matter.

All entreaties made to some key ministers, including that of Information, Mr. John Odey, did not yield any positive result.

A similar effort to get the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe, to give clarifications on the condition of the President proved abortive.

However, public anxiety heightened on Saturday following reports that the president had undergone surgery at the Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Details of the operation were still sketchy as at press time as some reports claimed that the president underwent renal transplantation and was already recuperating.

The public curiosity was largely triggered by the initial claim that the president was in Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj, otherwise called hummrah.

But his continued stay in the Middle East has culminated in the cancellation of his scheduled state visit to Brazil, though officials claimed that the trip was only rescheduled

There were indications on Saturday that the president might return home this week barring any unforeseen circumstance, but no official was available to confirm this.

A source close to the Presidency asserted that Yar‘Adua‘s health remained an issue of serious concern among top officials, with very few of them having a clear idea of the situation.

He said no one would dare contradict the official denial over the purpose of the President‘s visit to Saudi Arabia.

“There is a real fear of serious repercussions that may attend any contradictory statement. It is a well-known fact that the president‘s health is far from being ideal but virtually
everyone, including very senior people in the Presidency are being kept in the dark over the matter,” he added.

Five attempts were made on Saturday in Abuja by our correspondent to reach the minister of information and communication, through telephone but he neither picked the call nor responded to text messages sent to him on the matter.

The content of the message sent to him was: “Honourable minister, do you have any response/clarification to make regarding the news that President Yar‘Adua has had surgery in Saudi Arabia?”

When the call was repeated after the message had been forwarded to him, the minister’s handset was switched off.

Efforts made to reach the SGF was not successful as his handset was switched off on Saturday afternoon when our correspondent tried his number.

Odey had, after the Federral Executive Meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, attempted to douse public anxiety when he told newsmen that the president was on lesser hajj.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, also tactically declined a categorical comment on the health of the president.

Instead, he said Yar‘Adua had only readjusted his planned trip to Brazil owing to his current visit to Saudi Arabia.

However, the Deputy Chief Mission of Brazil, Mr. Andre Luiz Azevego Santos, confirmed the cancellation of the planned trip to his country by the president.

He said the cancellation was conveyed to the Brazilian authorities through a letter from the Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil, Mr. Kayode Garrick.





Source: Punch