President Umaru YarAdua
Of Nigeria Is Back Home To Presidential Duties?
By
Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer@gmail.com
New York, United States
President Umaru Musa YarAdua’s departure from Saudi Arabia and arrival in
Nigeria, is very dramatic and, quite possibly pregnant and loaded with
intrigues and meanings, to say the least. It is, back to base, and what a
great relief, a huge sigh of relief it must have felt for many, many must
have breathed, exhaling, loudly, upon hearing the news.
And so it is, that, after 93 days absence, and being away from
presidential duties, President Umaru Musa YarAdua has returned to Nigeria,
but his health conditions remain unclear, and it is unknown, whether is
able or wiling to return to work immediately. And speculations are rife
about scenarios and intrigues, which have conspired and culminated into
the clandestine nighttime arrival in Nigeria, a couple of hours before
dawn and daybreak, by Mr. President.
It will be recalled that President Umaru Musa YarAdua left Nigeria three
whole months ago, precisely on November 23rd 2009, until today, February
23rd, 2010; the president left in a medical emergency, to seek medical for
his imperfect and rather precarious health condition which have persisted
over these several years.
The fact of President YarAdua’s impaired health have been public knowledge
any, but, the brouhahas which ensued, was not because Nigerians were
unaware of his ill-health, but rather, it was because, upon departing
Nigeria in a medical emergency, which was subsequent to the president
experiencing palpitations and pains in his chest, there were terse public
statements.
But there were no indications, in the terse statements, of how long, the
medical vacation would be. Statements which were issued, at the time by
presidential spokesperson Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi were very brief, worse, it
is was the case, that thorough out Mr. YarAdua sojourn and hibernation in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, there were very poor, uncoordinated, abysmal and
dismal management of presidential information, it was, to say the least,
always shrouded in utmost secrecy and this, in turn, led to the sprouting
of a cottage industries of speculations and misinformation and rumors
galore.
Even now again, the president’s departure from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and
arrival into Abuja in Nigeria, was, once again, shrouded and sheathed in
absolute-extreme secrecy and covered in the dark of night, but why? This
singular act, once again, a squandered public relations opportunity! If
the president is well, fully recovered, and fit, after all this long
treatments, therapy and recuperation, his return home should have been
celebratory and even triumphant, flags waving, flags hoisting and all.
Nigerian citizens deserves this.
But no, again, the president returns like a thief, at two thirty Anti
Meridian in the wee hours of the morning! And this leads me to wonder
aloud, who is exactly, is calling all the shots? Why is the need for all
these seeming immature management of our national symbol? The Nigerian
Press and Media and by extension, all citizens were deprived of, even a
fleeting glimpse of President YarAdua, after 93 days in Saudi Arabian
hospital.
Well, all that preliminaries now taken care of, and out of the way, the
real gist is the muck and the clouds still surrounding Mr. YarAdua health,
is he well enough now? Is he able to return to work immediately? Is Acting
President Goodluck Jonathan at liberty, constitutionally, to perform
presidential functions until further notice and until Mr. YarAdua is fully
recovered and bubbly? Or would he leave the presidency on health grounds?
What will the Federal Executive meeting on February 24th, 2010 be like,
will he attend with a triumphal entry, sans jet lag and groggy face from
medicament?
And how about now, that President YarAdua is back to base? And presumably,
at the helms of affairs for Nigeria, once again? Is he now in Aso Rock,
our seat of power and presidential residence and would remain there? Some
have speculated, that he is on life support? How do we proceed? After Mr.
YarAdua’s prolonged absence presidential duties and all the high decibels
debates? How about the noncompliance and or violations of section 145 of
the constitution? And many other questions, such as, whether the president
failure to have transmitted a letter, to trigger and active vice president
acting in his stead, should necessitate a hearing. Then, alternatively,
there are more questions, whether he should have voluntarily resigned and
relinquished power? Or whether he should have been pushed out office,
through impeachment, for being physical-mentally unfit and incapacitated
and unavailable? Additional questions still persist, such as, his failure,
neglect, and or refusal to comply with the constitution. Or shall we now,
just let all these be bygone, and let all that debate now rest, if he is
well and returns to working conscientiously?
There is arguably, no longer, a constitutionally sound reason or predicate
upon which to impeach President YarAdua. And, now that he is back, if he
is healthy and fit, there is no longer a reason for Vice President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to remain as the Acting President. The
circumstances of the preceding 93 days, have changed and reverted to
"normal" and so, Mr. Jonathan from now on, will only do duties assigned to
him by Mr. YarAdua. We may now overlook the fact that Mr. YarAdaua for 93
days, abdicated his throne and was intransigent and recalcitrant, when he
should just have complied with constitutionally mandated and stipulated
procedure and processes.
However, there should be no mistake about it, that, now that Mr. YarAdua
is back to presidential duties, all are reminded, that he remains our
president and national symbol. And that he is, was always our substantive
president, who was taken away, temporarily, by personal medical condition
which had led to a national controversy, now he is back to work and that
should end the brouhahas. Mr. Jonathan from now on, will only do, or carry
out, duties assigned to him by Mr. YarAdua
President YarAdua swore to uphold and defend the constitution and now is
the time to demonstrate that commitment. This is also time to act
magnanimously and with malice towards none. Our servant leader, hopefully,
is now found new energy from his medical vacation, should hunker down to
do the presidential heavy lifting Mr. YarAdua, if he is now well and fit
to resume work, he must refrain himself, put restraints on others, not to
hound anyone on account of debates which surrounded his departure and long
stay in Saudi Arabia, a stay which generated abundance controversy. If he
is well enough to resume presidential duties, he must singularly focus on
those duties and not waste valuable time seeking retributions and vengeful
vendettas against anyone who became restive as a result of Mr. YarAdua
long stay outside Nigeria, from work.
It is better that he is back home in full perfect health, imperfect,
impaired or worse, than, remaining and sticking out like a sore thumb in
Saudi Arabia, sticking out as monumental for embarrassment. There is now,
no a constitutionally sound reason to impeach President YarAdua, unless
there emerge an apparent reason or there is a subsequent affront against
our constitution.
President Umaru Musa YarAdua is most probably returning to presidential
duties which he had abandoned for 93 days. The time to have impeached him
have passed. I was among those, who previously urged his impeachment
because he abandoned presidential duties without compliance with section
145 of our constitution, so that his failure, neglect or refusal, could
have been seen and or interpreted as "gross misconduct" and therefore
impeachable . Now however, unless he voluntarily resigns, which is very
doubtful, or that he is medically evaluated to be physically-mentally
unfit and then removed from office, and this is also quite unlikely. He
has returned to presidential duties and barring more clandestine actions
and subterranean intrigues, Nigeria is back to normal, politically,
constitutionally, starting now.
It is unfathomable, or impossible to imagine or expect the FEC and the
National Assembly is suddenly hyperactive, when they were stymied and
frozen in place during all these 93 days of inaction when Mr. YarAdua was
absent. I cannot see them becoming suddenly active or aggressive now,
against Mr. YarAdua who is now present with own defense.
The only far-fetched expectation is perhaps that, he will resign
voluntarily, highly unlikely!
If he was quitting, he would have headed for Abuja. But to Katsina state
instead, as the aircraft was reported route-charted Abuja, Kano and
Katsina.
The window and door on his impeachment prospect is now foreclosed or more
like, slammed in on faces of all those who may have still been expecting
that today!
The only options now left is a voluntary resignation by President Umaru
YarAdua based on his discretion, taking full cognizance of his precarious
health condition, but what if he just received a brand new heart and
kidneys transplants etc
Clearly, from the constitutional standpoint, Nigerians through the
National Assembly are the employers of President YarAdua. He was absent
from his duty station for almost a hundred days, we did not fire him...
but now, he has recovered after a long treatment and recuperation. No
reason to fire him.
President YarAdua and his supporters must realize however, that, so much
transpired while his absence from presidential duties persisted. And
millions of Nigerians, at home and abroad, and millions of people around
the world, were aghast, some prayed, some were worried sick and some
others, feared chaos, anarchy, war and disintegration, as a result of the
power vacuum created by his absence, induced of course, by his ill health.
President YarAdua, his family and friends, must realize that, Nigerians
and well wishers of Nigeria, did and said things, and fretted openly and
often, because they worried for Nigeria during Mr. YarAdua prolonged
absence. These persons, only wanted to avoid the power vacuum and void
foisted upon Nigeria and which persisted for too long. A situation which
came about due to actions and inactions of President YarAdua and his
elongated absence from presidential duties, and particularly so, in view
of President YarAdua willful neglect to comply with section 145 of the
Constitution of Nigeria.
It is now hoped that there would be no vendetta and vindictiveness and or
actions directed at ostracizing those worried privately and even publicly,
those who sought the best to be done in the protection and preservation of
Nigeria’s national interests.
President Umaru Musa YarAdua is back home, healthier and fit, physically
and mentally. President Umaru Musa YarAdua, the substantive president of
Nigeria, is back to presidential duties. It is time to show good
leadership, encrusted in magnanimity. Mr. President now has all the cards
and the aces as well. Nigeria will be worse or better, the preferably
better, and the next move is by President Umaru Musa YarAdua of Nigeria.
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