Dude, where’s my president?

[cynical lady]

Umaru Yar’adua, the president of Nigeria, has been in a hospital in Saudi Arabia for a heart condition since November 2009—and he forgot to tell anyone. For six whole weeks. No phone, email, wave from the balcony, or blog. Not even a simple tweet, which is downright rude. 150m plus Nigerians, united only through football and skin colour, did not have a leader to tuck them into bed and tell them this it’s all going to be okay. Previous to now, I didn’t know much about him—Nigerian politicians are about as interchangeable as Blair and Cameron. I didn’t even vote—I’m in Britain, and Nigeria didn’t ask for my opinion on the guy. I guess that’s why, when I found out, my response was “huh.”

 

Not “huh?” mind, but “huh.” Like it’d started off as a serious question but felt a little man-flu-ey and went back to bed. More like “meh.”

 

I asked my brother what he thought. His first response was “What?” but then his eyes and thoughts went back to his computer screen and Modern Warfare 2. Better than “huh,” but still nowhere near the level of emotion this momentous event deserved. We’ve lost a president for god’s sake! He’s locked himself in his room and won’t answer the door! My brother and I have had longer, more satisfying discussions about computer games. “What” is only “meh” with more wind.

 

 

I told my mother.

 

“WHAT?!”

 

Finally! A real life, old school, normal Nigerian response fit for the occasion. She turned on CNN. CNN was busy with Obama. Then she checked Sky News, which said something about snow. Hell, even NTA (Nigerian Television Authority), the one channel that could be milking this story for all it’s worth…and nada. She didn’t believe it. I pointed her to the internet. The internet told her that this time I wasn’t lying. Then she spat out a mothball of conspiracy theories, blaming everyone except the Pope. It was two minutes long, then she stomped into the kitchen, not to be seen until dinner. All roads point to “meh.” Online, my Nigerian friends posted comments. Summary: “Oh. Meh.”

 

The Guardian online said he’d disappeared. Pooey. He was in a Saudi Arabian hospital. It’s sort of like when Fidel Castro was ill, except Fidel Castro went to a hospital in the country he’d been investing in since he took power. Cuba has a very good health system. Hospitals in Nigeria still have power shortages.

 

Apparently Yar’adua’s signature on a recent budget may have been forged by his supporters/flunkies. Apparently he spoke to BBC “via phone.” I can’t speak for all 150m Nigerians, but for myself? This is Nigeria. I’ve seen this buggery before, and I know more buggery comes after it. Whatever, meh.

 

http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2010/01/dude-wheres-my-president/

[cynical lady]

Delegation to check on Nigerian president's health

 

President Umaru Yar'Adua had not been seen or heard from since he left the country suddenly 50 days ago for treatment for heart trouble in a Jeddah hospital.

 

His absence and failure officially to hand power to his deputy has created a power vacuum in Africa's most populous country, and has bred rumours that he was "brain-dead".

 

But during a brief telephone call with the BBC on Tuesday, the president, sounding weak, claimed to be "getting better" and promised to be back to work soon.

 

Despite this, the House of Representatives in the capital, Abuja, voted to send a delegation to Saudi Arabia to "convey a message of goodwill" and discuss issues of national importance.

 

Earlier on Tuesday, several hundred protesters demanding proof that the president was alive marched to the National Assembly buildings in Abuja.

 

Waving placards reading "President Yar'Adua: Talk to us" and "Umaru, where are you", they chanted, "The government is lying [when it says] he spoke to the BBC".

 

"We cannot believe that he is OK until we see him with our own eyes," said Adegoke Ogunjobi, 30, a stockbroker from Abuja.

 

"There are too many people ready to play with us for their own profit. Why can the president not just hand power to the [vice president] so he can concentrate on recovering quickly without the stress of affairs of state?"

 

The protest march was led by Wole Soyinka, Nigeria's Nobel Literature Prize winner, who said: "The nation is being held to ransom by people with bad intent. We deserve to know the truth at all times.

 

"There are those whom this particular situation profits and who will continue to prolong it as much as they possibly can."

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/6972681/Nigerian-president-br eaks-silence-from-hospital-bed.html

[N.O.R.F]

Many of us are asking the same question about Sheikh Sharif who is in good health.

[Valenteenah.]

That's just so weird. How can a president just go off quietly and stay away for over two months?

[Kamaavi]

What.

[General Duke]

He might be terminally ill and they want to hush things up.

[Gheelle.T]

^Maybe he is dying in that Saudi hospital and Nigerian Government doesn't want to acknowledge that.

 

I am looking forward to those 411 emails from Nigerian "bank mangers" any day.

[NGONGE]

This is the first time I've seen a Nigerian scam right from the start! The president is still alive but poorly. Next, they'll tell us he died and reveal secrets about the millions in his bank account. Any of you ready to help them transfer the money?

[cynical lady]

Nigeria President Yar'Adua budget signature 'forged'

 

Allies of Nigeria's ailing president forged his signature on the country's supplementary budget last month, opposition politicians have alleged.

 

They have written to the police asking them to investigate the forgery claims.

 

The government said President Umaru Yar'Adua signed the budget despite being treated for a heart condition in Saudi Arabia.

 

Mr Yar'Adua has been away for six weeks, fuelling fears of a power vacuum in Africa's most populous nation.

 

Doctors say he is suffering from acute pericarditis - inflammation of the lining of the heart. He also has a long-standing kidney complaint.

 

In a bid to dispel fevered speculation over Mr Yar'Adua's health, ministers have insisted the president is recovering from treatment.

 

Information Minister Dora Akunyili said the president had spoken to his colleagues over the telephone on Tuesday.

 

Several court cases have been launched demanding that power be officially handed to the vice-president.

 

And one group of activists has even suggested the president should be declared a missing person, and a search party should be sent out.

 

'Utter dismay'

 

In the latest move, an umbrella group for the main opposition parties known as the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has demanded that the police investigate the alleged forgery.

 

The group's lawyer, opposition official Femi Falana, said in the letter that the CNPP had tried to verify claims by the government that the budget had been taken to Saudi Arabia for the president to sign on his sick bed.

 

"To its utter dismay our client (CNPP) has confirmed that the signature of the president and the seal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria were forged by some persons in the presidency," the letter read.

 

"Our client has instructed us to request you to use your good offices to set the engine in motion for the investigation and prosecution of those who carried out the nefarious act."

 

The CNPP said it would take the issue to the federal court next week if the police failed to act.

 

Mr Falana, who is also senior opposition activist, is behind one of the court cases being brought against the government.

 

He wants judges to annul all decisions taken by the cabinet during the president's absence.

 

In the other cases, one activist wants Mr Yar'Adua to be sacked because of his ill health and the Nigerian Bar Association is demanding that power be handed over to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan.

 

The courts have asked for the three cases to be merged, and the consolidated case is due to be heard next week.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8445776.stm

[General Duke]

Association is demanding that power be handed over to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan

With a name like that one can't lose..

[Abwaan]

Originally posted by Norfsky:

Many of us are asking the same question about Sheikh Sharif who is in good health.

[Abwaan]

Originally posted by Valenteenah.:

That's just so weird. How can a president just go off quietly and stay away for over two months?

I am not really suprised with this. The guy did not win the office on a free and fair election plus if his health condition does not improve within few weeks and it was made public the military would take over the office stating that they did this in order to save the country and for the interest of the nation! (didn't we see that elsewhere in the continent). Then the Nigerian president and his aides might have decided to keep it quiet.