No panic! My husband’s health not as bad as being perceived –Aisha Buhari
Mrs. Aisha Buhari, the wife of ailing President Muhammadu Buhari, has said her husband’s health is not as bad as some people have made people to believe.
Mrs. Buhari said this in a message on her Twitter handle, @aishambuhari, and her Facebook page, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday.
She said her husband had continued to carry out his constitutional responsibilities as the President without hindrance.
The President’s wife wrote, “I thank all Nigerians for their concern, love and prayers over my husband’s health status.
“I wish to inform everyone that his health is not as bad as it’s being perceived. Meanwhile, he continues to carry out his responsibilities during this period.
“As it may come to your notice, he is meeting with Minister of Justice and GMD of NNPC this evening (Tuesday).”
ACF fumes as Afenifere, Ohanaeze, NBC back Akande on Buhari’s health
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere; the umbrella body for the Igbo, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo; and the Nigerian Baptist Convention, on Tuesday, supported the calls for proper management of the health of President Muhammadu Buhari so as not to throw the country into crisis.
The organisations also backed the call on the President to step aside and go on another medical vacation to look after his health as canvassed by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and other activists.
But while the wife of the President has allayed the fears of Nigerians on the health of her husband, the umbrella body of the North, the Arewa Consultative Forum, attacked the former acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, and others for warning Buhari’s handlers to stop exploiting the President’s ailing health for selfish reasons.
Akande has spoken the truth, says Afenifere
Afenifere stated that Akande was not sentimental in his comments by revealing that some people were capitalising on the President’s health to fulfil selfish objectives.
The Secretary-General of the group, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, while speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, said Akande’s statement was not political, adding that the APC chieftain spoke truth to power.
Arogbofa added, “Akande has spoken well, a statesman should be able to speak irrespective of party affiliations.
“What Chief Akande said could not have come at a better time than now. The President meant well, but he has no good health to match the intention. Those close to him, some ministers inclusive, are feeding fat on this national misfortune to carry out their personal agenda.
“The Wife of the President once complained, a while ago, that certain characters in the Presidency were not only standing between her and her husband but standing between the country and the President.
“So we should commend him (Akande) for saying what a statesman should say.”
The Ohanaeze President-General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, while speaking at a press briefing in Enugu, on Wednesday, said Nigerians deserved to know the state of health of their President and the medical attention available to him.
Nwodo said, “We note with sadness the state of health of the President and his incapacity to attend to important state functions. We pray for his speedy recovery.
“We advise the Presidency to be more open with the state of the President’s health. Nigerians ought to know what is wrong with their President and how adequately he is being treated.”
Buhari should go for further treatment –NBC
Also, the NBC urged Buhari to go for further medical attention, if need be, so that he could adequately attend to the affairs of the country.
The NBC gave this advice in a statement after its 104th annual session in Abuja.
The session was headed by the NBC President, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, who doubles as the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
The statement, signed by the Special Assistant to Ayokunle on Media and Communications, Adebayo Oladeji, added that the Federal Government should attend to the violence in Southern Kaduna and Benue communities.
It reads, “On the health of our President, we thank God for President Muhammadu Buhari who fell ill and travelled for medical attention abroad. We urge Nigerians to pray for him as he resumed office.
“We advise the President not to hesitate in going for further treatment if that will help in restoring him to sound health so as to continue performing his duties to the country.
“We observe the persistent crisis in Southern Kaduna; Agatu community in Benue State and other places in the East, South-South and South-West.
“We condemn in strong terms the reckless killings and destruction of property taking place in the areas.
‘‘However, despite the steps taken by the government, we urge the government to take the following measures:
“The government should be proactive in bringing the perpetrators and their sponsors to book. Also, the Federal Government should provide relief materials for the affected communities in the Southern Kaduna area and other places to cushion the effect of the crisis.
“The Fulani herdsmen, caught or implicated in criminal activities, should be made to face the full wrath of the law. Since the people of Southern Kaduna are farmers, we urge government to provide enough security in the area to enable them to return to their agricultural activities without hindrance. There should be security cover in the villages as well.”
ACF carpets Akande, others over President’s health
But the ACF carpeted those calling on Buhari to step aside and face his health and those who accused people around the President of exploiting his health for selfish reasons.
The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Muhammadu Ibrahim, said in a statement in Kaduna on Tuesday, that the calls were unnecessary and uncalled for.
According to the ACF, what Nigerians need to do now is to pray for the good health of the President.
The statement read, “Arewa Consultative Forum has observed with concern that some individuals are carelessly making unnecessary remarks pertaining to the health of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“What Nigerians need to do now is to pray for his good health and not to speculate or draw conclusions which will do no one any good.
“ACF advises Nigerians to please pray for the improvement of Mr. President’s health so that he can serve the nation with more vigour.”
On the frosty relationship between the National Assembly and the Presidency, the ACF advised the National Assembly to elevate Nigeria above other considerations.
Presidency keeps mum on Akande’s statement
But the Presidency declined comments by Akande on the health status of Buhari.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the Presidency would not speak on the matter.
“We have nothing to say on that (Akande’s statement),” Shehu simply said on Tuesday.
Shehu had, in a statement last week Thursday, assured Nigerians that there was no need for apprehension on the state of health of the President.
While saying the President, on his return to the country, made Nigerians aware of the state of his health while he was in London, Shehu had said full recovery was sometimes a slow process, requiring periods of rest and relaxation.
We are studying Akande’s letter –APC
Also, the APC said it was studying the statement by Akande, one of its leaders.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, on Tuesday.
He said, “It’s a very important statement which we are studying and we will respond appropriately in due course.”Punch
