We Nigerians are some of the kindest people in the world, the most loving and the most sympathetic. It is normal that when a relative is sick we go to the hospital during visiting hours, or to the house to see him or her and say, `Sorry! Get well soon’. Then we sit around and chat about this and that if the patient is well enough to chat or we chat with other sympathetic visitors. Those who have the money would have bought a Lucozade, something that gives strength, some bread or biscuits and fruits or give money in lieu or even do both. The same happens if it is a joyous occasion such as the arrival of a new baby. If it is a death you go to the relatives and sit around with solemn faces. That is a truly African custom.
The sickness of our President Buhari has been on the news for months occupying prime time on television and the best space on pages of newspapers. That is normal. After all, he is our President. It is also African. The pity of it is that our President has been sick for months and has spent over eighty days on his second trip to London for treatment. Yet we have not been told what he is suffering from. Rather, with the social media getting so powerful and active, we are given versions of all sorts of sicknesses with some even alleging that he is brain dead! This is a great pity! If he has cancer why can the people he rules not know? Nothing is secret about having cancer. Evedrybody geta sick. A few days ago it was on the news that John MacCain, that doughty United States senator, who had only just been diagnosed with brain cancer, left his hospital bed to go to Washington to vote on something critical to his Party. He is not ashamed to have cancer. But we Nigerians, typical Africans, must be left to guess what is wrong with our President. But one might say his sickness is his personal affair and we must not pry. But another might say that he is being treated with public money, with a presidential jet on standby, and the public reserves the right to know. But those people forget that this is Africa. Elected officials can do what they like. Their actions cannot be questioned by the people.
Then our Acting President flew to London to visit him. There is nothing wrong with that. They say he spent one hour with him. Social media say he spent only fifteen minutes with him. He told us the man is doing very well and will soon be back. But then the circus began. Some members of his Party, the APC, flew to London and had lunch with him. At whose cost? Obviously Nigeria paid for the trip. They said he is doing well and will be back very soon. Now more governors have gone to see him and among them some PDP governors probably to prove to the opposition that the man is still alive! Who paid for the trip? Whether the governors paid or the Presidency paid, it is public money. I suppose those who organised the trip missed an opportunity to prove to doubting Thomases that he is still alive by excluding the two most critical governors, Fayose of Ekiti and Wike of Rivers. The organisers must view this as a sort of punishment for them. Yes, he is alive! Some photographs have just appeared on social media of the President smiling broadly with his august guests.
The pity of this whole thing is that these people junketing to London have done it from public money. These are people who cannot pay workers wages. Some states have been owing workers for several months. Government minimum wage is N18,000 monthly. Now how did these people travel? By a Presidential aircraft? Possible. After all they say we have several. If they travelled by commercial flight I will not be surprised if each travelled first class. What did it cost them whether by presidential aircraft or commercial? I dare say it cost each of them millions of naira. Yet their workers are starving. Who knows how many other people will soon jump onto an aircraft to go and greet our President at our expense?
If, as the Acting President told us, the President is coming back soon why the expenditure in these austere times? Are we no longer in recession? Why can these people not have the patience and let the President come back so that they can troop to Aso Rock to rejoice with him for surviving the illness. Must we turn every situation in Nigeria into an opportunity to waste scarce resources? GET WELL SOON, MR PRESIDENT!