Presidency Has Lost Credibility Over First Lady’s Illness Revelation – ACN

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has congratulated First Lady Patience Jonathan for her miraculous return from the dead, while slamming the presidency for losing whatever is left of its credibility over its handling of the First Lady’s illness saga.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the revelation by the First Lady on the extent of her illness, especially the fact that she passed out for seven days before she said God miraculously brought her back to life, cannot but elicit joy among Nigerians, irrespective of their political leanings.

However, Nigerians must be wondering why the government they elected into office chose to lie to them that the First Lady was holidaying abroad when indeed she was gravely ill in a foreign hospital.

”While we felicitate with the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on her recovery from whatever illness it was that afflicted her, we will be remiss if we fail to recollect how the presidency denied ‘rumours’ of the First Lady illness and poured scorn on the media and the imaginary enemies of the government for fuelling the ‘satanic rumours’.

”We will also like to remind the presidency that its denial, instead of full disclosure that would have elicited nothing more than fervent prayers from Nigerians, fuelled the rumours that the First Lady suffered from sundry afflictions or the consequences of tummy tuck!” ACN said.

The party said that in one of the many rebuttals, the First Lady’s spokesperson, Ayo Osinlu, was quoted to have said she (Mrs Jonathan) travelled abroad to take a ‘moment’s rest’, given that she had not taken a rest since President Jonathan’s election.

Osinlu had told Nigerians in the heat of the illness saga: ”If you look at her itinerary in August (2012), you will be wondering how she was able to accomplish that. In the course of this week, she will be back home.

But remember, it all depends on her plans.”

ACN also recalled that the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, dismissed Mrs. Jonathan’s reported
illness as a rumour, saying ”there is nothing like that.”

It said that amid all the denials, the President himself maintained a stoic mien and carried on with his duties as if all was well, thereby
lending credibility to the lies and deceit.

”The issue here is simple If the presidency can so shamefacedly lie on an issue of such public interest as the health of the First
Lady, why should we not believe it can lie on any other issue, whether it is economy, politics, social development or any other matter? For
how long has this presidency been misleading Nigerians on critical issues, since we now have reason to doubt its credibility? Does it occur to
this presidency that it has turned Nigeria to a laughing stock by its now routine denials of the truth?

”Like we have said time and again, any government needs to be credible to win the trust of the citizens, without which it cannot govern effectively. With the revelation by our back-from-the-dead First Lady, it is clear that the Jonathan Presidency has egg on its face, and must apologize to Nigerians for lying to them. Also, the spokesmen for this government have lost total credibility, hence their words will henceforth be taken with a pinch of salt,” the party said.

It reiterated its earlier stand that the health of public officials cannot and must not be a closet affair, because it is of public interest. While it may be argued, though not conceded, that the First Lady is not a public official by virtue of her position, she is a public official by virtue of her being a Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State!

”It is sad that despite what we and many Nigerian groups and individuals have said on this issue, the Jonathan Administration took its script directly from the Yar’adua group’s book of deceit when the late President was ill and flown abroad. Now, Governors Sullivan Chime of Enugu, Danbaba Suntai of Taraba and Liyel Imoke of Cross River are all playing according to the Jonathan script.

”We are therefore renewing our call for openness and full disclosure on the state of health of public officials. Life itself is transient, not to talk of positions. And as a spiritual leader of the calibre of Pope Benedict has shown recently, no office is more important that life itself,” ACN said

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
Lagos, Feb. 18th 2013

Youth of today, leaders of today!!!

In 1979, Bamanga Tukur was the Governor of the defunct Gongola State (now Adamawa & Taraba) and 33 years after he is today the Chairman of the ruling Party; The PDP; Dr. Bello Halliru was commissioner in the Old Sokoto State (now Sokoto, Kebbi & Zamfara) and 33 years after he is today Minister of Defence; Major General David Mark (rtd) was the military governor of Niger State in 1984 and 28 years after he is today the Senate President;Gov. Murtala Nyako was the governor of Niger State in 1976 and 36 years after he is today the Governor of Adamawa State; Ogbonnaya Onu was governor of Abia State in 1992 and 20 years after he is today the National Chairman of ANPP; Gov. David Jonah Jang was the governor of Benue State in 1985 and 27 years after he is today the governor of plateau state; and Martins Elechi the Ebonyi State Governor is over 80 years old! Only in Nigeria is this possible, where the youth of today have no hope into the future! Where do we go from here?

People Deceive People (PDP), 1985, IBB was the president of Nigeria and our teachers told us that Buhari was the former Head of state. Our teacher also called us the leaders of tomorrow..27 years later, IBB and Buhari are still contesting for President.. Its either our teacher lied to us about being the leaders of tomorrow..Or tomorrow is yet to come. Who’s fooling who? Let’s stand and fight for our right because we are the leaders of Today. Please let all youth form alliance together and fight for the unborn. We can’t continue like this. Pass it to everyone if you believe in the NIGERIA DREAM.
Note: Don’t Just Get involved in Politics, let’s Live d Dream and Make it Real… #Yes We Can!!!

Yes, that is our beloved Nigeria, but the unbelievable tale above is not even the half of it. Nigeria was ruled by general Obasanjo in 1976 when he ruled for 3 years, and then, guess what? Nigeria was so defunct of viable’s, or better put, the coalition of elder politicians who rule Nigeria had no ‘better’ choice than to return same Obasanjo to power again in 1999 to again rule Nigeria till 2007! Little surprise, OBJ graduated Adbusalam, so Abdusalam returns the favour.

It beats the imagination how Nigerians allow these things happen to ourselves. Are our youth, the teaming 100 million of us, so prosaic, we continue to allow the same people who wrecked and keep ruining us, determine our fate and recycle their idea-vacuous cronies into all offices?

Musa Yaradua, Nigeria’s 13th head of state was a member of the 1988 Constituent Assembly. He was also member of the party’s National Caucus and the SDP State Secretary in Katsina. In 1991 he contested the Governorship election of the state.

Buhari contested for president again in 2011, and still promised to contest in 2015 when he will be 72 years old! This clearly indicates one thing. Unlike G. W. Bush senior who at least trusted his son and supported his candidacy, our Buhari can not even offer his son or daughter and the product of his nurturing for the top job. No! He campaigns for himself over and over. What does this say about how the elder generation rejects putting the youth in office?

Nigeria’s youth must be blamed and no one else. All we do and think of is Man-U, Arsenal, Barcelona. The youth must truly be weak and bereft of aspiration. We youth must love fighting and killing each other as hired political thugs and suffering and smiling as our hopes and aspirations to live decent, endowed lives as human beings are continuously trashed by the recycled goons whose best achievements over the decades are as Wole Soyinka described: “moral insolvency, stagnation in national development and increasing societal decay.”

Our existing political platforms are vestiges of the old colonial divide and rule, exploitation mentality. Like the black hole of Calcutta, anyone that is a part of them or comes close, becomes a chronically filthy remains of deadly germs of corruption and fountain of inebriation.

The philosopher Plato said- The punishment which the wise suffer who refuse to take part in the government, is to live under the government of worse men.

The Sovereign National Party is a youth coordinated platform upon which our best new generation candidates will emerge and be chosen by us to contest in all future elections.

I am not into politics or a politician, but I am a member of the Sovereign National Party. I have declared my full independence from the old way of things. I believe every youth should come together now on this single platform and win or lose, let it be known that we have departed from the old way of things.

A youth is intelligent.
A youth is capable.
A youth is ambitious.
A youth is courageous.
A youth believe that corruption is a fancy word for thief.
And a youth can damn well lead a council, state and Nation better than these old fellows.
What about you?