His Excellency,
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan,
The Presidency, Aso Rock.
Abuja , Nigeria .
Dear Goodluck Jonathan,
As the Acting President and the Commander in Chief, you Must end this political crisis before it's too late. Its mockery of your good office (The Presidency) that you're prevented from seeing your boss. The international community will find it difficult to believe what is happening. By the powers conferred on you as the Commander in Chief, you should summon immediately the Chief of Army Staff, The Director of State Security Services, The Director of Nigeria Intelligence Agency etc, these people will in turn obtain relevant information from the Yar'Adua,s Chief Security Officer, his ADC and orderlies. Whatever information obtained should be broadcast live to the nation.
It will be in the best interest of the ADC and Chief Security Officer to Yar'Adua to furnish their bosses and the nation all they know about Yar'Adua. They owe the nation serious obligation to give account of Yar'Adua,s medical condition as longer as it will help to move the nation forward. They (ADC and CSO to Yar'Adua) should draw lessons from what happened to Al-Mustapha (former Chief Security Officer to late General Abacha) who was cross examined several times about his activities during the Oputa Panel. The present (CSO) to Yar'Adua should remember that he does not have immunity from prosecution. However this present crisis will equally affect him as it will affect other Nigerians directly or indirectly. Therefore, every efforts should be made by all to end the current political tension arising from Yar'Adua,s ill health.
President Yar'Adua is, and will not be the only sick president. When Fidel Castro (Cuban President) became seriously ill, he was televised live on his sick bed when Venezuela 's President (Hugo Chavez) visited him. When late Yasser Arafat (The Leader of Palestine Liberation Organization) was taken to a French hospital before his death, the entire world was kept informed of his situation. Also when former Israeli Prime Minster (Ariel Sharon) was taken to hospital, the world was kept informed. I find it too difficult to understand the secrecy surrounding our president's sickness.
The National Assembly should also summon without delays all the Service Chiefs (Heads of Security Apparatus responsible for guarding Yar'Adua) to come and explain to the nation all the know about President Yar'Adua,s illness. Madam Turai Yar'Adua (first lady) will not have the powers to stop the National Assembly from summoning the Service Chiefs; neither will she have the powers to stop them from appearing before the National Assembly. The National Assembly should take further steps necessary to avoid this political crisis. All their efforts should be televised live to Nigerians.
Mr. Acting President, you should proceed immediately set up a Commission of Enquiry to look into the events that happened while our President was admitted in a Saudi Arabian hospital. The Commission should also look at the suspicious return of our President into the country. Expose those behind this shameful episode. Prosecute if necessary those who might have aided the return of our President without notifying you. This Commission of Enquiry should be televised live to Nigerians just like the Oputa Panel did. The idea is for Nigerians to have their reports themselves because previous reports of several judicial, administrative or commission(s) of enquiry was never made public. Another idea should be to prevent the reoccurrence of similar incident in the future.
You (Goodluck Jonathan) should also disclose to the nation how much the federal government spent on Yar'Adua,s medical trip to Saudi Arabia ? I am asking this question because President Yar'Adua did not spend his personal money. Nigerian tax payers money/the oil money would have been used to off set the medical bills. Remember, the President went with his entourage, and they all were in Saudi for the number of days he spent there. Please remember to add the cost(s) of three government delegations to Saudi Arabia , even though they didn't see Yar'Adua.
The idea of asking how much was spent is because Nigerians deserve to know how their money is being spent. Who knows, the money spent in Saudi Arabia might have been enough to equip at least one hospital in Nigeria . It was the biggest embarrassment that our President went to Saudi Arabia for his medical treatment. To achieve a balance, the federal government should either send every sick Nigerian to overseas for treatment or completely ban overseas medical treatments for government officials, and properly equip our hospitals. I have made this argument several times.
Nigerians at home and in Diaspora should be more than prepared to defend their democracy. Power belongs to the people. This is the time to be on our guard to defend our freedom and democracy. Every effort should be made by Nigerians to stop further political crisis. Political crisis will rather set us back.
Yar'Adua,s issue should not prevent other political parties from starting campaigns for next year (2011) general elections. Opposition political parties should be strategizing by now on how to capture power come next year. Election is less than fourteen months from now; therefore this is the best time for opposition parties to present credible candidates and programmes to challenge PDP led government. I will advice Nigerians to vote credible people and not political party in future elections in Nigeria . Let's not forget to start shadow government/cabinet starting from next year (2011). May God bless Nigeria .
Chinedu Vincent Akuta.
An activist and leader of "Support Option A4 Group" Leicester-UK
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