Presidency has 74 hours to disclose Buhari’s health status- SNG

The presidency may be bracing up for tougher times as the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Tuesday, joined the growing list of organizations demanding full disclosure on the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group’s demand is encapsulated in a 74-hour ultimatum given to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, within which it must furnish it with full information on the health situation of the president, believed to be incapacitated and seeing his doctors in London.

In a letter, entitled “Request for information on President Muhammadu Buhari’s health status” the group threatened to take all necessary legitimate and legal steps should their request be ignored.

The letter signed by Barrister Benedict Ezeagu, the National Coordinator, SNG, noted among others, that “This ugly development, including denial, conditional admission and restriction of access to President Buhari and the true information on his health status is reminiscence of the late President Yar’Adua’s incident which our revered organisation was at the forefront of its peaceful resolution and this is not good for Nigeria at this critical period of economic downturn , nationwide insecurity, and political strife.

Read also: MEDICAL VACATION: Senate comes to Buhari’s rescue

“As you may know, the lack of clearness in handling the ‘vacation’ turned ‘medical trip’ of Mr. President has heightened the rumours and speculations about his health, the most frightening of which is that President Muhammadu Buhari had passed on or he has been in coma or on life-supporting machine, and thus increasing the political tension in the country.”

It argued that, “Since Mr. President is not a private citizen but a public servant whose health bills are currently being paid from the country’s treasury, Nigerians deserve the right to know the true state of his health as obtainable in enlightened republics.

“In the light of the foregoing Sir, while we join other Nigerians to pray for Mr. President in line with the request of the Presidency, we herby demand for full information on the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari in exercise of the rights granted us by section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the freedom of information Act and Article 9 of African charter on Human and people’s rights, as this will help dispel these rumours and speculations and reduce the current political tension in the country.”

Urging the AGF to make haste with their demand, the group said, “Please sir, take notice that if we are not availed of the requested information within 74 hours of your receipt of this letter, we will have no alternative than to take all other necessary legitimate and legal steps, including approaching the National Assembly to activate relevant sections of the Constitution with regard to the health of a Nigerian president as well as institute court actions and organise peaceful protests among others, to ensure that we are availed of these rights guaranteed Nigerians by the laws.

Recall that the SNG was among the several groups that led the popular push to have the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to be made substantive Head of State when it became rather too obvious that ailing President Musa Yar’Adua would not be fit to return to power.

 

 

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