Lying about our president’s health

Yar’Adua will not live forever, neither will I… and by the way, neither will you.

So why all the hush-hush about his state of health? We all fear (and he must too) that telling how sick he is perhaps, he stands to lose the political power, and its attendant privileges. Alas, this is only possible in a clime where indicted government officials do not find honor in resigning. Power, once gotten, must be kept at all costs.

Nigerians now find solace in rumors and lies. Last week the entire government apparatus (it now seems) lied, is lying, and keeps lying. Instead of admiting that President Yar’Adua was undergoing surgery at a Saudi hospital, said he was attending the “Lesser Hajj”. Now I wonder why nobody in the muslim world finds it offensive that the president (a muslim) would tell lies in the name of Islam, only to protect political good.

Some of us have our fears though. The deputy Goodluck Jonathan stand to gain. Pardon me if this assertion makes light of another’s ill - not intended. Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has been the man with the most apt name - ‘Goodluck’. He was a hapless deputy governor in Bayelsa state when his principal was indicted for corruption, and so he became governor. There after, despite his lacklustre appearance and pedigree, when the search began for a compromise Niger Deltan, the lot fell again on Goodluck to become the presidential running mate.

Would he now be thrice lucky to become Nigeria’s president? Did you say, “God forbid!”?

May God protect our President Yar’Adua and grant him long life!