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The passage of former President Muhammadu Buhari was a surprise to some people, including this commentator. This was so because I didn’t know he had been in his regular hospital in London receiving treatment or even routine medical checkup. It turned out that those who knew about his visit to the hospital also got the surprise because initial information, according to them, was that he had come out of the intensive care unit, and was set to return, only for the shocker to drop on everybody.
The ailment that eventually claimed former President Buhari’s life has been wrapped in secrecy although it hardly matters anymore given that the man has gone to the great beyond. However, some unsolicited reports have tried to state the cause of death. As President, it was no secret that the man was in and out of hospital. In order words, his relatively poor state of health of health was not in doubt. There was a time he spent such long time in hospital that there was widespread anxiety about him. He did the right thing of transmitting power to the Vice President.
Sahara reporters has said the man died of blood cancer, but such information must be taken with a pinch of salt given that it was not a disclosure from the family or even the hospital which has no right to disclose cause of death except as a result of autopsy or court order on account to probe. More so, recent reports that the Late President was divorced before demise has been denied by his widow, Aisha Burari who insists that her marriage was still intact before the saddening incident of his demise. Some observers have also stated that the couple has lived separately for a while. All that is inconsequential at this point. His wife is categorical that her marriage was still intact before the former President passed.
The Former President’s demise is bound to change the political landscape. There have been mixed reactions about his performance in office. The trajectory of economic hardship that the nation has been moving is said to have commenced during his tenure. Those who follow political economy say the matter of economic hardship began in the dying days of Former President Jonathan’s regime. But there tended to angst in place of condolences at the man’s demise. Such anger must have stemmed from ignorance or plain mischief. No leader can ever be written off Completely. If Buhari’s regime is not remembered for anything even the most mischievous of people would not overlook the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the second Niger Bridge. Those are critical infrastructure. There may be several others.
There has been a progressive progression of hardship in the land. Food prices began escalating in the Buhari era, and has even heightened in the Tinubu era. The negative progression is an indication that something may be fundamentally wrong with the economy. There had been the complaints that prices were more affordable in Jonathan’s era, and grew worse in Buhari’s era and became worst in this era. It was evident that Buhari had a heart for the less privileged which was why it was, indeed, hard for him to declare, as President Tinubu did, that ‘subsidy is gone’ . He could not bear to see the people suffer. He did his best to allow Nigerians enjoy their God-given resources although corrupt Nigerians, who had a link to power, literally made subsidy their feeding bottle. He was said to have resigned to faith, insisting that only God can save the nation. Everyone who came in contact with him attested that he was honest and meant well for the country. But there is more to governance than good intentions.
Buhari, as Presiden, had so much confidence in his appointees that he hardly relieved anyone of their appointments. It took him a long time to make such appointments. He stuck with them irrespective of their performance. It was said that his Chief of Staff actually ran the regime to the point of deciding what happens with appointees. That was his model of governance which is open to scrutiny but he held to his system. There are flip sides but he stuck with his principle.
The other thing that Nigeria may take from the Former President’s passage is to demystify the secrecy that shrouds the ailment of leaders. But for the unverified report from Sahara Reporters earlier stated , the former President is said to have passed away from undisclosed ailment. Even in the pendency of his presidency, no one has ever disclosed that he suffered from any aliment. The trend has continued. The grapevine has it that President Tinubu’s frequent travel to France is not unconnected to personal medical issues but on press statements never disclose such information. Perhaps it would run foul of protocol to reveal that the President was ill. This cannot be right.
But the former American President, Joe Bidden, was recently said to have issues with his prostate, part of the reason he did not pursue a second term in office. It was made public and the heavens have not left its space. As Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida travelled to France for surgery for Radiculopathy. It was made public. He came back to office after the surgery. Presidents are also human which implies that their systems could be hampered by ailment.
More so a President whose well being is a catered for with public funds should not shroud such things in secrecy. Anyone can fall sick, including the President. Such highly placed public figures ought not be treated as superhuman. They can only lose their positions if they are so incapacitated that they cannot carry out their duties. one of the things that come with public office is that your privacy is impeded. In such public office you hardly have your cake and still eat it. You became a public person, whose affairs, including health become public.
