NLC asks Buhari to speak to Nigerians

Meanwhile, the NLC has called on the President to
speak to Nigerians.
The NLC argued that it would be proper for the
President to make a public appearance to dispel
rumours in the country about his health.
The General Secretary of the NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson,
told one of our correspondents on Thursday that the
President should speak to Nigerians since Nigerians
were worried about his health.
He said the President should call the bluff of those
peddling orchestrated rumours by publicly addressing
the citizenry.
Ozo-Eson said, “In the social media, stories circulate
without confirmation; I think that the easiest way is to
talk publicly to the nation because the citizens are
concerned about their leaders’ whereabouts.
‘If there are those who orchestrated rumours and they
are not true, the easiest way is for him to reach out to
Nigerians through a public appearance and a
statement.
“Nigerians have a right to be certain about the health
situation of their President and the people who
orchestrate rumours and unsubstantiated reports, one
would wish for him to call their bluff by publicly
addressing the citizens.”
But the TUC said it would not be necessary for the
President to address Nigerians since he had not been
away for long.
The President of the TUC, Mr. Bala Kaigama, stated
that Buhari demanded a rest and handed over
government to the Vice-President.
According to him, Nigerians can talk about the
President’s health if he fails to return after the 10-day
period of rest he requested.
He said, “Why do we have to make noise about this?
He is coming back; if he were to go and stay for a
very long time, it is a different thing. If we have
patience, he will come back. We are just being
unnecessarily demanding.
“This is somebody who demanded a rest and he has
handed over the government to the Vice-President. So
our concern is how the VP is handling it; but it his
health that has become the issue of the moment.
“But we should allow the old man to have his rest. It
is normal for somebody of that age to need rest from
time to time. If he goes to rest that does not mean
that government will not work now. Let the old man
enjoy his rest.
“If he does not come back on the day he is supposed
to come, that is when can talk, but for now, let’s
allow him to have his rest, why does he have to come
and address us? It doesn’t make any sense.”
The Executive Secretary, Anti-corruption Network,
Ebenezer Oyetakin, faulted the call for Buhari to
address the nation from the UK, describing it as
mischief.
He said, “I do not subscribe to that. It smacks of
mischief from such people. We are Africans. We have
cultural discipline on some issues.

The Presidency on Thursday insisted that despite the
rumour doing the rounds on President Muhammadu
Buhari’s state of health, the President is not ill.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, who said this in an
interview with CNBC Africa, which was monitored in
Abuja, said Buhari could not be compelled to speak
from the United Kingdom.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, however, said the
President should speak to Nigerians from the UK.
Adesina insisted that Buhari was only in London, UK,
for vacation and was not in any hospital.
He said, “The President is in London on vacation. He
is not in any hospital and he is not ill.
“When he was travelling last week, the statement we
put out was that he was going on vacation and during
the vacation, he would do routine check-up and
nothing has changed from what we pushed out last
week.
“If anybody has fed something else into the rumour
mill, that is just what it is – rumour.”
When asked if Buhari would be willing to talk to
Nigerians from the UK, Adesina said the decision
could only be taken by the President himself.
The presidential aide said any attempt to compel
Buhari to do so would amount to infringement on his
rights.
“The fact that he is a President, he still has his rights.
Compelling him to come out and talk will be infringing
on his rights. The President will talk if he wishes to. If
he doesn’t wish to, nobody will compel him to talk.
“The truth is that the President is on vacation and he
has given a date on which he will return to work,’’
Adesina said.
Also on Thursday, the Federal Government debunked
the rumour doing the rounds that governors met in
Abuja on Thursday and deliberated on the health of
Buhari.
It said the report was false. It also added that the
governors were also not planning to send
representatives to London to see the President.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, stated this when he received members of
the Presidential Initiative Committee on the North-
East, who visited him in Abuja.
Mohammed said there was no need for the alleged
visit, stating that the President was merely observing
his leave as stated in the letter sent to the Senate
before leaving the country.
He called on Nigerians to stop wishing their leaders
sickness and death, saying there was nothing wrong
with the President.
The minister added, “I would like to use this medium
to refute the claim in some quarters that governors
would meet in Abuja today (Thursday) and have
discussion over the health of the President.
“Those peddling the rumour also claimed that the
governors would send emissaries to the President in
London.
“The report is false because the governors are not
going to meet and will not send any emissary
anywhere because the President is hale and hearty.”
Mohammed appealed to Nigerians to stop preaching
what he described as hate and also stop wishing their
leaders bad things.
He also urged those behind the rumour to stop it
forthwith.
Alabatvnews.