The president is sick, with not a few fixated with morbid tales and ghoulish fancies.
But what is clear here, even in every mortal’s helpless surrender to the uncertain certainty of death, is the death and burial of empathy. That is a roaring shame.
In formal creative prose, you were taught — at least Mr. Pius Omole taught his University of Ibadan students, among whom was Ripples — that you knew the true character of a man, when the man was in crisis.
Nigerians — the entire Nigerians or just the over-exposed ultra-minority that ride the media crest? — are in a crisis of empathy. The picture is a flint-hearted, contemptible, and graceless rabble, with nary an iota of human compassion. Sad.
Now, rigorous presidential health comes with the presidential territory. That is why a section of the 1999 Constitution talks of the possible incapacitation of the president; and how such emergencies could be resolved.
And yes: the ghost of the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua presidential debacle (God rest and bless his gentle soul!) still hovers over the polity, where some players, back then, tried to hide the state of health of the president, for their own selfish ends.
Many say that experience has made not a few hyperactive in their quest for the latest news on President Muhammadu Buhari’s state of health. Once bitten, after all, twice shy!
But like anything Nigerian, where even routine things pass through grotesque ethnic lens, a quest for accurate information about presidential health soon peters down into savage nastiness, with even the cream of the media swooning in its orgy!
Yet, things need not be that way.
In neighbouring Ghana, President John Evans Atta Mills died in office, just as Yar’Adua died here. Before then, he was ill, though the illness was so well managed that the president never faced any harangue as Buhari faces now. Yet, the Ghana opposition could be as cantankerous as any, particularly during its early evening radio talk show belts.
What then was so insensate?
When the president passed away, the whole nation collapsed in genuine grief — and not just the cant and hypocrisy of the politically correct. Had the president survived, he would have been nursed back to full wellness by the enduring love of his people.
The enduring picture of Ghanaians, during this trying period? A noble, caring and compassionate people, soaring high even in their low grief, on their common humanity. Just wished someone could say that of Nigerians, with the present hysteria over Buhari’s health!
Still, those who insist President Buhari and his handlers should come clean with his health status have a point. If anything, that would follow the constitutional dictates over possible incapacitation.
But a demand to conform with the constitution is one thing. Crass insensitivity by mocking, heckling and gloating, en route to that demand, is another.
Besides, there is a crucial sociological angle, which many appear to happily ignore.
The law is clear on full disclosure of presidential (and gubernatorial) health. Yet, the sociology of the polity jumps at secrecy, in such delicate matters. Even standard medical convention preaches tact and caution, when it comes to the individual’s health. Hence, the confidentiality dictate.
So, even in the case of the president as complete public property, where does the law end and where does sociology begin? Even with that, does the medical code of strict confidentiality have any role to play, in going public with the president’s health?
In the hullabaloo that accompanied President Buhari’s medical tourism to Britain, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made a point: Buhari himself would tell Nigerians about his health.
The president did when he came back: how he had never been that sick all his life; and counselling Nigerians to shun self-medication. No previous Nigerian president ever went that public with his health.
So, those who claim to be unaware of the president’s health only speak the half-truth. What is not public knowledge is exactly what is wrong with him. The onus is on his medical team to divulge, with requisite tact and decency, according to the laws of the land, and the dictates of their profession.
But public office and public property aside, President Buhari is only human like the rest of us. He cannot give life. Neither can he take life. At this juncture, only common humanity rules — not the pauper, not the rich, just the human.
So, to those who play God pontificating over another person’s health, with such brutal zeal, just remember: Buhari is your president. But he is also another person’s husband, father, uncle, cousin and even neighbour, all bound by intense family ties.
Pray how do you sound to these fellow humans — some brute?
Just think about that!
Gory harvest
First, the comet of DAWN.
The Omoluabi, of iconic portraits,
even mien and temperate heart;
Cohabiting a furious temper
To develop his native West.
Did he figure death would dawn so fast,
Conflicting another’s birthday:
Birthday bliss, death-day blues,
Leaving the celebrator winded —
to laugh or to cry?
Then, an Iroko of the native theatre,
Hardly de-leafed, yet reaped,
Neither the ripest fruit condemned to saddest,
as our bard WS decreed;
Nor the hard and sour, turned happiest.
Just brazen victims,
of the Reaper’s grim illogic.
Then, outrage of outrage,
On the Sabbath:
Serubawon, serubawoned!•
Now, all life at Iwo, a sparkling, gurgling eternal spring;
Then, dead as mutton, in his native Ede!
Death finally clamps the heart of one,
who put others’ hearts quaking with fear!
Death, be not proud,
Once cautioned John Donne,
He, of metaphysical poesy.
But today, death is done with Donne,
metaphysics and all!
Death rips, reaps, barges, smacks and roars!
He, who would dare him, is not born.
Yet, sweet memories, are death to death!
As calm water, in easy quiet, swallows a roaring fire,
So do sweet memories, with abiding pleasure,
kill the pangs of death!
To you fallen trio, be consoled.
Death brags, with nothing, but your empty scalp.
Rest well.
Always, in our hearts, you live!
- Serubawon, Adeleke’s political street moniker (Literally, Yoruba for “freeze them with fear”).
Olakunle Abimbola,
For Dipo Famakinwa (50), Olumide Bakare (64) and Senator Isiaka Adeleke (62), eminent Yoruba sons, who died within a three-day interval.
