Nigerians deserve to know Buhari’s health status –Ex-UN spokesman

• It’s president’s private affair, says Lai Mohammed

A former spokesman, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Eduardo Cue, has said Nigerians deserve to know President Muhammadu Buhari’s health status

Cue, who was in the country to conduct a training seminar for government spokespersons, in Abuja, said the secrecy surrounding the president’s health is responsible for speculations about his status.

The seminar was sponsored by the United States Embassy in the Federal Capital Territory, to ensure unfettered access to information and transparency in public communications.

“I am not sure the president’s spokespersons know what is wrong with him and it is better they don’t know so, they don’t have to lie. If he is really ill, you can see that he has been traveling, the danger in revealing his status is that they may want him to step aside and he may not want to.

“But, why not just cut the rumours, go in front of the Nigerian people, explain what has happened and then continue, that is what I would advise him to do if I were his spokesman.”

Cue said that the training for the government communications officers was to get them to be as transparent as possible, and stressed that the people deserve to know what is going on in official quarters.

“For example, what is going on in Nigeria regarding the health of the president is to us in the West absolutely unbelievable.

“We believe, I believe that the Nigerian people have a right to know exactly, what is the state of his health and what is wrong with him, what he is suffering from and why.”

Cue, who had conducted communication trainings for government officials, including French and American ambassadors, explained that it was not enough for the government officials to assure, Nigerians about the President’s health, adding that it is the right of the citizens to know.

But, Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the president  is under no obligation to disclose his medical condition.

The president spent almost 145 days in London, United Kingdom, on medical vacation. He left in May and returned in August.

While he was away, a section of the country asked who was footing the bill.

Mohammed suggested the silence was not unusual, just hours after the president returned to Abuja from another round of check-ups in the British capital.

“It’s not strange at all for a sitting president to be ill and it’s not strange either for the state to take care of his medical bill.

“I think there’s so much speculation as to what he’s been treated for. I think we would rather respect his privacy. If Mr President feels like telling the world his ailment, so be it. I don’t think he’s under obligation to tell anyone.”

The health of the president is a sensitive issue. Former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, fell ill and died in office on May 5, 2010, after many months of political turmoil.