*Anxiety still grips nation despite  official assurances

By Jide Ajani, Deputy Editor

The current state of President Umaru Yar’Adua’s health has imposed a fresh reign of precaution at the Presidency with officials paying extra attention to what they do or say.

In the last few days, the issue of succession and alleged pressure on Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to resign have become subjects of intense discussion by Nigerians, at home and abroad, raising anxiety despite official assurances that the President is responding to treatment at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah.

He was placed on admission there for treatment of acute pericarditis which is described as inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart. The CNN on Friday quoted an unnamed Presidency official as saying neither the president nor the vice president would resign.

President Umaru Yar'Adua's seat unoccupied as Vice President Goodluck Jonathan presides over the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja, last week. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, in particular, has ring-fenced himself with an air of precaution in his activities in the Presidency to avoid sending wrong signals regarding the present health challenges of the President.  The Vice President confirmed on Thursday that he had spoken with Yar’Adua twice in the previous 48 hours.

Jonathan not under pressure to  resign
The Office of the Vice President yesterday dismissed a report suggesting pressure being mounted on Jonathan to resign. Ima Niboro, senior special assistant, media and communications to the vice president, said the publication which made the resignation claim “failed to state clearly who or what body was bringing this pressure to bear, but went ahead to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians, including the vice president himself,  by suggesting that Dr. Jonathan is to be made to sign an undated letter of resignation… “which can become binding in the event that the president is unable to continue in office.

That this is a wild and quite insulting claim requires no further elaboration. Certainly, the general public can discountenance such drivel”

Another source in Aso Rock Presidential Villa said “there is a need for every precaution to be taken now as some mischief makers are bent on reading meanings into anything the vice president does, just as they would read meanings to anything the vice president does not do.

“You will agree with me that events in the last 96 hours have been such that some mischief makers have been churning out mis-information to serve their own diabolical instinct.

It was because of the way some people were carrying-on which forced the Presidency to come clear on the health status of President Yar’Adua.”

*What Constitution says on succession
It is assumed that the vice president is expected to perform the functions of the president in the absence of the latter, but the 1999 Constitution states expressly how such a role can be performed in the absence of the number one citizen.

Section 145 and 146 state: “145. Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.

“146. (1) The Vice-President shall hold the office of President if the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death or resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or the removal of the President from office for any other reason in accordance with section 143 of this Constitution.” In a chat with the publicity secretary of the Action Congress, AC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the assumption was made clear. While Mohammed was full of prayers to God for Yar’Adua’s good health, he pointed out the assumption that a vice president would automatically discharge the functions of the President once the latter is on vacation or temporarily incapacitated.

According to him, this assumption is based on false premise.  “It is only when the president has written a letter to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives, as stated in Section 145 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that the vice president can perform the functions of the president temporarily”, he said.

In most cases, he said, such a letter is never really written, as may be the case in this instance.  “This would be a cost too grave for the country to bear and this is, perhaps one of the areas where those attempting to amend the Constitution should focus on because there is need for transparency in whatever we do”, he said.

*Anxiety won’t go, despite official assurances
Nigerians at home and abroad are still gripped by anxiety over the health of the President despite assurances by the Vice President and presidential spokesman, Segun Adeniyi that he was okay and was responding to treatment.

Whether in groups or on the internet, the subject remains the number 1 subject of discussion. Interestingly, the situation has not affected, visibly, the economy. The stock market and the price of crude oil have remained largely stable since the President left for Saudi Arabia.