Kogi ACN blasts Wada over hurried discharge from hospital
...Advises Jonathan not to be deceived by 'cosmetic smiles'
...As Wada accuses the opposition of ignorance, mischief
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Kogi State Chapter, yesterday described the status of health of Governor Idris Wada as a mere media propaganda.
The party said the "hurried discharge" from a private hospital in Abuja was beguiling, knavish" as well as a "clandestine and roguish tactics" aimed at conscripting his benefactor, former Governor Ibrahim Idris who has been living in Lugard House since handover to continue to rule Kogi by proxy.
Ibrahim Idris, the party added, does not want Wada to hand over power to Yomi Awoniyi his deputy because "he wants to exploit the situation to continue to be in-charge of the government apparatus by proxy, more so, that the state government is expecting its share of the excess crude proceeds for the last quarter of 2012 and he would not want Awoniyi to be in the picture of what Wada pays to him monthly as return on investment."
The Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Wada, Mr. Jacob Edi, in his reaction accused the ACN of ignorance and mischief.
The Kogi State Chairman of the ACN, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo, in the statement made available to journalists in Abuja said: "It is a shame that, Mr Wada feels he can fool Kogites and by extension, Nigerians by claiming to have been discharged from hospital when we have it on good authority that he was discharged against the advice of his private physician at the hospital.
"This is reminiscent of the manner he left the University College Hospital, Ibadan, on the 28th April 1976, where he was being treated for a case of mental disorder and acute schizophrenia, even though he was far from well.
"As a party, we have it on good authority that, travel plans have been concluded to fly Mr Wada out of Nigeria for further treatment despite sly claims by his new media manager cum private physician, Dr. Felix Ogedengbe of Cedar Crest Hospitals, Abuja.
"In a modern democracy, there is no need for this level of litany of lies and deceit.
"One minute, Wada's spokesman will tell Nigerians that Wada ate three square meals and walked around in clutches 24 hours after he had the surgery.
"The next minute, the Doctor who suddenly emerged as the new spokesman for the state government informed Nigerians that it will take about six months for the fracture to heal.
"Even a medical student knows that, a compound fracture that will take six months to heal in a twelve year old child, will take as much as a year and a half to heal in a 72-year-old Wada."
The ACN also advised President Goodluck Jonathan not to be carried away by the "cosmetic smile" from the ailing governor but rather should prevail on him to take off time to get well.
Ametuo said: "As a party, we call on President Jonathan not to be swayed by the cosmetic smile on the face of Wada when he visited him at Cedar Crest Hospitals.
"Laughter is his trademark! When 72 passengers and crew perished on Wada's private concern ,the EAS Airline on 4th May, 2002, he laughed.
"When over 17 Nigerians were massacred in the senseless killing at the Deeper Life Church in Okene, Kogi State on the 6th of August 2012, he wore a bullet-proof vest atop his agbada to see the survivors and laughed.
"When flood swept over 10,000 Kogites under, Wada laughed. When he went to condole with the Yakowa's, he laughed. When he sighted the corpse of his ADC, Idris Mohammed, he laughed.
"So, Mr President, as a product of the rule of law, who watched helplessly how former President Umaru Yar'Adua's coterie of advisers enjoyed months of power under an “invisible presidency,” including a forged signature for the release of supplementary budget, we urge you to advise our sick 'governor' to transmit power to his deputy and go for proper treatment instead of wasting tax payers money on needless propaganda and laughter."
The ACN boss advised Wada to know that his action and inaction at this critical stage could derail the much desired development of the state.
He said: "We do not begrudge Wada. We only hate the manner he took over as 'Governor' on January 30 after the Vice-President of Nigeria directed the Inspector General of Police to escort him to Government House, Lokoja.
"We just dislike failure and its progenitors. He should know that the business of governance is a serious one and not for a man weighed down by a near-loss of his right leg.
"Wada should know that, the ethnic card being dangled by the former Governor to prevent him from allowing his deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, to carry on the business of governance in the state is antithetical to the developmental yearnings of Kogites after nine years of waste under Ibrahim Idris."
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Kogi State Chapter, in a separate statement wondered "why a man who loved to patronize local hospitals, evaded the National Hospital, Abuja or the State owned specialist hospital in Lokoja."
"The answer," the CNPP added is "simple! He evaded those hospitals because his medical records could easily be made available to those who want to know about the true state of his health and going by the FOI Act, he thinks his medical records will be 'safer' in a private establishment."
The Chairman of the Kogi Muslim Elders Forum (KMEF), Alhaji Ismael Abdulmalik in a similar statement said: "To many Kogites the health of their 'Governor' is of concern and if the truth can be told, speculation will end forthwith.
"Everyone should hope and pray for Wada's health and his safe return to Lokoja , but this culture of secrecy does a disservice to the state by producing needless uncertainty and instability.
"Mr Wada's scenario is being treated like a state secret with so many contradicting statements coming from government. It's time for democratic leaders to recognize that their voters can handle the truth.
"If Wada believes he is a product of the ballot box, then he should know that the electorate deserve to be informed of any and all pertinent information concerning his health while trusting the strength of the political system under his Deputy, Yomi Awoniyi to maintain stability."
But the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Kogi State Governor, Jacob Edi, in his reaction said the position of the ACN was borne out of ignorance and mischief.
Edi said: "Firstly, for ACN to have taken that decision shows how ignorant they are. The decision to discharge a patient from a hospital is the decision of the medical expert and not the state government.
"Secondly, to insinuate that he hurriedly left the hospital to prevent his deputy governor from taking over is very mischievous, ill considered, malicious, wicked and thoughtless of them.
" I can confirm that there is no vacuum in the leadership of Kogi Executive or vacancy and that the deputy governor is very, very much in touch with his boss.
"So, let the ACN bother about how to form government and not to waste time in poking their nose into issues of governance and the government that is not from their political party.
"Now to even complain that Wada was hurriedly discharged shows that they are inhuman. This is a clear case of an accident which can happen to anybody. The least we expect from anybody at a time like this is to sympathize with the victims of the accident.
However, like I said before, we cannot be discouraged or deterred. We are focussed and we have an agenda and not even the combined mischievous talent of the ACN can keep us off track.
"We have a mandate with the people of Kogi and that mandate we are ready and prepared to deliver."