BAKARE, GBONIGI, ABIARA BLAME YAR'ADUA'S FAMILY FOR CLERICS' VISITATION CONTROVERSY

The General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church, Prophet S.K Abiara, General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, and the retired Anglican Bishop of Akure, Rt. Rev. Bolanle Gbonigi, have blamed President Umaru Yar'Adua's aides and family for the fresh controversy surrounding the president's health condition.

In separate interviews, the trio insisted that Muslim and Christian clerics that visited the president on separate occasions recently should not be blamed for not disclosing much about Yar'Adua's health.

The men of God said there was nothing wrong in the clerics going to pray for the President and there was nothing wrong if they decided not to talk about the visit.

Said Abiara, 'If the Yar'Adua people now allow men of God to see him and pray for him, it is okay. The President is for all of us. We thank God that men of God have been allowed to see and pray for him because prayer is a powerful tool that works wonders.'

But he added that the decision of the aides of the president not to allow Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to see Yar'Adua was wrong. 'It is not appropriate for people around the president not to allow the Acting President to see him. Jonathan is acting on his boss' behalf, so why are they blocking him from seeing his boss? Maybe something is fishy there,' he said.

Abiara advised Jonathan to concentrate on running the country and not be distracted by the way the president's health was being handled.

However, Bakare said that he was baffled that the clerics were now the ones briefing the Acting President about Yar'Adua's health instead of the other way round.

Bakare said, 'It is not out of place for them not to disclose what happened there because as a minister of the Gospel, when you are confided in, you are not obliged to discuss it, except a crime.

'But this situation goes beyond just visiting and saying nothing. My surprise is that they were the ones now briefing the Acting President instead of him briefing them. I see it as a case of the tail wagging the dog.'

Bishop Gbonigi said the President's kitchen cabinet caused the controversy. He said, 'They don't have respect for the Constitution. They think they are always right.'

He advised the National Assembly to jettison the presidential system of government while amending the Constitution.