Who are the Mischief Makers?

"At exactly 2.43 p.m. today, Saturday, February 25, 2017, my phone rang. Who was at the other end? Tunde Sabiu, personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Hold on for Mr President,” Tunde said.

And in a matter of seconds, the very familiar voice came:

“Femi, how are you?” (He calls me Adesina most times, but today, he opted for Femi).

I screamed :”Mr President, I have missed you. How are you sir?”

He first laughed. That familiar laugh.
Then he said: “I am still resting. Thank you for holding out against mischief makers.”

The above statement was part of conversation between Deacon Femi Adesina and his principal, President Buhari after 37days of disconnection.

It can be deduced from the above that both Femi and his principal are denigrating office of the citizens. For them to be referring to their employers as mischief makers shows how uncourteous they are in public affairs. I still believe President Buhari did not make such statement. However if he did then we should take it as a man who has deviated from his normal physiological/psychological states but now recuperating.

But who should be referred to as mischief makers if not those people that lacked information management skills set for public office holders. What other names should we call those people that took the President away from his duty on 19th January, 2017 and sent a leave letter that commenced 23rd January, 2017. If they are not mischievous why did they start an indefinite leave by misinforming the public as 10days annual vacation and medical checkup? If they are not mischievous why did they turn regular checkup to test cycles? If they are not mischievous why sending images of Mr. President after 38days in London despite calls from different quarters that the President should address his people.

Let us remind Deacon Femi that no employer will keep mute when his or her employee absconded from duty on the basis of health. Not only on health ground but shrouding his or her health status in secrecy for 40days. May be Deacon Femi is not aware that Nigerians are the employer of his principal, they are bearing the burden of every dime his principal is spending.

A nation in recession should be applauded for spending her scarce resources to rescue her President from health crisis at the world most expensive health clinic. So, Nigerians should not be treated the way Femi is doing, they deserve to know the true state of their President. Therefore, asking President Buhari to address the nation in an audiovisual broadcast is not an option or privilege but a right to know where their money is going.

Dear President as you continue to rest, the more you are calling individuals on phone the more harm you are doing to your office. Those people you're calling on phone are not important than the innocent public that put you in office. Nigerians need a State telecast from you with updates on your health status as this will save you from calling 180millions people one by one.

Finally, the innocent public are not mischief makers but they are acting as human beings that value life of their leader.

Ifedayo Obi,
Lead Partner, Good Governance Advocates