The Punch:: Jonathan yet to see Yar’Adua, Turai

Acting President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is yet to see President Umaru Yar’Adua since he returned from Saudi Arabia. Our correspondent gathered that, apart from a briefing on the President’s return, which was given to him on Wednesday, Jonathan is in the dark.

In the same vein, the planned meeting between the Acting President and the First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua, is yet to hold.

A source in the Presidential Villa informed our correspondent on Friday that the Acting President is still looking forward to meet and express his best wishes in person to the first family.

“The Acting President has been looking forward to seeing his boss who returned to the country on Wednesday, but as things stand now, he is yet to see him and it is not clear when he would eventually see him.

“Jonathan intends to express his best wishes to Yar’Adua, Turai and their children. He has to do that in person, particularly, as he had been praying publicly and calling on Nigerians to pray, for Yar’Adua ever since he left for Saudi Arabia.

“But so far, he has not seen him, in fact, he (Jonathan) has not met Turai and nobody can tell when or if the situation will change anytime soon,” the source said.

The source added that, apart from the initial briefing on the President’s return, which was given to him by some of Yar’Adua’s aides on Wednesday, Jonathan does not have any information on the matter.

Jonathan’s inability to see Yar’Adua, so far, mirrors the predicament being faced by several individuals who wish to see the President.

There are also indications that most of the President’s aides have also not seen him. Our correspondent gathered that other associates of the President, who made requests to see him, were told to wait.

Expectations that Yar’Adua’s return will precipitate a rush of visitors to his official residence for goodwill and solidarity visits have so far not materialised.

Our correspondent has not observed visitors going to see the President at his residence.

The current situation is a huge contrast to previous occasions when Yar’Adua’s return from medical trips are followed by a rush of visitors, including ministers and other government officials, state governors, lawmakers, diplomats and even foreign presidents, among others.

In a related development, the Presidency has clarified that the Acting President only received one report on the President’s health condition all through the period he was hospitalised at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In a short statement made available to journalists on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, explained that Jonathan received only one report on the President’s health.

The statement read, “Further to my interview with State House correspondents yesterday (Thursday), I wish to clarify that only one medical report on President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was sent to the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan by the Chief Physician to the President, Dr Salisu Banye, through the Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

“This was on Friday, February 19, 2010.

“The Acting President has not received any other medical report before or after that date”.

However, another source in the Presidential Villa said Jonathan did not receive a full medical report on Yar’Adua’s health.

The source described what was made available to the Acting President as just a “note”, adding that Jonathan first heard about the true nature of the President’s illness, being acute pericarditis, through media reports.

“The said medical report that was sent to the Acting President was just a note stating the health situation of the President and not actually a medical report.

“At no time was the Acting President briefed or received any report on the health condition of the President; the information about the pericarditis was communicated to the Acting President, like every Nigerian, from the media,” the source said.

via The Punch:: Jonathan yet to see Yar’Adua, Turai.