by Azeez Adeniyi

Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina has said only the President can tell Nigerians what exactly is wrong with him.

He said this during a recent interview with Nigerian Tribune while speaking on the possibility of Nigerians knowing what is wrong with the President.

“It is only the president himself that can declare that. And when he came back from London on March 10, he said it that he had never been that sick in his life. That is a declaration of his health status.

“It is within his prerogative to do that. Nobody can do it for him. Not even the doctors treating him can do it for him. Under the Hippocratic Oath, nobody can do it except the patient.

“Nobody under the Hippocratic Oath, it says that even the doctor has no right to reveal the health status of his patient to anybody. So, it’s only Mr President that can say what exactly is wrong with him.

“Don’t forget that in June last year, he went abroad to treat an ear problem. That ear problem had first been treated here in Nigeria and then, when he was going on vacation, he used that opportunity to also consult specialists in London.

“When he came back, he told the country that this was what was wrong with him. So, the prerogative is his own to disclose and if he wants to disclose, he will. But nobody should be asking him to do it. That would be an infringement on his right.”

“If anybody has put himself in suspense, he’s just doing it for himself because it’s not necessary. The law does not compel a president to reveal what is wrong with him. It does not.”

On when the freed Chibok girls will be allowed to go home, Adesina said, “That question is not due yet. It’s not time for that question. Yes, no doubt they will go home because nobody can keep them forever. But now that they have just come, it is the responsibility of government to ensure that that are rehabilitated-spiritual rehabilitation, physical, mental, sociological, medical, all kinds rehabilitation.

“They need to be prepared for life in society again, having been in captivity for over three years. If government does not do it, the same people who are agitating that they should go home, will turn round and blame government of being reneged in its responsibility.

“So, government is doing what it should do for its citizens by ensuring that those girls are kept together in a safe location and given wholistic rehabilitation The president, while he was receiving them on Sunday, said going back to school is a priority, that they must finish their education.

“So, they must be assisted to return to school. Before returning to the larger society, there are other kinds of rehabilitation that should be done. And it is after all that is done that the question you have asked will become due for asking. But it does not mean that their parents will not see them in all that time.

“No, Parents and families will see them; in fact, those that returned last October, remember they spent Christmas with their families. So, that is the situation. Their people will have access to them, but government also will fulfill its obligations and responsibilities to them for some time to come before they are released to go back to the society.”