Is it not annoying that Yaradua and his team insist he is on "lesser Hajj" when he is obviously sick? Do Nigerians really believe that being on pilgrimage is more important than being on ground to perform the duties this Yaradua swore to perform? If Yaradua was employed by a company, can he tell his boss he is on Hajj while he should be working? But well, in Nigeria, everything from the ridiculous to the extremely irresponsible is possible! Let's see what happens when he decides to go on a "Major" Hajj, maybe he will be gone for even much longer while Nigeria is waiting for Illussion (Vision) 2020.
Well, luckily for Yaradua, there is at least a potential 145Million X 2 kidneys available, any donors?
Yar'adua admits to "Kidney Challenge".
Last View on Thu 4th September, 2008
Last Modified on Thu 04th September, 2008 2:30:21 am
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
“President” Umaru Yar'adua, who has spent two weeks battling a serious illness, may have made a radical decision about dealing with his perennial health problems, according to our sources.
Just as speculations run riot in Abuja and the local press about Yar’adua’s medical fate, Saharareporters was told by sources in Saudi Arabia that Yar'adua has concluded plans to end his "kidney challenge" by seeking and receiving kidney transplant before returning to Nigeria. But his handlers are insisting that he return to Nigeria first, latest by Saturday, speak to the Nigerian people about his condition, and then take off abroad—most likely to Germany—to seek a more permanent solution to his kidney crisis.
In the last three days, members of Yar’adua’s kitchen cabinet had farmed out misleading leads to several Nigerian newspapers to the effect that the ailing president would return as early as Tuesday and that he would chair this week’s meeting of the federal executive council.
But news that he would not be coming back filtered into Abuja at 12 noon when his plane failed to file an arrival notice to the presidential villa as expected. A source close to him had told Saharareporters that he was arriving midweek to Nigeria for a few days as soon as final tests were concluded to determine the compatibility of persons to donate a kidney to him.
He was expected to make a brief return to Abuja, address the nation, and then leave for Germany to explore the possibility of undergoing kidney transplant.
The plan felt apart, however, when his doctors in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia scheduled further tests to determine whether to attempt renal transplant before he departs for Nigeria. If the decision is made to go ahead with the procedure, then Yar’adua’s stay abroad could be prolonged for another eight weeks, according to a source close to his medical team.
Back in Nigeria, Yar’adua’s ministers put up a show in Abuja by attending the weekly federal executive council meeting, the second since Yar'adua departed Abuja, announcing that he was off to the "lesser hajj" or Ummra in Saudi Arabia. Information Minister John Odey, accompanied by three other ministers, maintained that Yar'adua was still on the lesser hajj in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They also announced the award of contracts of various sums.
Despite the ministerial exhibition, a source in the presidency told Saharareporters that governance has finally come to a virtual stop in Abuja since Yar’adua’s unceremonious exit to the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, two weeks ago.
Among the casualties of Yar’adua’s absence are plans to declare a state of emergency in the power sector, and the planned announcement of a committee on “land reforms” to be headed by Professor Akin Mabogunje. Also in jeopardy are arrangements for the annual pilgrimage to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.
A source close to “Vice President” Goodluck Jonathan told Saharareporters that Jonathan has been quietly chafing at the fact that he has been kept in the dark, along with the rest of Nigerians. “I can tell you that the president continues to give limited information through his wife to his aides and government officials. Vice President Jonathan has not been getting the kind of frequent briefing about the president’s status that he feels entitled to,” said the source.
Two ministers in the government told Saharareporters that most members of the cabinet were jittery about the repercussions of Yar’adua’s absence and the continued decision to lie to Nigerians that the man is on lesser hajj.
“There is palpable apprehension among some of us that President Yar'adua is showing little regard for governance and for the Nigerian people,” said one of the ministers. The two ministers told Saharareporters that they are all completely in the dark about Yar'adua's whereabouts, even though snippets of information have come in from Saudi Arabia to the effect that the man just had a slight sickness.
They said the danger is that Nigerians no longer believe anything from Yar'adua and his handlers. The ministers said some of them were putting subtle pressure to ask that Yar’adua return to Nigeria first to tell the people what is wrong with him and then depart to engage in corrective medical intervention, including the transplant option.
While Nigerians grew more worried about Yar'adua's absense member of his kitchen cabinet led by James Ibori have shifted their base to Dubai where they maintained a strong hold on Yar'adua telling him not to worry about Nigerians, a source told SaharaReporters that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may have joined the group. The group will be sending the governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki (currently in Europe) to visit Yar'adua and tell him what to do next.
==
Last View on Wed 3rd September, 2008
Last Modified on Mon 01st September, 2008 8:41:20 am
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Prof. Edward Oparaoji
Director, Global Medical Affairs
Nephrology Section
Shire Pharmaceuticals USA
eoparaoji@aol.com Recent reports indicate that President Musa Yar”Adua may have undergone kidney transplantation in a Saudi Arabia hospital, resulting from severe kidney damage caused by a rare disease called Churg Strauss Syndrome (CSS). If these reports are correct, it is important that Nigerians know the basic facts about CSS and Kidney transplantation in order to correctly access the political implications.
Shiel and Stoppler wrote an article in
www.medicinnet.com, succinctly describing CSS. It is rare and one of many forms of vasculitis- diseases characterized by inflammation of blood vessels, especially small arteries and veins. It occurs in patients with a history of asthma or allergy and20features inflammation of blood vessels in the lungs, skin, nerves, and abdomen and very rarely the kidneys and brain. The cause of the syndrome is not known, but it involves an abnormal over-activation of the immune system in a person with underlying bronchospastic lung disease such as asthma. Although certain asthma medications, called leukotriene modifiers, has been associated with CSS, whether they actually cause the disease or exacerbates it is not yet clear. It is a serious disease that can be fatal. Untreated it is extremely dangerous and threatens the organs that are affected. With aggressive treatment and monitoring it can be quieted and total inactivation of the disease (remission) is possible.
If reports of hemo-dialysis and kidney transplantation are accurate it means that Yar’Adua’s CSS was not controlled with medications (usually comprising high dose steroids and cytoxan- a chemotherapeutic agent), thus resulting in destruction of the blood vessels leading to/supplying the kidneys and the Kidneys themselves. It is also conceivable that since the kidneys are rare targets in CSS, his disease was at an advanced stage, and likely has severely affected other more vulnerable organs such as the lungs, abdomen, skin, prostate, nerves and or muscles. Furthermore, there is a high likelihood of infections (bacterial, fungal and/or viral), due to the medicines used in CSS, which depresses the body’s ability to fight infections.
If the above conditions exist Yar’Adua may not have qualified for kidney transplant, especially in any transplant center in the West. Kidney transplantation is possible when one has no other severe or life threatening condition such as CSS (a badly managed one for that matter), that may hinder transplant success.
It is therefore, proper to ask, did he actually undergo renal transplantation? Was it ethical? Whose kidney? Was it a living or a cadaver donor? What is his prognosis? What is timeline for recuperation? What is his mental status? Can he effectively execute state functions? Did he properly hand over power to the Vic e President- Jonathan Goodluck, prior to this major surgery?
While not familiar with the practice in Saudi Arabia , I will be surprised if any credible transplant center will risk a donor's life or jump over a potential recipient on the list to give precious kidney to a poor transplant candidate. That would be unethical. There are two types of donors- a living donor or a diseased (cadaver) donor. The prognosis or survival rate is better with living donor transplantation. A cadaver donor for a case such as Yar’Adua’s will further compromise his post transplant prognosis.
In a best case scenario kidney transplantation requires at least 3-4 days hospital stay, and an additional 3-4 weeks monitoring, requiring proximity to the transplant center. Baring any act of political desperation, he may not be expected back in the country in good health, within 4 weeks po st kidney transplantation.
Subsequently, Yar”adua may encounter other medical and socio-political challenges. He may require regular mental evaluation to detect any loss of mentation due to the CSS and steroid psychosis (from high dose steroids which are an integral part of life long treatment in kidney transplant patients). Steroid Psychosis occurs as an adverse reaction to taking large doses of steroids, the most common symptoms emotional lability, anxiety, distractibility, pressured speech, sensory flooding, insomnia, depression, perplexity, agitation, auditory and visual hallucinations, intermittent memory impairment, mutism, disturbances of body image, delusions, apathy and hypomania. Other classes of medications used post transplant such as calcineurine inhibitors (cyclosporine), antiproliferative agents (mycophenylate mofetil, azathioprine, or sirolimus), monoclonal antibodies (muromonab-CD3) and polyclonal antibodies (antithymocytes globuline eqine) come with significant side effects as well as other medical, financial and social burden.
Renal transplantation is major surgery which usually requires general anesthesia and could lead to death. If this was an elective/planned surgery, we would expect Yar’Adua to properly hand over power to his VP. If he didn’t, the National Assembly may investigate and possibly consider impeachment-if he is competent on return.
If the little bits from the media are accurate, President Yar’Adua’s prognosis, with or without kidney transplant is not encouraging. He may well be advised to return to Katsina, to take care of himself. A sick nation needs a competent leader.
http://www.saharareporters.com/www/report/detail/?id=610=====
UPDATE: Sickly Yar'adua May Not return until Weekend - Selected President clings to Power! Meanwhile, Goodluck Jonathan (VP, or spare tyre ) not even anywhere in the picture! Isn't this a classic analogy of a 'spare tyre' which is never relevant except one of the main tires "goes up completely in flames"??
http://www.saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=707Last View on Fri 29th August, 2008
Last Modified on Thu 28th August, 2008 6:18:41 pm
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Saharareporters, New York
Highly confidential information reaching Saharareporters indicates that Umaru Yar'adua’s health has not improved enough to enable him to return to Abuja as soon his aides and ministers predicted to the press. Our source disclosed that “The current health crisis is one of the most serious since President Yar’adua came to office.”
Saharareporters had exclusively reported that Yar'adua’s trip to Saudi Arabia was for urgent medical care, not the stated purpose of performing the lesser hajj or umra announced by his aides.
Saharareporters further reported exclusively that Mr. Yar’adua’s trip to Brazil had been cancelled and members of his advance team were recalled to Abuja from the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos as they waited to board an airline to Brazil via London.
Yar’adua’s uncertain state of health has created a political vacuum in Abuja. As in past trips, Yar’adua was flown out of Abuja without handing over to Goodluck Jonathan to act as “president.” As a result, the planned decoration of recently appointed service chiefs had to be put on hold. Aso Rock has been scrambling to come out with an official explanation as Nigerians wait in vain. When Yar'adua did not show up for the second time to decorate the new service chiefs, the officers had to settle for handling handing over ceremonies to their respective successors.
Saharareporters has learnt that Nigeria’s newspaper publishers and other media owners connived to black out news of Yar’adua’s latest health crisis. Our correspondents learnt that the publishers were co-opted into the deception game in the name of “national security reasons,” according to an insider aware of the deal between the media and the Yar’adua regime.
Our sources said that former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos reportedly met with Yar'adua before he departed to Saudi Arabia and promised to take charge of the publishers on Yar'adua's behalf. Mr. Tinubu owns huge stakes in the The Nation, National Life, and a TV station, GOTEL. Unconfirmed reports put Tinubu in Saudi Arabia with Yar'adua. The former governor is said to have undertaken to persuade Atiku Abubakar to drop his legal challenge at the Supreme Court against Yar'adua's election.
The publishers’ commitment to keep the lid on news regarding Yar’adua’s ill health unraveled when Yar'adua could not be found to preside over the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the Aso Rock villa. The meeting held yesterday.
Emerging from the meeting, two of his ministers—Ojo Madueke of External Affairs and John Odey of Information—spoke to State House correspondents in a poorly executed effort to dismiss reports that Yar'adua was bed-ridden in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia as earlier revealed by SaharaReporters.
But our sources within the regime revealed to us that none of the ministers or aides to Yar'adua knew his whereabouts or his state of health. “Only Madam (Turai), the CSO, and two other people can tell where Oga is,” volunteered an Aso Rock insider who spoke to SaharaReporters about the confusion.
However, a reliable source told Saharareporters that Yar'adua might be returning to Abuja on Saturday or Sunday if his doctors certify him fit enough to travel back to Nigeria.
As we reported earlier, Yar'adua is undergoing treatment in one of the Saudi German hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The decision to go to Saudi Arabia was taken by his family and political associates to avoid an embarrassing situation that may fuel further security angst that Yar'adua is not fit to govern Nigeria due to ill health. He left Abuja precisely eight days ago in company of his wife, Turai, one of his daughters, his Chief Security officer/ Aide De Camp (ADC), two German doctors and two State House pilots.
Sources at the Aso Rock villa said insiders in Yar’adua’s regime are making efforts to bring him back by the weekend. “It’s been discussed that, even if it means bringing on a life support, he should not stay outside Nigeria beyond the weekend. If he does, it may be hard to sustain the lie that he’s on umra,” said our source.
Saharareporters is yet to ascertain what forms of treatment Yar'adua underwent on this trip, but a knowledgeable source told SaharaReporters that he was hospitalized for most of the last seven days. The source said he managed to make a short appearance in a Saudi Mosque last week before he was returned to intensive care.
Yar Adua's N10-Billion Hospice - Nigerian State House invites tender for urgent medical supplies. Is Yar Adua THAT sick?See:
http://www.saharareporters.com/images/State_House_Clinic.pdf
Health Crisis Detains Yar Adua In Saudi Arabia State; Visit To Brazil Cancelled
This man under the spell of his wife would rather DIE in power rathen than leave the presidency for which he has done NOTHING! Imagine if the countries he is running to are run the way Nigeria has been and is being run! IDIOTS! Imagine the city I live in has seen more development and infrastructure upgrades in the past 3 months than Nigeria has since he stole his way and 'selected' to power! What a big shame!http://www.saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=705Last View on Tue 26th August, 2008
Last Modified on Tue 26th August, 2008 5:55:24 am
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
SaharaReporters, New York
Reports reaching SaharaReporters from Saudi Arabia indicate that Umaru Yar'Adua is in what our sources described as “a serious condition” at the Saudi German Hospital in Jeddah. Mr. Yar’Adua has been in Saudi Arabia since Wednesday to undergo medical treatment for undisclosed ailments.
As a result of Mr. Yar’Adua’s continuing health crisis, his planned state visit to Brazil, previously scheduled to commence tomorrow, has been indefinitely postponed. Our sources also indicated that Yar' Adua's German doctors have not given a date for his departure from Saudi Arabia.
An official at the Presidency in Brazil told SaharaReporters that the protocol department in the office of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had received “advice from Nigerian authorities stating that the official arrival ceremony for President Umaru Yar'adua earlier scheduled for August 28th 2008 was postponed indefinitely.” The Brazilian official stated that no reasons were advanced for the postponement of Yar'adua's trip.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Yar'adua's trip to Saudi Arabia was for medical treatment following a recent deterioration of his health.
Our sources within Aso Rock told SaharaReporters that Yar’adua’s close associates and his wife, Turai, had decided against sending him back to a German hospital. They reportedly feared that his sudden return to Germany might alarm the diplomatic community and create security problems for Yar'adua's presidency. Turai Yar’adua has rebuffed the pleas of some Northern politicians that her husband should resign and pay full attention to his recurrent health crises. She told them that, citing Generals Sani Abacha and Murtala Muhammed, that even if her husband died, he won’t be the first ruler to die in office.
After settling for the Saudi German Hospital in Jeddah, Yar'adua’s handlers issued a deceptive statement that he was going to one of the holy sites of Islam to observe the lesser hajj or umra. He was flown to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night, a day later than originally scheduled. The trip was delayed in a desperate attempt to minimize the impact of an accurate report by this website that the trip was for Yar’adua’s medical treatment. The PDP even issued a statement claiming that Yar’adua would be in Calabar to campaign for Mr. Liyel Imoke, who is indicted by the House of Representatives’ committee that probed billions of dollars wasted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the name of power projects. But a source close to Yar’adua assured SaharaReporters that “President Yar’adua will collapse if he delays his trip by another day.”
Yar'adua traveled with a few family members, including his wife and daughter, as well as his personal doctor, aide-de camp and two German doctors who had earlier flown into Nigeria to manage his deteriorating health condition.
An inside source who was briefed on the trip said Yar'adua was gasping for breath as he labored to board the plane, which was fitted with respiratory aid gadgets provided by the German doctors.
Signs that Yar'adua would not be able to make it to Brazil emerged yesterday when members of his advance party to Brazil were recalled to Abuja from Lagos. The delegation had planned to fly to Brazil via London.
But in a move designed to douse public suspicion, Attorney General of the Federation Michael Aondoakaa was instructed to fly to London. The aim was to divert attention from the cancellation of the Brazilian trip. Aondoakaa told aides and the Nigerian media that he was headed to join Yar'adua in Brazil. He claimed that Yar'adua was flying from Saudi Arabia.
However, SaharaReporters discovered that Aondoakaa did not leave the Heathrow Airport in London. Instead, he checked into the Heathrow Marriott Hotel from where he intends to visit his newly relocated children in London tomorrow.
Our source revealed that Yar'adua's associates were considering secretly flying him to Germany if his current health crisis persists or worsens.
Last View on Wed 3rd September, 2008
Last Modified on Mon 01st September, 2008 8:41:20 am
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Prof. Edward Oparaoji
Director, Global Medical Affairs
Nephrology Section
Shire Pharmaceuticals USA
eoparaoji@aol.com Recent reports indicate that President Musa Yar”Adua may have undergone kidney transplantation in a Saudi Arabia hospital, resulting from severe kidney damage caused by a rare disease called Churg Strauss Syndrome (CSS). If these reports are correct, it is important that Nigerians know the basic facts about CSS and Kidney transplantation in order to correctly access the political implications.
Shiel and Stoppler wrote an article in
www.medicinnet.com, succinctly describing CSS. It is rare and one of many forms of vasculitis- diseases characterized by inflammation of blood vessels, especially small arteries and veins. It occurs in patients with a history of asthma or allergy and20features inflammation of blood vessels in the lungs, skin, nerves, and abdomen and very rarely the kidneys and brain. The cause of the syndrome is not known, but it involves an abnormal over-activation of the immune system in a person with underlying bronchospastic lung disease such as asthma. Although certain asthma medications, called leukotriene modifiers, has been associated with CSS, whether they actually cause the disease or exacerbates it is not yet clear. It is a serious disease that can be fatal. Untreated it is extremely dangerous and threatens the organs that are affected. With aggressive treatment and monitoring it can be quieted and total inactivation of the disease (remission) is possible.
If reports of hemo-dialysis and kidney transplantation are accurate it means that Yar’Adua’s CSS was not controlled with medications (usually comprising high dose steroids and cytoxan- a chemotherapeutic agent), thus resulting in destruction of the blood vessels leading to/supplying the kidneys and the Kidneys themselves. It is also conceivable that since the kidneys are rare targets in CSS, his disease was at an advanced stage, and likely has severely affected other more vulnerable organs such as the lungs, abdomen, skin, prostate, nerves and or muscles. Furthermore, there is a high likelihood of infections (bacterial, fungal and/or viral), due to the medicines used in CSS, which depresses the body’s ability to fight infections.
If the above conditions exist Yar’Adua may not have qualified for kidney transplant, especially in any transplant center in the West. Kidney transplantation is possible when one has no other severe or life threatening condition such as CSS (a badly managed one for that matter), that may hinder transplant success.
It is therefore, proper to ask, did he actually undergo renal transplantation? Was it ethical? Whose kidney? Was it a living or a cadaver donor? What is his prognosis? What is timeline for recuperation? What is his mental status? Can he effectively execute state functions? Did he properly hand over power to the Vic e President- Jonathan Goodluck, prior to this major surgery?
While not familiar with the practice in Saudi Arabia , I will be surprised if any credible transplant center will risk a donor's life or jump over a potential recipient on the list to give precious kidney to a poor transplant candidate. That would be unethical. There are two types of donors- a living donor or a diseased (cadaver) donor. The prognosis or survival rate is better with living donor transplantation. A cadaver donor for a case such as Yar’Adua’s will further compromise his post transplant prognosis.
In a best case scenario kidney transplantation requires at least 3-4 days hospital stay, and an additional 3-4 weeks monitoring, requiring proximity to the transplant center. Baring any act of political desperation, he may not be expected back in the country in good health, within 4 weeks po st kidney transplantation.
Subsequently, Yar”adua may encounter other medical and socio-political challenges. He may require regular mental evaluation to detect any loss of mentation due to the CSS and steroid psychosis (from high dose steroids which are an integral part of life long treatment in kidney transplant patients). Steroid Psychosis occurs as an adverse reaction to taking large doses of steroids, the most common symptoms emotional lability, anxiety, distractibility, pressured speech, sensory flooding, insomnia, depression, perplexity, agitation, auditory and visual hallucinations, intermittent memory impairment, mutism, disturbances of body image, delusions, apathy and hypomania. Other classes of medications used post transplant such as calcineurine inhibitors (cyclosporine), antiproliferative agents (mycophenylate mofetil, azathioprine, or sirolimus), monoclonal antibodies (muromonab-CD3) and polyclonal antibodies (antithymocytes globuline eqine) come with significant side effects as well as other medical, financial and social burden.
Renal transplantation is major surgery which usually requires general anesthesia and could lead to death. If this was an elective/planned surgery, we would expect Yar’Adua to properly hand over power to his VP. If he didn’t, the National Assembly may investigate and possibly consider impeachment-if he is competent on return.
If the little bits from the media are accurate, President Yar’Adua’s prognosis, with or without kidney transplant is not encouraging. He may well be advised to return to Katsina, to take care of himself. A sick nation needs a competent leader.
http://www.saharareporters.com/www/report/detail/?id=610=====
UPDATE: Sickly Yar'adua May Not return until Weekend - Selected President clings to Power! Meanwhile, Goodluck Jonathan (VP, or spare tyre ) not even anywhere in the picture! Isn't this a classic analogy of a 'spare tyre' which is never relevant except one of the main tires "goes up completely in flames"??
http://www.saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=707Last View on Fri 29th August, 2008
Last Modified on Thu 28th August, 2008 6:18:41 pm
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Saharareporters, New York
Highly confidential information reaching Saharareporters indicates that Umaru Yar'adua’s health has not improved enough to enable him to return to Abuja as soon his aides and ministers predicted to the press. Our source disclosed that “The current health crisis is one of the most serious since President Yar’adua came to office.”
Saharareporters had exclusively reported that Yar'adua’s trip to Saudi Arabia was for urgent medical care, not the stated purpose of performing the lesser hajj or umra announced by his aides.
Saharareporters further reported exclusively that Mr. Yar’adua’s trip to Brazil had been cancelled and members of his advance team were recalled to Abuja from the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos as they waited to board an airline to Brazil via London.
Yar’adua’s uncertain state of health has created a political vacuum in Abuja. As in past trips, Yar’adua was flown out of Abuja without handing over to Goodluck Jonathan to act as “president.” As a result, the planned decoration of recently appointed service chiefs had to be put on hold. Aso Rock has been scrambling to come out with an official explanation as Nigerians wait in vain. When Yar'adua did not show up for the second time to decorate the new service chiefs, the officers had to settle for handling handing over ceremonies to their respective successors.
Saharareporters has learnt that Nigeria’s newspaper publishers and other media owners connived to black out news of Yar’adua’s latest health crisis. Our correspondents learnt that the publishers were co-opted into the deception game in the name of “national security reasons,” according to an insider aware of the deal between the media and the Yar’adua regime.
Our sources said that former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos reportedly met with Yar'adua before he departed to Saudi Arabia and promised to take charge of the publishers on Yar'adua's behalf. Mr. Tinubu owns huge stakes in the The Nation, National Life, and a TV station, GOTEL. Unconfirmed reports put Tinubu in Saudi Arabia with Yar'adua. The former governor is said to have undertaken to persuade Atiku Abubakar to drop his legal challenge at the Supreme Court against Yar'adua's election.
The publishers’ commitment to keep the lid on news regarding Yar’adua’s ill health unraveled when Yar'adua could not be found to preside over the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the Aso Rock villa. The meeting held yesterday.
Emerging from the meeting, two of his ministers—Ojo Madueke of External Affairs and John Odey of Information—spoke to State House correspondents in a poorly executed effort to dismiss reports that Yar'adua was bed-ridden in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia as earlier revealed by SaharaReporters.
But our sources within the regime revealed to us that none of the ministers or aides to Yar'adua knew his whereabouts or his state of health. “Only Madam (Turai), the CSO, and two other people can tell where Oga is,” volunteered an Aso Rock insider who spoke to SaharaReporters about the confusion.
However, a reliable source told Saharareporters that Yar'adua might be returning to Abuja on Saturday or Sunday if his doctors certify him fit enough to travel back to Nigeria.
As we reported earlier, Yar'adua is undergoing treatment in one of the Saudi German hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The decision to go to Saudi Arabia was taken by his family and political associates to avoid an embarrassing situation that may fuel further security angst that Yar'adua is not fit to govern Nigeria due to ill health. He left Abuja precisely eight days ago in company of his wife, Turai, one of his daughters, his Chief Security officer/ Aide De Camp (ADC), two German doctors and two State House pilots.
Sources at the Aso Rock villa said insiders in Yar’adua’s regime are making efforts to bring him back by the weekend. “It’s been discussed that, even if it means bringing on a life support, he should not stay outside Nigeria beyond the weekend. If he does, it may be hard to sustain the lie that he’s on umra,” said our source.
Saharareporters is yet to ascertain what forms of treatment Yar'adua underwent on this trip, but a knowledgeable source told SaharaReporters that he was hospitalized for most of the last seven days. The source said he managed to make a short appearance in a Saudi Mosque last week before he was returned to intensive care.
Yar Adua's N10-Billion Hospice - Nigerian State House invites tender for urgent medical supplies. Is Yar Adua THAT sick?See:
http://www.saharareporters.com/images/State_House_Clinic.pdf
Health Crisis Detains Yar Adua In Saudi Arabia State; Visit To Brazil Cancelled
This man under the spell of his wife would rather DIE in power rathen than leave the presidency for which he has done NOTHING! Imagine if the countries he is running to are run the way Nigeria has been and is being run! IDIOTS! Imagine the city I live in has seen more development and infrastructure upgrades in the past 3 months than Nigeria has since he stole his way and 'selected' to power! What a big shame!http://www.saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=705Last View on Tue 26th August, 2008
Last Modified on Tue 26th August, 2008 5:55:24 am
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
SaharaReporters, New York
Reports reaching SaharaReporters from Saudi Arabia indicate that Umaru Yar'Adua is in what our sources described as “a serious condition” at the Saudi German Hospital in Jeddah. Mr. Yar’Adua has been in Saudi Arabia since Wednesday to undergo medical treatment for undisclosed ailments.
As a result of Mr. Yar’Adua’s continuing health crisis, his planned state visit to Brazil, previously scheduled to commence tomorrow, has been indefinitely postponed. Our sources also indicated that Yar' Adua's German doctors have not given a date for his departure from Saudi Arabia.
An official at the Presidency in Brazil told SaharaReporters that the protocol department in the office of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had received “advice from Nigerian authorities stating that the official arrival ceremony for President Umaru Yar'adua earlier scheduled for August 28th 2008 was postponed indefinitely.” The Brazilian official stated that no reasons were advanced for the postponement of Yar'adua's trip.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Yar'adua's trip to Saudi Arabia was for medical treatment following a recent deterioration of his health.
Our sources within Aso Rock told SaharaReporters that Yar’adua’s close associates and his wife, Turai, had decided against sending him back to a German hospital. They reportedly feared that his sudden return to Germany might alarm the diplomatic community and create security problems for Yar'adua's presidency. Turai Yar’adua has rebuffed the pleas of some Northern politicians that her husband should resign and pay full attention to his recurrent health crises. She told them that, citing Generals Sani Abacha and Murtala Muhammed, that even if her husband died, he won’t be the first ruler to die in office.
After settling for the Saudi German Hospital in Jeddah, Yar'adua’s handlers issued a deceptive statement that he was going to one of the holy sites of Islam to observe the lesser hajj or umra. He was flown to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night, a day later than originally scheduled. The trip was delayed in a desperate attempt to minimize the impact of an accurate report by this website that the trip was for Yar’adua’s medical treatment. The PDP even issued a statement claiming that Yar’adua would be in Calabar to campaign for Mr. Liyel Imoke, who is indicted by the House of Representatives’ committee that probed billions of dollars wasted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the name of power projects. But a source close to Yar’adua assured SaharaReporters that “President Yar’adua will collapse if he delays his trip by another day.”
Yar'adua traveled with a few family members, including his wife and daughter, as well as his personal doctor, aide-de camp and two German doctors who had earlier flown into Nigeria to manage his deteriorating health condition.
An inside source who was briefed on the trip said Yar'adua was gasping for breath as he labored to board the plane, which was fitted with respiratory aid gadgets provided by the German doctors.
Signs that Yar'adua would not be able to make it to Brazil emerged yesterday when members of his advance party to Brazil were recalled to Abuja from Lagos. The delegation had planned to fly to Brazil via London.
But in a move designed to douse public suspicion, Attorney General of the Federation Michael Aondoakaa was instructed to fly to London. The aim was to divert attention from the cancellation of the Brazilian trip. Aondoakaa told aides and the Nigerian media that he was headed to join Yar'adua in Brazil. He claimed that Yar'adua was flying from Saudi Arabia.
However, SaharaReporters discovered that Aondoakaa did not leave the Heathrow Airport in London. Instead, he checked into the Heathrow Marriott Hotel from where he intends to visit his newly relocated children in London tomorrow.
Our source revealed that Yar'adua's associates were considering secretly flying him to Germany if his current health crisis persists or worsens.
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