ETHICS DEMAND THAT LAI MOHAMMED RESIGNS NOW:
BY SIR DON UBANI; KSC, JP
OKWUBUNKA OF ASA
CENTRE FOR EQUITY & ERADICATION OF RURAL POVERTY.
11TH MARCH, 2017
Code of Conduct for public officers dictates that an officer paid with the aid of the tax payers' money should not, at any given time, deceive the public. He or she should say the truth and nothing but the truth at any given time. Where he or she believes saying the truth would create some embarrassment, if ever, silence could be a temporary alternative.
Nigerians would recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had transmitted a letter to the National Assembly, informing her of his intent to proceed on a ten-day leave in The United Kingdom, starting from Thursday January 19, 2017. He was, therefore, billed to return on Monday February 6th, 2017.
No sooner had the President flown out of the country than the Nigerian media, especially social media, became awash with the news, was it speculation?, that Mr President was, indeed, sick with an undisclosed ailment. The rumour became so persistent that many felt the Man had even kicked the bucket.
Meanwhile, the Presidency continued to feed the Nigerian masses with the information that all was well with Mr President.
However, on Sunday 5th of February, 2017 and being the eve of Mr President's anticipated return, a letter came from Mr President, extending his leave indefinitely.
According to the letter to the National Assembly, the purpose of the extension was to enable Mr President 'undergo further tests and have more rest'.
This second letter was a sharp contradiction to the deliberate falsehood the Presidency was busy doling out to the public.
The most disturbing aspect of the network of falsehood and deceit was woven and disseminated by the Hon Minister of Information & Culture; Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
As a Minister on oath to inform Nigerians the truth on whatever national development that is on ground and who is paid with tax-payers' money, Lai Mohammed has no justification, whatsoever, telling the Nigerian people lies on the health situation of Mr President.
Nigerians may not have forgotten when late President Musa Yar'Adua was sick in 2009 and Lai Mohammed was the National Publicity Secretary of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria.
It was Lai Mohammed who vociferously insisted that the Presidency was under obligation to inform Nigerians of the day to day state of health of the late President.
In the case of President Buhari, Lai Mohammed repeatedly hushed at Nigerians that they had no need demanding to know the President's condition of health. He continued deceiving the Nigerian public that the President was not at all sick.
Even on Monday February 27th, 2017 when he led four other Ministers to Umuahia to launch his 'Change Begins With Me' campaign and also have a Town Hall meeting with the people of Abia State, Lai Mohammed, in response to my question on the State of health of President Buhari, deceitfully stated that Mr President was hale and hearty. He emphatically maintained that the President was not in any hospital and, so, there was no cause for alarm.
Yesterday; Friday 10th March, 2017 the President returned to Nigeria. Any body that saw Mr President observed that he had emaciated conspicuously, looked pale and weak. He could not even fix his seat-belt by himself on the presidential chopper in which he flew from Kaduna to Abuja.
At the Aso-Rock Presidential Villa, where he had a closed door meeting with some members of his cabinet, the President thanked Nigerians, both Christians and Moslems for praying for him to recover from his sickness.
The President, true to self-confession, said he would not remember when he was as sick as he had just experienced, even as a young man, including during his turbulent days in the military.
President Buhari, in recognition of his true state of health, has asked his Vice; Prof Yemi Osibanjo, SAN, to continue in his acting capacity.
Yet, Lai Mohammed had been persistent in his chosen path of official falsehood and deceit.
Since Mr President has himself told Nigerians that he was, indeed, sick contrary to what Lai Mohammed had ditched out to Nigerians, it has become clear that Lai Mohammed is a Liar and is, therefore, not fit for public confidence. He should, therefore, resign.
The Centre For Equity & Eradication of Rural Poverty may not hesitate to seek legal option for his removal as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where he refuses to resign.
Executive Director.

m pretty sure he's doing wat he's been paid for

Money over name anytime any day... He won't except they boot him out.