Of all the men standing by the newspaper-vendor’s stand, only one person did not agree that Yar Adua is sick. According to him, its the pressure of the work: – the work of leading a nation like Nigeria. Below is Mr. President’s picture on todays edition of the Nigerian Punch newspaper – which was the main cause of arguement.
I heard a lot of things, part of which are the following: M for Male:
M1: pointing with his fore-finger to the newspaper’s pic, this man is sick, lets face the fact. Just look at him. Anyone who says this man isnt sick doesnt like him.
M2: wetin do am sef, sey na cancer, or na wetin
M3: I read the news in the paper sometimes ago, I forgot wetin dem call the name of his sickness, maybe na liver problem, ahhhhh, I’ve forgotten o. If this guy is not careful, he go die in Aso rock, and he will have himself to blame.
M4: ehn, at least if he’s dead, we will know hes dead. This one wey we no know whether he don die or he dey alive nko?
M5 see, you guys don’t understand. He is an old man. How can you see someone like this and you say this is sickness. This one no be sickness, I’m very sure, this guy don pass 70–years old.
M6: 70–kini? Yar Adua 70–years old? 70? The guy na 57 years old. The guy never nak. 60. I’m sure of that. The guy never nak 60.
M4: If Yar Adua na 70, who old pass: Obasanjo or Yar Adua?
M5: how can you say this man is 57 years old. Look at his throat. Look at his forehead, see all these heavy heavy wrinkles: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Maybe the guy don do afidavit before he entered politics jare. 57 ko, 57 ni.
M6: nooooo, noooo, see. Yar Adua is a young man. He is just 57. I use to know him when he was doing youth service. There is this em……..this school where he did his youth service….em, em, em.’man scratches his head, trying to remember the info’…….ooooo, I cant remember the name, but I knew him since 1974, he was around 22 then as a youth corper.
M5: see, my brothers. What we should pray for is that God should not allow us to see sickness. Even if you dont have money to eat, just pray that God will keep you health. 57 or no 57, I believe this man don pass 70. Pray that you never fall sick o, the kin sickness wey fit add like 10years wrinkle to your face in a matter of weeks.
M7: abeg, make you no talk go that side. Let me tell you the truth. Obasanjo old pass this guy well well. Obasanjo don pass 70 oh, and even if Yar adua is 70, Obasanjo still fine pass this guy, today, today, he still fine pass. See, let me be on the safe side eh, Obasanjo take at least 10years from this guy. Im very sure of that one.
M3: that one na true o. I know someone who feel sick for like a couple of weeks, sometime early this year. When dem discharge the guy for hospital, the children no recognize am o.. me sef, I tire wen I see am.
M7: sebi dem talk say he don go Saudi, wishing him well sha. How many Naija Presidents sef don die for office? He might be the first? sey we get president wey don die for office?
M5: another thing is this: do you know the pressures associated with being Mr. President? the guy fit no dey get 5–hours of sleep everyday, and he has to attend this meeting and that meeting. Even if he’s 57, or 70, or even 32, by the time someone undergoes such a pressure for like 1–month, things will change o. Politics no be enjoyment o, coz even if you wan do something good, and you call 10 of your advisers, you no go fit just dey take action because the 10 of them agree on a point – you have to think through yourself.
M4: sir, that one na theory o. Politics is Politics. Like me now, if dem talk say make I come dom politics, I go tell them say I no get stamina. Before anyone say I wan go do politics, he suppose check himself first, abi? Pressure or no pressure, who get pressure pass. Sey yar adua get pressure pass George Bush; sey he get pressure pass Obama. See fine boy Obama dey remove his shirt everyday, dey take picture for paparazzi. His wife sef get time to wear sleeveless. If Yar Adua pressure pass that of Obama, Nigeria for don better, abi. No be the same pressure all former Nigerian president get? Obasanjo get pressure, he dey wear fine agbada everyday. The only pressure wey dey for Naija politics na the pressure to chop money.
‘people burst into a laugh’
M8: see, na covetousness dey worry the man. You see, this politics thing, its not just a physical issue. Its a spiritual matter. The thing go dey push am, push am, say, stay there, stay there, until the guy quench, he no go know. Why can’t he resign and let Jonathan continue, ehn, why?
M1: Jona-wetin. Jonathan? Who is Jonathan? Its like you dont know that Yar Adua is a Hausa man.
M8: ehn, so what happened, whats the problem if hes a Hausa man.
M1: you dont know Hausa men? see, in the Nigeria of today, if you are not Yoruba, if you are not Ibo, If you are not Hausa, you cannot be President, you have no voice in Nigerian politics, you cannot rule this country. Besides, see, if you know Hausa men very well, their mind set is somehow. They dont recognize anyone except Ibos and Yoruba. Until this Yoruba, Hausa and Ibo thing be erased from this country, we cannot move forward. There must come a time when everyone, regardless of whether you are Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba or wherever – will be considered a Nigerian.
M4: thats why PDP was talking about Turai. When husband leave the place, wife go take over. Nigeria don become family buisness be that ehn. ‘people break into a laugh’.
M1: see, this guy go prefer die there, or however he fit wangle wangle, make Turai become President, but not Jonathan. See, Hausa men are not open minded people. You know how many people dey push am? This is politics o, no be dem talk say na do or die affair. See, if na normal person wey dey work for his own buisness / for company, if such a person fall sick, sey he no go siddown for house take medicine, take care of himself. He know say if he die there, dem go employ anoda person shap shap.
M8: how can you say Hausa men are not open minded? abeg careful o, mallam dey nearby o.
M1: ok, im sorry about that, but its the truth. You hardly find very well educated Hausas. Being open minded is a result of education, if one is not educated, what can we expect. Im not saying Hausa’s are totally uneducated o, but they have just a handful.
M3: my own be say, the guy dey seriously sick, and he for leave this Presidency thing, besides, he is not performing. He should just go find somewhere sit down, rest and enjoy the rest of his life. See, let me ask me ask you all one thing: When Obasanjo was President, regardless of all the problems in the country, didn’t he look better than this ‘pointing to Yar Adua’s picture’?
M2: ‘laughing’ – my broda, you know say Baba Obasanjo na Military civilian. The guy know how to chop better food.
– Oga wey say Hausa men are not open minded, you right small o, its because of education.
M3: you mean to say, na hunger dey worry Yar Adua? he no get wife? sey stove no dey for Aso rock? sey, na the way NEPA dey take light for your house dem dey take light for Aso rock? this one no be food. See, the way Yar Adua looks today is the way Obasanjo looked when he was released from Prison years ago.
hahaha – laughter from left and right
M2: bros, your own too much o, how you fit say that kin thing.
M3: see, no be say anything personal dey here. Na truth. See, Nigerians wey dey for Prison abroad, dem no fine pass this? My own be say make the guy commot, make someone else take over – at least, let us move forward as a Nation.
my bus arrived after the above, i couldn’t continue taking notes.
Its noteworthy that Nigerians are more concerned about Mr. President’s well being than about his impact as Mr. President. The stunner however is: the way Yar Adua looks today is the way Obasanjo looked when he was released from Prison years ago.
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