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A human rights lawyer, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, has lambasted The Presidency for the air of mystery woven round the fate of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who is being treated for an undisclosed ailment in Germany.
Ikimi, in a statement this morning, said: "The Presidency's secrecy over the matter is evocative of the uncertainty over the fate of late President Umar Yar'Adua, who died in Saudi Arabia in 2010."
He tasked President Goodluck Jonathan's media team on proper information management, adding that the president should furnish the Nigerian public with accurate details on the state of health of the First Lady.He said: "Nigerians are indeed concerned about the health of their first lady and want to know the situation of her health and at the same time wish her quick recovery and good health.
"Mrs Patience Jonathan is a public figure and not just an ordinary Nigerian and as such, the public has a right to know her state of health and even that of her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, as is done in other civilised climes."
Ikimi, National Coordinator of the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, said Nigerians are yet to recover from the bizarre manner information concerning the ill health of the late President Umaru Yar'Adua were managed by the Presidency.
He urged Nigeria politicians to take a cue from their counterparts in other parts of the world where reports of ill health of Presidents and their spouses are made known publicly to members of the public.
"For instance, in Great Britain when Prince Philip aged 91 years, the Duke of Edinburgh, and husband of Queen Elizabeth 11 was admitted in hospital in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary sometime in August, 2012 with recurrence of bladder infection, the news of same was carried by the British press after a detailed statement was made to that effect by the Buckingham Palace."
Meanwhile, Ikimi urged Nigerians to join in prayers to wish Mrs Patience Jonathan quick recovery and a sound health.
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