A civil rights organisation, United Global Resolve for Peace (UGRFP) on Wednesday asked the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) to call an emergency Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting and set up a medical committee to review President Muhammadu Buhari’s state of health.
The National Secretary of the organisation, Pelumi Olajengbesi said at a briefing on the state-of-the-nation in Abuja that it became important considering the continued absence of the President from the country.
He said the situation was becoming unbearable and could further degenerate an already bad socio-economic condition.
As a result, he advised the FEC to evoke Sections 144 and 145 of the Constitution, which empower the Council to setup a committee to examine the medical status of the President or his Vice in case the holder of either office is medically unfit.
Olajengbesi said: “The current situation of our country as per the health status of Mr. President is just a demonstration that Nigeria as a nation is yet to evolve to be a country that is good enough or that has its leaders responsible enough to do things in line with the law. Ordinarily, the position of the Constitution in Sections 144 and 145 is very clear in a situation like this.
“We sympathise with Mr. President. He has been going through a lot of medical and health challenges and the executive council is under duty by law to call for an executive council meeting and set up a medical committee to examine the state of the health of Mr. President.”
He argued further: “The position of the Constitution was not written in the desire of the President. It was written in the interest of the country and the essence of this is to avoid vacuum in terms of leadership, governance and authority.
“So, we are saying to the government that they should invoke this aspect of the constitution, ensure that this committee is put in place.”
To this end, the organisation gave the National Assembly a seven-day ultimatum to set up the committee.
Olajengbesi stated that where that fails, the organisation would seek a court order which would compel the both chambers of the National Assembly to comply with the constitution.
“Ordinarily we are having a meeting beyond this press conference at the level of our organisation. We might be thinking of getting an order from court to compel the Senate and House of Representatives to comply with the Section 145 of the Constitution which says that, in a situation where the health of the President or Vice President is unfit, the committee should be put in place to examine the state of his health.
“Mr. President has been out of this country for sometimes now, and it is a demonstration that as a country, we are not developed enough to address our medical issues and again, the President is also spending our money. Let us put ourselves in this situation. There are so many Nigerians who are victims of the kind of sickness affecting Mr. President but they don’t have such kind of opportunity. So do we say that the country should be governed in such a manner?” he queried.
“When the President is sick, it doesn’t matter what we feel or the interest we have in him as our President, but what is important is that our country must grow as an institution," he added.
Earlier, the group's Executive Director, Olaseni Shalom had stressed the need for the Federal Government to commence the process of restructuring the country.
He reiterated the organisation’s readiness to lend its voice to the clamour for a restructured Nigerian state, to a system that works.