Declare Your Health Status - COHRASA Tells Presidential Aspirants

BEING A STATEMENT OF PRESS RELEASE BY COALITION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL ACTION (COHRASA) ON SUNDAY 29TH JULY 2018
The last 11 years in Nigerian political sphere has been marred with controversial issues which has brought disrepute to our great nation in foreign media. Chief among them is the wave of news of failing health of our Presidents. Starting as rumours, snowballs into frontpage and national headlines then becoming topical debates. 

The issue of health of the President has been brought to the fore once more by the statement of Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi who boasted that President Buhari will win seamlessly even on a sick bed. 

We find this statement condescending and insultive on the collective dignity and pride of us as Nigerians. 

It is in lieu of this we therefore demand that henceforth, presidential aspirants in Nigeria must declare their health status.

Our demand is hinged on the following factors. 

- Research as shown that during sickness the human brain drops off in its ability to think, feel, learn and react. This is why late President Yar'adua couldn't salvage the stock market crisis of 2008 owing to his failing health. The period was also marred with falling price of crude oil and a decline in economic indices.  Just as Mahatma Gandhi rightly puts it - "it is health that is wealth, not gold or silver" 

- Although transmitting powers to his Vice President unlike Yaradua, President Buhari's long absence for medical concerns caused a lot of commotion and panic including an insultive headline and editorial piece from Washington Post tagged "  Buhari has been gone for months. The last Nigerian president absent this long died in office." This must not be allowed to repeat itself 

- The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a part of our constitution, demands that it's members declare their health status before participating in the Orientation Course/Camp and National service which lasts for just 21 days and 300 days respectively, presidential hopefuls who will be serving for 1,461 days have a moral duty to declare their health status. 

- Health is a six letter word. A close study of the Nigerian constitution revealed that issues pertaining to the health of the President was captured in Chapter VI of the 1999 Constitution of our great country. 

- Declaration of health status is also part of the drive of various civil society groups towards transparency in governance in Nigeria. According to American leadership expert, John Maxwell, Transparency breeds legitimacy. Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, also lent his voice to transparency by saying "Transparency reduces corruption"

By this statement we are asking all Presidential aspirants in the forthcoming 2019 elections to declare their health status to Nigerians just as they will be declaring their manifestos. 

Signed 

Jeremiah Olatinwo 
National Coordinator
Coalition for Human Rights Advocacy and Social Action
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