DO YOU BELIEVE THIS STORY? The Yar’Adua we saw, by cleric who visited Villa
I came across this news item yesterday (08-04-2010) in the online version of The Nation Newspaper.
I sincerely doubted the veracity of the story and decided to reproduce it here for your scrutiny.
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THE STORY BELOW:
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The Yar’Adua we saw, by cleric who visited Villa
From Vincent Ikuomola and Sunday Oguntola,
Abuja
The four Christian leaders, who visited the President on Easter Monday, returned to Aso Villa, yesterday to see Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.
It could not be ascertained why they visited Dr Jonathan about 48hours after their visit to ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua. Besides, details of their meeting remained secret last night.
The clerics – Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President John Onaiyekan, founder of the Living Faith Church (aka Winners’ Chapel) Bishop David Oyedepo, former Aso Villa chaplain Prof. Yesufu Obaje and Throne Room Trust Ministry Pastor Emmanuel Kure – met Dr Jonathan, shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
Despite pressure, the clerics declined comments.
One of them, who pleaded for anonymity, later relived their meeting with Yar’Adua.
"It will be the miracle of the century if the President returns to office," he said.
The cleric, who spoke outside the Villa, said Yar’Adua was really in a bad shape when the team met with him.
He said: "The truth of the matter is that if we are to start saying what we saw, we would be seen as rocking the boat and abusing our privilege to the State House. But the gospel truth is, the man is in a terrible state.
"He was motionless, just lying on a chair without talking or shaking. Though his eyes were wide open, one could not say for sure if he was really seeing anything or anybody. So, the information that he shook hands and looked well remains a far cry from what we saw."
The cleric explained that judging by the President’s state, it would take "a big heart of faith to believe he can survive. In fact, I left feeling like it would be the miracle of the century for him to recover and return to office".
On why the clerics did not speak on their visit, he said: "You must realise we are not under any obligation to disclose what we saw. I think it is the duty of the Presidency to inform the public of the President’s condition. Moreso, we were only invited to pray, not for fact-finding. So, people should understand it would be difficult for us to say this and this is what the President looks like."
The team, he said would pay more of such visits to the Presidential Villa. "The meeting is a continuum. We hope God heals the man because he appears to have a good heart," said the cleric.
Earlier at the Villa, the clerics were seen by our reporter leaving Jonathan’s office in company of Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, John Okpara.
They discussed briefly at the corridor of the Villa before moving to the car park.
They kept mum as reporters bombarded them with questions. "Why are you here sirs? "Has it anything to do with your visit to the President on Monday? What did you discuss with him?"
Kure and Obaje had told reporters that they came to pray for the President’s quick recovery.
Their visit was preceded by that of some Islamic clerics.
http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/ar...lla/Page1.html
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So the story went.
However, I think that this news item and journalistic style is in poor taste and should not be encouraged.
Am also presenting below some of the reactions from critical readers of the paper.
1. REV.HON.SAM K.KEN
IT IS CONTRAPTIONS AND FAIRY TALES LIKE THIS THAT NIGERIANS LIKE TO HEAR. I AM A CLERIC AND A POLITICIAN. I ALSO HOLD A RANKING PUBLIC OFFICE. THE STOOUT ONE OF THESE CLERICS EXPRESSING HIS FINDINGS PRIVATELY IS A JOURNALISTIC FABRICATION. I KNOW THE CALIBER OF CLERICS IN QUESTION. NON OF THEM WILL DO WHAT YOUR REPORTER IS CLAIMING HERE. THE CONTENT OF THE QUOTED WORDS ALSO PROVE THE LIE IN THIS STORY. NO MAN OF GOD WILL LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF A SICK AND MAKE THE QUOTED COMMENTS. THE FOUR CLERGY IN QUESTION ARE GENERALS OF FAITH. THEY DO NOT LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THEIR GOD. THEY KNOW THAT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. VINCENT AND SUNDAY OGUNMOLA ARE LIARS AND FABRICATORS. IT IS THESE KIND OF JOURNALISTIC FRAUDULENCE THAT GIVES OUR PRESS A BAD NAME. I WAS AN EDITOR OF A CAMPUS NEWSPAPER. I WAS ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE NUJ AFFILIATED PRESS CLUB IN MY UNIVERSITY. EVEN AT THAT LEVEL,WE DID NOT DECEND TO THIS LEVEL OF PENDANTIC JOURNALISM. THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS NEWSPAPER NEED TO WATCH THE REPORTS FILLED BY THIS DUO. THEY ARE NOT THE KIND OF JOURNALIST THAT SHOULD BE POSTED TO THE NATION'S CAPITAL. PLEASE IF YOU NEED TO KEEP THEM IN YOUR EMPLOYMENT, POST THEM TO SOME REMOTE VILLAGE TO ENABLE THEM MANUFACTURE STOUT THE ANTICS OF MONKEYS AND BUSH PIGS.
2. Vee
Well said. But please the correct names of thes authors are:Vincent Ikuomola and Sunday Oguntola (NOT OGUNMOLA)
3. tanchico
You know, I am inclined to going along with you in your assertion that the calibre of persons who went on this visit may not descend so low as the writers suggest.
May be to reclaim some credibility, these writers should quote their source. I say enough of this childish journalism. Cooking up lies can never amount journalism. The Nation should raise their bar(standard).
4. onibile oa
i agree, those men probably said nothing. it is probably a fabrication. those men are Generals that are not foolish
5. HON.REV .SAMUEL K. KEN (again)
IT IS A SHAME THAT WE HAVE ILL-INFORMED PEOPLE WHO BUY THRASH FED US BY THE NIGERIAN PRESS, HOOK LINE AND SHINKER. THIS STORY ABOUT THE COMMENTS OF ONE THE CLERICS IS A FAIRY TALE AND AN OUTRIGHT FABRICATION. THIS IS JOUNALISTIC FRAUD AT ITS BASEST FORM. I AM A CLERIC OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. I AM ALSO A POLITICIAN HOLDING A PUBLIC OFFICE. I AM THERFORE IN A VANTAGE POSITION TO COMMENT ON THIS STORY OR ARTICLE POSTED BY SUNNY AND VINCENT OF YOUR ABUJA BUREAU. AS I CLERGY I CAN EASILY DETECT THE FRAUDULENCE OF THIS ARTICLE . NO MAN OF GOOD WILL LOOK AT A SICK MAN AND MAKE THE COMMENTS QUOTED BY YOUR REPORTERS. THE FOUR CLERGY IN QUESTION ARE GENERALS OF FAITH. THEY DO NOT LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM BUT AT THE SIZE OF THEIR GOD. NONE OF THEM WILL MAKE THAT KIND OF COMMENT TO A JOURNALIST ABOUT THE STATE OF YAR'ADUA. THESE ARE MEN WHO HAVE BUILT THEIR EMPIRES AND REPUTATIONS PREACHING FAITH. I WAS ONCE AN EDITOR OF A CAMPUS NEWSPAPER. I WAS ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE NUJ AFFILIATED PRESS CLUB IN MY UNIVERSITY. EVEN AT THAT LEVEL, WE DID NOT FABRICATE SUCH BLAANT LIES. JOURNALISTS COULD SOMETIMES ALLOW THEIR IMMAGINATION TO RUN WILD BUT NOT ON SUCH SENSATIVE NATIONAL ISSUES. SUNNY AND VINCENT ARE CLEARLY JOURNALISTIC FRAUDSTERS. THEY DO NOT DESERVE TO BE ON THE NATION TEAM. IF THE MANAGEMENT STILL REQUIRES THEIR SERVICES, THEY SHOULD REMOVE THEM FROM THE NATION'S CAPITAL AND POST THEM TO SOME REMOTE HINTERLAND WHERE THEY CAN BE FABRICATING TALES ABOUT MONKEYS AND BUSH PIGS. THIS IS TAKING OUR INTELLIGENCE FOR A RIDE. LET THOSE WHO WANT TO SENSATIONALIZE THEIR STORIES TO HIT HEADLINES KNOW THAT NOT ALL OGERIANS ARE HALF EDUCATED AND ILL-INFORMED. YOU CAN FOOL SOME PEOPLE SOMETIME,BUT YOU CANT FOOL ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME. LET THE PRESS STOP THIS SENSATIONALIZATION OF PRESIDENT YAR'ADUA'S ILLNESS. WE HAVE AN ACTING PRESIDING FIRING FROM ALL CYLINDERS. LET US ALLOW HIM TO ENJOY HIS GOODLUCK AND ALLOW THE YAR'ADUAS PEACE TO NURSE THEIR SICK SON.
6.AbdulRahman
I guess it is better the press spare us the masses these serial speculations. if we don't have our facts/info let's task the presidency and the national assembly to do there job.
WILL SOMEBODY TELL THE N/A THAT AN APPROPRIATELY INSTITUTED OFFICE OF SURGEON GENERAL COULD HAVE SAVED US THIS EMBARASMENT. HOPE THEY WILL THINK OF IT IN THERE CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW.
7. TONY NAMDY
There is absolutely no truth in this news item.The press has been writing what it imagines since the President took ill.This paper should have been bold enough to mention the cleric who chose to remain anonymous.
A news item of this nature could erode the confidence of members of the churches the clerics come from.Dont forget that many church members rely on their clerics for councelling.
8.Baba
I am sorry for these reporters, Vincent Ikuomola and Sunday Oguntola, for putting words into the mouth of the so called ananymous cleric who poported to have revealed all the information about the president. Because if they lied, God will certainly purnish them because they made us believe that they clerics are the black sheeps that betrayed the previlege accorded them by the presidency. But if they are true about the utterance of the so called ananymous cleric, then the cleric does not deserve to be a true servant of God, because a priest of God represent God who said that revealing a secret which does not pose any sin is sinful. As for the cabal, if truely the president is incapacitated, they must face prosecution on several count charges of kidnapping, illegal improsonment and treason on the nigerian state.
God will certainly reveal the truth one day. Age is nothing but a number and time is mother of change which is the only constant entity.
9. nwadaddy
When will the press stop deceiving the masses.The other day it was Y'aradua shook hand with the clerics and today,he was dummy according to one of the so-called clerics who is afraid to mention his name.Well na only God go fit save our dear country Nigeria.
10. StraightTalker
IT IS A BLATANT LIE. This newspaper (THE NATION) is lying! Please I would advise that you refrain from publishing these unfounded rumours and speculations. It would only end up diminishing the image you've built up over the years.
Who would actually be pleading for anonymity, Bishop Onaiyekan? Never! Bishop Oyedepo? Not in this lifetime!, Kure? He spoke as he came out so why ask for anonymity! Obaje? he too spoke, so why a turn around?
It's most unfortunate that this newspaper should descend this low.
Read the text well, their reporter even saw them leaving GJ's office and never spoke with them. Not within and not outside. period!
How come kure said he "grunted out an amen" and now you report he never made any movement? Do you sincerely believe Kure will make such a claim if it were not true at the risk of censure from the other clerics?
To cap the Lie, the statement credited to the cleric is not the way a cleric talks. This reporter has not spoken one-on-one with a bishop so he will not know that they have a unique diction. "big heart of faith, "miracle of the century". Oh pls grow up! THE NATION!
11.Michael Olugbile
The two reporters that wrote this article should be tried and jailed for attempt to cause disharmony between the two religion faithfuls in Nigeria. Their untruthful, money-conscious and blatant lie against the persons of the four reputable men of God is highly condemnable. Or how can one explain that a man of God that declined comment will now turn back and talk to the so called journalists in secret. God will forgive both Victor and Sunday- the unthruthful journalists. The Nation's Editor also has a fault here. How come he/she never seek for verification before allowing this blatant falsehood to be published.
12. Lord-Rufus
I see this as cheap and false journalism meant to arouse people into heated discussions of contradictions, and also to have a near-full-page story. If the "one of them" who gave you the information choose to remain anonymous, the information also should remain anonymous; major part of this story is cooked up. None of the four men that went to visit President Yar'Adua ever told you what you have reported. The management of The Nation Newspaper need to investigate this fabricated story otherwise, your motto must be changed.
13.Chummzy
Nations pls always back ur report with proof and b careful with d kind of report u publish 4 nigerians cos it could stire up issues. I pray dat God will give us all understanding 2 move ahead.
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Now my people over to you. Me I don pass the ball give una.... Let's hear your opinions.
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