The story entitled “This Chime is Sick!”, ThisDay, 8th March, 2013, at first glance appears to resemble a fair piece of advice. Read it here: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/this-chime-is-sick-/141577/. But the problem, in my opinion, with this outwardly innocuous-seeming piece of advisory writing is that it is blatantly presumptive, unsolicited, intermeddling, and unsupported in terms of medical evidentiary sufficiency, therefore it is suspect and clearly lacks persuasive authority. Worse yet like the proverbial Trojan Horse it ominously also appears to harbour a well-hidden, self-interested agenda.
First, here is a summary of what we have always known about Gov Chime’s illness and circumstances, even prior to the unsolicited piece of public advice referenced above. Gov Chime himself on 13th February, 2013 gave a frank, transparent, and detailed account of his illness to the world at a press conference in Government House, Enugu. At that press conference he stated that he had suffered from nasal cancer, but he also explained that he has been cured of the illness (mainly because it was diagnosed early and treated immediately and aggressively). And he also publicly underscored that he would still need to go to his foreign-based doctors from time to time for routine checkups and maintenance. In sum he assured that he is essentially cured and now okay, but will need routine check ups. And since then he has been managing his health and going about his lawful duties without incident.
Now, the gravamen of the ThisDay write-up is (according to the writer) that Gov Chime is feigning to be well, that instead his health has deteriorated from the time he returned to the country on February 8, 2013, and that Gov Chime needs to step down from office and go seek further medical treatment. In support of this presumptive and dubious diagnosis, the writer proffers no more than a mere narrative on some recent pictures, especially the one picture taken when Gov Chime paid a condolence visit to the family of the slain Kwara State Police Commissioner in Enugu, Mr. Chinwe Asadu. Based on this lone picture which the writer probably saw in the pages of a newspaper, he made his diagnosis and recommendation and advised the abdication of a popular electoral mandate.
Not lost also is the writer’s figurative wagging finger and unfair insinuation about “the greedy and short-sighted” to whom wealth and the accumulation of wealth equate health and wellness, and who often discover, belatedly, that wealth does not conquer all – a trite and well-worn cliché that is completely inapplicable in this instance but which has nevertheless been unfairly hoisted upon Gov Chime.
Suffice it to say that the writer’s newspaper diagnosis and holier-than-thou moralizing is patently presumptive as it clearly presumes that Gov Chime and his doctors are unwilling or incapable of making such diagnosis and judgment call when and where necessary. This is wrong! Besides no one sought the writer’s advice, perhaps because the writer lacks the professional training, education and qualification to make such technical pronouncements; plus the writerliterally knows zilch about the details and progress of Gov Chime’s state of health, as a matter of fact. The writer’s opinion is, therefore, unnecessary and perhaps useless, and expectedly will not be required or considered in any medical decisions that may be made by Gov Chime and his doctors. After all, it was Gov Chime (not the writer) who made the decision to go for treatment abroad at the time that he did and at the place that he did and for the reasons that he did! So he and his doctors can make such a decision again if necessary (we pray there will never be a need to do so again). And to even expect Gov Chime to take his medical diagnosis and prescriptions from journalists on the pages of newspapers is to be ridiculous. This is why the advice offered was in reality un-useable and useless.
Besides Gov Chime has Nigerian doctors who, of course, expectedly are continuing to monitor his health and whose advice are more relevant, more grounded and more sensible than the unsolicited and intermeddling presentation we have here. This is therefore to say that the decision of when and how and where and whether to seek further medical treatment abroad is a personal and professional decision that belongs to Gov Chime and his doctors, not politicians and their journalist allies in media houses.
It is also interesting that the writer advised Gov Chime to step down from office and then go seek further medical treatment. Of course the import of that suggestion is dulled with the alternate suggestion that Gov Chime should approach the legislature for more time to go back for treatment, but we get the mischievous idea! Of course many political opponents and foes have been coming out lately with the suggestion that Gov Chime should resign and go seek further treatment. On the surface this would seem like an innocuous, apolitical advice, but the giveaway is that the bearers of this Trojan-horse often always seem more concerned about Gov Chime than Gov Chime himself plus his family and friends combined! Well an opportunity that was lost at the ballot box, and at the courts, and in popular opinion and popular will, should not be so easily regained via such outlandish childish subterfuge! 2015 is around the corner, the opposition is advised to better try their luck then, than resort to this crocodile concern, a laughable shenanigan!
Finally let us let Gov Chime be. He and his Nigerian doctors who are conversant with his progress are quite capable of making any medical decision if ever such a decision becomes necessary. It is improper for anyone to diagnose from afar, and prescribe on the pages of newspapers or the internet, without any true knowledge of the details of the matter in question. Such quack diagnosis and prescription would be dubious and inferior and dangerous to say the least. It would also be un-useable and useless as it could never be used by any right thinking person. So please spare us. Keep your diagnosis and prescriptions to yourself.
