By Bolaji O. Akinyemi.
Rising and falling is an expression of nature as seen in the lowlands and highlands, mountains and the valleys, the terrain deliberately designed by divinity to pattern our journey through life. From the lowlands of followers, men and women made for height will take their journey to the highland of leadership. We have equally seen highlanders tumble back to the lowlands from where they were lifted!
Permit me to say, ” *to fall is human and to rise is divine”.* Nobody has risen to enviable height in life solely on personal efforts, but men may fall as a result of personal error!
Fall is of course the ways of all mortals, small men do fall and big men are not exempted!
Fidel Castro had a fall, Joe Biden has had several enough to embarrass the nation of America, but life must continue. On Wednesday 12th June 2024, at the Eagle Square Abuja, at the event to mark the 25th Anniversary celebration of Democracy in Nigeria, President Tinubu in a bid to step into the parade vehicle side stepped off the vehicle (a sight error of judgement) and had what obviously was a bad fall! Though, he was helped by his details and regained balance to continue with the activities of the day.
The President at a dinner later in the day reffered to it as “swagger” saying that the social media is confused about it, even as he noted that democracy is worth “dobale-ing” for!
Under no circumstances should Mr President’s fall on democracy day be excused by him or any of his staff. Yes, Tinubu is human and can fall like any other mortal. Indeed he had had a near falling situation on his way to the Presidency. At the 11th edition of Annual Arewa House Lecture in Kaduna on the 27th of March 2021. The staggering in Kaduna was caused by slight undulating of the floor but the closeness of his Aides saved the day.
His latest fall has put to rest the propaganda making rounds that all the gaffes during his journey to the Presidency were scripts written and acted to confuse the North and mischief makers who were in hope of a repeat of Yaraduah and Jonathan episode.
The President of Nigeria has no reason to fall given the paraphernalia of his office and history of step missing tendency as experienced in Kaduna at other times if his handlers were concerned for his future and welfare. The details of protocols attached to his duties on democracy day goofed. Mr President doesn’t deserve the kind of fall he experienced at one of his glorious moments!
Who is the director of protocol who inspected the logistics structure of mounting the vehicle? Or was the President just brought to the place like a stranded passenger at Ojuelegba bus stop? Even stranded women are sometimes helped, indecently though, to mount Molue by illiterate Bus conductors. An “indecent” handling of Mr President would have been better than the disgraceful sight made of the leadership of Africa and of the black race.
Making light of the fall by calling it a minor mis-step is wicked. What I watched on tape was a throwing away of our President! It must not be taken lightly by all Nigerians. I demand that a panel be raised to investigate what led to this obviously avoidable fall!
Age is no reason to fall, people do fall at any age, though the elderly like children are more prone to fall at certain age. Falls in children occur as a result of the development of the muscle in a well energized body. The conflict of hyperactivity and muscle coordination often result in fall in children. Loss of muscle is the reason the elderly may fall!
Sight is another reason a fall could be experienced.
I am 58, my father is 95, my daughter is 27! We, as citizens are very well aware of momentary sight issues that may make a fall occur.
Are we conscious of the challenge the use of glasses may pose to Mr President?
Dr Ehizogie Otoibhi an Optometrist was consulted to analyse sight issues that may make a fall occur based on my personal experience.
The Doctor said; The difficulty in seeing the stairs clearly when someone wearing a bifocal or multifocal lens is ascending or descending a flight of stairs can be caused by a number of reasons, the most common being looking at the bottom portion of the lens rather than the top portion while walking. Other reasons include:
*Image jump*, when one’s view goes between the two portions of the lens.
*Peripheral distortion* especially in the areas where the two lens powers meet. This distortion can make it challenging to see clearly
*Prismatic effect* which induces a vertical imbalance when the wearer isn’t looking through the optic centre of the lenses”.
I wear glasses and have not had a single fall, my daughter had not, my father though now being managed by a younger wife since he turned 72, and a fall recently at 95 necessitated that he get a pair of glasses. He was educated on the conflict his glasses may cause to his sight. My President is just 72 for heaven’s sake, he is not entitled to a fall until he is 95 given my family matrix of management! His handlers are culpable; domestic, protocol and orderlies? They all have questions to answer. Nigerian tax payers will be glad to see the President happy and bouncing like my 95 year old father!
As for the fitness of the President, no one should be in doubt, in the build up to 2023 presidential election, Mr Tinubu in reaction to rising concerns about his failing health had said; “if you hear them saying, can I do it? I am not applying for the job of a grave digger, not race running, I am not applying for bricklaying. I went to school to study accountancy and management. I am applying for a job of the brain; intelligent thinking; it is a job for someone who is ready to do things right. I will not let Nigerians down. I have the brain and the capacity”.
Though our economy is in the grave, for that, no one should hold Mr President responsible. The grave man Buhari and his undertaking company APC should be held squarely responsible. “Iyen o kan Alakanbi” on whose shoulders rests the resurrection of the Nigerian state and her prostrating economy. May God help him!
Tinubu is the saviour Obasanjo dismissed in Abiola, and now that we have a saviour, excusing his fall that we all watched as a mild mis-step is unacceptable!
Nigerians are concerned and this presidential fall must be thoroughly investigated!
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the C.E.O, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com
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