SECRETARY-GENERAL, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Col. Musa Shehu (rtd), yesterday said that there was nothing wrong for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to adhere to the 1999 Constitution in resolving the vacuum created by the absence of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, who is currently attending to his health abroad.
Shehu, who commented on the controversy generated by the development, said: "The ACF had earlier called on the Federal Government to adhere to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in addressing the issues relating to the condition of health of the President.
He added that the controversy broke out because "officials of government are not coming out with the true position on the President's health."
The ACF scribe argued that the Forum demanded that the constitution be followed to ensure continuity in governance so that "the situation does not turn unpleasant."
Shehu added: "We believe that if the constitution is adhered to and the Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, is allowed to act as President until Yar'Adua becomes well and comes back to the country, automatically he (Jonathan) will hand over the office of the President back to Yar'Adua.
"But if it is proved that he (President Yar'Adua) cannot continue on grounds of ill health, the constitution has to be followed and he will resign the position; after all 2011 is around the corner and the North can still maintain its rotational presidency in the Peoples Democratic Party."
Shehu expressed the fear that graft among public office holders might escalate if the current state of uncertainty in governance continued without the President being in charge of the nation's affairs.
Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives, Eperikpe Ekpo, has expressed worry over the call to the National Assembly to make Jonathan acting President, saying that the President would soon be back in the country.
Ekpo, who represents Abak, Ika and Etim Ekpo Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, argued that since the President's absence from the country was on health grounds, Nigerians should pray for his quick recovery.
The lawmaker who spoke at the weekend, submitted: "Nobody can say whether it is not the pressure mounted on him by Nigerians that caused the President to be sick. Let us forget about the issue of sentiment; let us pray for the recovery of Mr. President because we elected him into that office.
"It is not giving the Vice President the authority to act that matter. Let us ensure all those giving responsibility execute same. If the budget as passed by the National Assembly is executed to bring dividend of democracy to Nigerians, then what are we looking for again?"
Ekpo argued that the President's absence from the country would not affect the implementation of the budget as the ministers who constituted the FEC were charged with budget implementation.
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