As the nation awaits President Muhammadu Buhari’s national broadcast by 7am on Monday, many  Nigerians are eagerly waiting to hear from the  President after a long while. The  President, who returned to the country after  spending over 100 days receiving medical attention in the United Kingdom (UK) has not spoken to  Nigerians for a long time. The last time he did was in June during the  Muslim sallah celebration but it generated a lot controversy because he made the address in Hausa language. Many claimed it is a ploy to favour a particular section of the country against the others, a claim the presidency denied.

One of the major issues Nigerians will want the president to address in his broadcast is to disclose the true status of his health.   Despite repeated denials by the presidency that the  president is hale and hearty, consequent upon his return to the country in May after his first medical vacation this year, President Buhari admitted while meeting with members Federal Executive Council (FEC), heads of security agencies and governors that he has never been so sick in his life.‎

During his recent medical vacation in which the president requested for indefinite medical vacation, many Nigerians have asked the  presidency to disclose the health status of the President as many rumours are being bandied on what ailment he is suffering from.  They claimed that since the president, as a public official is being treated with tax payers  money, they deserve to know what their monies is being spent on.  Some online news media had even claimed that the President is being treated for acute prostate cancer or battling with Crohn’s Disease, a medical condition that has affected his digestive system.

Speaking on the demands for the disclosure of his principal’s health status, the Personal Assistant to the President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, said the call on President Buhari to disclose his health status is disrespectful and insensitive.

According to her, President Buhari is a private citizen and it is disrespectful for anyone to ask about his health.

“For the life of me, I have no idea why anybody should disrespect another by asking for the details of their health status. As we speak, we have an acting president. As we speak, President Buhari seems to be like a private citizen at the moment. We have no right and it is very disrespectful for anyone to ask for his health status. In the UK where I came from nobody would release anybody’s health record to another, not even the members of their family unless the person decides to approve”.

“The prerogative to speak on his ailment lies only on President Buhari. If he chooses, it is a choice. It is very disrespectful and very intrusive. We are intruding into his private rights. He has rights too as a citizen of Nigeria. It is not right, not appropriate. ANybody can get sick at any particular time”.

Also speaking on the same issue, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity said though the constitution of Nigeria does not require the president to disclose his health status, he won’t be surprised if the president decides to stand before the camera and tell the world the ailment he was treated for in the UK.

Also,  Nigerians will want to hear from the President his plans to move the nation forward after a long absence from the country.  With less than two years to the end of his tenure, time is fast ticking for the president to deliver on the myriads of promises he and his party, the All Progressives  Congress (APC) made during the 2015 elections.

According to Buharimeter Mid-Term Report, which was compiled by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and sponsored by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Open Society Initiative for Western Africa (OSIWA), the President’s performance was put at 57 per cent in two years.
The report, which was signed by the Director of CDD, Idayat Hassan, was based on the 222 pledges made by the President. The 222 election pledges were carefully sourced from (1) APC Manifesto: An Honest Contract with Nigeria;( 2) My Covenant with Nigeria released by the Campaign Team of the APC Presidential Candidate, Muhammadu Buhari; and (3) Un-refuted media reports including national newspaper reports and electronic media reports (television and radio) on election promises made by the President during campaign tours across the country.
The report said: “The Buharimeter Perception Survey reveals that 57% of surveyed Nigerians approve of the job performance of President Buhari, while 40% do not approve of his job performance. “Significantly, the 57% job approval has a regional dimension, with those from the northern region viewing Buhari more favourably.
“ While respondents from the North West (85%) and North -East (66%) constitute the majority of those who approve of his performance, respondents from the South-East (72%) and South-South (60%) make up those who do not approve of his performance.”
Nigerians will also want to hear from the President his plans for taking the country out of recession.  Many observers believe that though the economy was in bad shape under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, the Buhari administration did more damage to it through failure to form his cabinet, formulate economic policies. Even within the ruling APC, the president has been criticsied as not having a viable economic team.
Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West on the platform of the APC recently said many ministers in Buhari’s cabinet have no capacity and capability to function effectively. He also said the President must shake up his cabinet, and accused some members of cabinet as lacking the capacity to deliver on the mandates of their ministries and agencies.
“ Most of the ministers, I am sorry to say, it is a matter of double jeopardy.  No capacity, no capability. And when you find yourself in a situation like that, it is not about your political party, it is about the survival of this country, it is about the masses of this country. It is no longer even about my own political survival, it is about the interest of the nation, which to me comes first” he said.
On the state of the economy, the CDD report said: “There is no doubt that restoring Nigeria’s economy is a priority for the administration. However, its inability to translate several monetary and fiscal policies to economic growth and development in the last two years raises some concerns.
“Even the interest rate regime in the monetary market has not made any meaningful impact on the all-time inflation rate. As revealed in the Buharimeter Survey report, in spite of the government’s efforts to tackle the economic recession, most Nigerians do not believe these approaches are effective.

Nigerians will also want to hear the President’s position on the strident calls for restructuring the country, possible cabinet reshuffle  and his plans to navaigate the country out of the present clamour for secession especially the recent quit notice given by Arewa youths to non- indigenes living in the North to vacate the region before October 1.