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Femi Adesina’s Shameful Admission: A Reflection of Leadership Failure in Nigeria



By Dayo DaSilva

In a stunning and disgraceful confession, former presidential spokesman Femi Adesina recently stated that former President Muhammadu Buhari might not have survived his health challenges had he relied on Nigerian hospitals. Speaking on Channels Television during a special live coverage in honour of the late president, Adesina attempted to justify Buhari’s repeated medical trips to the United Kingdom by claiming it was “a matter of survival.”

But in doing so, Adesina exposed not just Buhari’s medical secrets, but the total failure of the government he served, a government that for eight years had every opportunity, every resource and every mandate to transform the health sector but chose neglect instead.

How can a former presidential spokesperson, without shame, admit that their administration could not provide one world-class hospital in a nation of over 200 million people? How can such a man say this publicly, without realising he has indicted himself and the administration he glorified? It is an insult to every Nigerian who died due to inadequate healthcare, who could not afford overseas treatment, or who had to endure broken-down equipment and unpaid health workers.

On the other hand, while no one says Femi Adesina should not do his work as a spokesperson, he must understand that public communication at that level is not propaganda. Public Relations is rooted in truth, responsibility and patriotism, not blind loyalty to individuals. As citizens and leaders alike, we must be ever mindful of how our words and actions affect the sensibilities of millions. The true measure of our duty should be the welfare of Nigeria and her people always above personal ambition or political alignment. At least it should be responsible. 

Nigeria is not short of talent. Our people are healing the world while their own homeland bleeds. Nigerian medical professionals have become global trailblazers, proving that the problem is never about human capacity but about leadership irresponsibility.

The kind of Nigerians I know are exceptional, patriotic and driven by integrity. Men and women who uphold excellence and place the collective good above personal gains. One of such figure is Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, a Nigerian-born surgeon based in the United States, who led a groundbreaking surgery in which a baby was temporarily removed from the womb, operated on to remove a rare tumor and then successfully returned to the womb for continued development until birth. His globally acclaimed expertise at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine showcases the brilliance Nigerians can offer the world. 

There are others like, Prof. Samuel Achilefu, inventor of high-tech infrared goggles for detecting cancer during surgery; Dr. Olurotimi Badero, the world’s only fully trained cardiologist and nephrologist; Dr. Obinna Chukwudi Igwilo, a pioneer in robotic surgery in the U.S.; Dr. Olakunle Akinboboye, a leading cardiologist and sleep medicine specialist; Prof. Christian Happi, the genomics expert who helped trace Ebola’s source; Prof. Bolajoko Olusanya, who continues to advocate for children with disabilities and Prof. Friday Okonofua, a public health pioneer in reproductive medicine, among many others. 

These are not just names. They are reminders of what Nigeria could be if only its leaders had vision and will. These experts work in state-of-the-art institutions outside Nigeria, while back home, politicians travel abroad even for a headache.

Femi Adesina’s remarks were not only tone-deaf but amounted to a grave insult to the millions of Nigerians who depend daily on a struggling healthcare system for both basic and critical medical needs. His comments, which sought to downplay the failures of the past administration, inadvertently exposed what many already knew, that the Buhari-led government, in which Adesina served for eight years, failed woefully in its responsibility to build a functional, accessible and equitable health sector for its citizens. It is both ironic and painful that those who had the power to fix the system now casually distance themselves from its collapse, while everyday Nigerians continue to pay the price, sometimes with their lives.

Adesina’s statements should be taken for what they truly are: a loud and clear admission of failure. They underscore how leaders entrusted with public service often betray that trust, choosing instead to seek healthcare abroad while the masses are left to contend with dilapidated hospitals and ill-equipped facilities. 

With such utterances, Nigerians need to rise beyond outrage and begin to demand accountability, asking tough questions about whether these so-called leaders ever had the country’s best interest at heart or were merely in power for personal gains. It is time, for citizens to stop excusing incompetence and start insisting on governance that delivers real results.

The tragedy is not that Buhari flew to the UK for medical treatment, it is that he failed to build even one world-class facility to help others survive what he survived.

Femi Adesina and his cohorts should bow their heads in shame. They owe Nigerians more than explanations, they owe us apologies. History will not be kind to those who had the power to make a difference but chose mediocrity and selfish comfort over national progress.

It is not a lack of resources that is killing Nigeria, it is the mismanagement, greed and lack of conscience by those entrusted to lead. Femi Adesina's comment is a confession of failure, and we will not forget! 

Dayo DaSilva (arpa, amncs) is a Media Professional and Publisher 

Email: dsv123ng@yahoo.com

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