The Sun News On-line

Barring last minute changes in plans, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was expected back in the country last night from Saudi Arabia, Daily Sun learnt on Tuesday. Highly dependable government sources confided in the newspaper that the President would chair today’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The president travelled to Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago to perform the lesser hajj. Since then, the media has been awash with stories that Yar’Adua was actually in that country for medical reasons, with different reports suggesting that he might have undergone surgery at the King Fahd Military Hospital in Jeddah.

But contrary to such speculations, informed government sources told Daily Sun that the president actually went to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser hajj.
Yar’Adua had also planned the pilgrimage to the Holy Land to coincide with the kick-off of this year’s Ramadan fasting, which commenced in Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Daily Sun gathered that Yar’Adua had, while in that country, developed some minor illness, received medical attention and continued with the hajj rites.
The president’s health condition did not warrant the kind of media attention it has attracted, the sources noted.

“All along, the president has been in touch with his deputy, ministers and key aides, and the business of governance has continued without any hitches,” one of the sources told Daily Sun.
Minister of Information and Communication, John Odey had earlier in the week sought to dispel rumours about the president’s rumoured ill health.

He asserted: “The Federal Government wishes to appreciate the concern that has been raised in the newspapers and some sections of the media over the past few days on the state of health of Mr. President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and to restate here that Mr. President is very well and healthy.
“He is in good health to steer the affairs of the state to bring about better livelihood for the generality of the people of Nigeria. He is expected back in Nigeria soon after his trip to Saudi Arabia where he has gone on lesser hajj.”