Date: 2017-05-25

Titus Olasupo Ashaolu's (SAN) contribution to the legal profession in Kwara state and beyond can never be over-emphasised. In this interview, the onetime Attorney General of the state speaks with KAYODE ADEOTI on the controversy that has trailed letter written by the President Muhammed Buhari to the Senate over his medical vacation among other germane issues. Excerpts:

The issue of the choice of word used by the President to write the Senate over his medical vacation has continued to generate controversy, what is your take?

The issue is on the use of the word coordinator as against the acting President, the nomenclature or whatever, it's all question of semantic. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Nigerians use to make noise on things that are not necessary. Because if he's coordinating, it is everyone of us, he has taken over the work of the President.

The only thing I fault is, I don't know why the letter should be written in such a way, maybe the cabal will have something in mind as regards the usage of the word. Section 145 of the constitution states clearly that once the President is going on vacation, he should transmit a letter to the National Assembly, he has done that and they’ve approved it. Are we saying the VP is not working despite the fact that he was referred to as coordinator.

Do you suspect any game of politics in that letter?

I don't think so, because since President has gone now, we've not seen anything been unraveled as to not recognising him as the VP. We all know the content of the constitution, so if in future, anything of such arises, then it is challengeable. Also, the way I see the President, he's very fragile, not strong, if it were to be in advanced country, everybody will know what is wrong with him. And if he can no longer perform, he can resign. In Nigeria, I don't know the kind of game we play here. In some places, he could have been removed, but in Nigeria...we are managing him and managing ourselves too. We need to guard against the scenario that happened sometimes ago in the country. We hope he's going to be well.

Also, if anybody is coming into the Presidential position, he or she should do proper medical check up. Look at when Trump and Clinton were campaigning; Clinton fell down somewhere, what Trump did was to start displaying his certificate of medical fitness. Either we like it or not, that effected the success of Clinton among many other factors. During the campaign, Ekiti state Governor kept on shouting that he's not fit but we turned deaf ear to it, people insulted him that he was saying heresy.

If I were member of APC, I would say the truth. It gets to a time he was not attending council meetings again yet they claimed he was hail and hearty, attending to files at home. How can our President be ruling us at home, he should be up and doing supervising projects and the likes. Vice President is just to help but everything is now on him. The last time he went on medical trip, they said he held meeting with the governor of Central Bank, how can we believe that because nobody televised it. And if any press want, he or she will be sent out of Aso Rock.

Would you advice the scrap of ICPC for non performance.

Why do we have many of them performing the same functions in the first place?

We should rather segment it into departments, we can have department of money laundering and the likes. This will better enhance the performance of the agency.