Eyes dey ontop US defence secretary sake of im secret hospital mata

Criticism dey follow US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin afta e comot say im deputy no know say e bin dey hospital even though e dey part of im work.

Dem no tell Kathleen Hicks until 4 January say oga Austin bin dey intensive care, four days afta e go hospital, na im America tori pipo tok.

Di Pentagon say 70 year old oga Austin don come work fully from Friday evening.

But questions don start to dey come about di hiding of im medical condition.

Di defence secretary dey just below di presidency in di chain of command for di US military and di Pentagon failure to tok oga Austin illness about di lack of transparency.

For three days, senior defence officials and even di White House bin no know of oga Austin visit.

Members of both parties don hala ova di secrecy of hospital stay, but di Biden administration don tanda for oga Austin back gidigba.

President Joe Biden wey follow am tok on Satuday "no plans for anytin oda dan Secretary Austin to stay for im work", na wetin di national security tok-tok pesin John Kirby tell tori pipo on Monday.

E say, "di president number one focus na for im health and recovery as e dey wait for am to come back Pentagon as soon as possible".

On Sunday, one Pentagon tok-tok pesin reveal say oga Austin do elective medical procedure for 22 December and go house di next day.

But e start to feel "severe pain" on di evening of 1 January and dey admitted to di Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for Washington DC, na so Air Force Maj Gen Pat Ryder tok.

Oga Ryder add say di defence secretary medical need bin make am stay for intensive care unit and e "den stay dia partially because of hospital considerations and privacy."

Even as e don return to work, oga Austin still dey Walter Reed, and officials neva tok wen dem go discharge am.

For statement on Saturday, e say, "I am very glad to dey recover and look forward to return to di Pentagon soon. I know say I for do better to make sure say di public know, I commit to do beta."

Officials tell CNN say Kathleen Hicks, di Pentagon second in command start to take some of her oga work last Monday but in di dark about wia her oga dey until Thursday.

Oga Ryder, di tok-tok pesin bin say dat oga Austin chief of staff Kelly Magsamen bin dey sick and "no fit make notification before den".

E tell CNN say dem tell di chairman of di joint chiefs of staffs on Tuesday. Gen CQ Brown na subordinate advisor wey no dey di chain of command.

Oga Ryder say military service secretaries wey dey di chain of command bin no hear till Friday.

Leading Republican and senior Democrats plus including allies of di administration don hala on top di mata.

Leon Panetta wey bin work as defence secretary uder Obama bin tell CNN on Sunday say "di tin wey hard for me to hear pass be say President Biden and di members of di National Security Council bin no know say e dey hospital till Thursday.

"E no dey acceptable. We gatz make sure say di chain of command dey solid and pipo wey get di work to protect our national defence dey ground."

Democratic Congressman Adam Smith, wey be di ranking member of di House armed services committee, write for joint statement wit Republican colleagues say oga Austin gats provide, "additional details on im health and di decision making process wey occur for di past week as soon as possible."

Some Republicans wan make dem sack oga Austin.

Former president Donald Trump say di secretary "suppose dey fired immediately sake of improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty", while Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton call for "consequences for dis shocking breakdown"!