The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Malik Basintale, has publicly addressed rumours suggesting he was dead or bedridden after allegedly suffering a stroke.
In a video shared on TikTok on Tuesday January 13, Basintale dismissed the claims, stressing that illness is a natural part of human life and should not be exaggerated into unfounded reports of death.
“We are back, back to work,” he said. “We are all human beings, and so long as I have flesh and blood running through my veins, at any point in time, anyone can fall sick. It’s part of nature, you can be sick.”
He expressed concern over the ease with which rumours about sickness and death are spread, noting that such occurrences are not determined by status or power.
“When I hear people say, ‘Basintale is sick, Basintale is dead,’ anybody can die. You can die, I can die. Anybody can fall sick,” he stated. “With death, it has nothing to do with how mighty or powerful you are. Only Almighty Allah determines when you die.”
The rumours surrounding Basintale’s health first emerged in November 2025. At the time, social media reports claimed that the YEA CEO who also serves as the Deputy National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), had suffered a stroke and was receiving medical treatment in London after being absent from public engagements for several weeks.
However, in a post shared on Sunday, November 16, 2025, Basintale firmly denied the claims, describing them as “fake news.” He clarified that he had neither suffered a stroke nor travelled to the United Kingdom for medical care.
His return to work and public response have since put to rest speculation about his health, while highlighting ongoing concerns about misinformation and the spread of unverified reports on social media.
