Buhari Off To UK On Medical Leave

* Writes National Assembly, Hands Over To Osinbajo
* Doctors Criticise President’s Trip

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday travelled to the United Kingdom (UK) on an 18-day leave as part of his annual vacation for health checks.
This is the second time in less than a year he has gone to the UK for medical treatment.
A statement signed by Femi Adesina, Presidential Spokesman, said President Buhari would “undergo routine medical check-ups” during the short holiday and was expected to resume work on February 6.
Adesina’s statement circulated on Thursday shortly after a letter from President Buhari was read out at the National Assembly, saying he would go on medical leave.
“While away the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, will perform the functions of the Office of the President,” Adesina said in his statement.
He said the president has duly communicated same to the president of the Senate, and speaker, House of Representatives in line with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
At the upper chamber, Senate President Bukola Saraki read the communication from the president at plenary on Thursday.
Similar letter was also read out by Yussuff Lasun, deputy speaker, of the House of Representatives, who presided at the Thursday plenary.
Neither the presidential spokesman’s statement nor President Buhari’s letter gave any details on what medical issue led the president to take leave.
President Buhari was last in London on a 10-day vacation in June 2016 for treatment to what the presidency described as a persistent inner ear infection, which caused him to pull out of several scheduled engagements.
Wealthier Nigerians frequently travel overseas for medical treatment because of the poor state of healthcare in the country.
The president’s decision to seek medical help in June 2016 sparked anger, including from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which said it contradicted President Buhari’s pledge of ending medical tourism.
On Thursday analysts criticised his frequent foreign trips at a time the country needs economic recovery plans to take the nation out of economic recession.
Dr. Osahon Enabulele, Vice President, Commonwealth Medical Association, had in June last year expressed disappointment over Buhari’s 10-day medical trip to London for an ear, nose and throat (ENT) infection, saying, “It is a tragic blot on Nigeria’s collective professional and national image.”
The former president, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), who condemned frequent medical trip by government officials, said Nigeria has suffered a great loss to medical tourism in recent past.
“I am very constrained to state that this foreign medical trip flies in the face of the Federal Government’s earlier declaration of her resolve to halt the embarrassing phenomenon of outward medical tourism, which as at the end of the year 2013 had led to a humongous capital flight of about $1 billion, particularly from expenses incurred by political and public office holders and their accompanying aides, whose foreign medical trips most of which are unnecessary, were financed with tax payers’ resources”, Osahon had said.
Osahon, who advised the president to live by example at curbing medical tourism and saving Nigerians this great loss incurred through numerous trips abroad for medication, had stated that the president has lost a golden opportunity to assert his change mantra through a clear demonstration of leadership by example, by staying back to receive medical treatment in Nigeria.
During the president’s last year vacation to London, Adesina had explained that Buhari was battling with what he called “persistent ear infection.”
The presidential spokesman had a tough time convincing Nigerians about the president’s state of health when he explained that although Buhari had been examined and treated by his personal physician and a specialist in Abuja, both doctors advised him to go for further evaluation as a precaution.
He said the president would therefore use the 10-day break to see an ear, nose and throat specialist in London.
The president had returned to Nigeria on June 19, 2017 after spending 14 days in London.
At the airport, shortly after he arrived in the country last year, Buhari had challenged one of the State House correspondents who asked him about his state of health to a wrestling contest.
“You know I am taller than you. Do you want to wrestle me?” Buhari asked in Hausa language.
He had earlier told journalists that they could see him while he was inspecting the guard of honour, an indication that his health was in perfect condition.
“I am Ok. You can see me inspecting the guard of honour. You have seen me, you saw me when I was going. You can do the assessment yourself,” he had stated.
The president’s frequent visit to the UK is based on claims that the physician he sees since the 1970s is based in London.
Before President Buhari left the shores of Nigeria, the following conversation ensued between him and select State House correspondents.
Reporters: Why are you going on vacation?
Buhari: What’s wrong with going on vacation? Didn’t I go last year at the same time?
Meanwhile, spokesman to the president, Femi Adesina, gave more insight on the president’s leave.
“The president is going to rest. You know that God did work of creation for six days and on the seventh day he rested. So if God needed to rest how much more human being.
“So the president is just going to rest and the statement we have released is straight forward. He will go on this leave and during the leave he will do routine medical checkups.”
Reporters: Is there anything to worry about?
Adesina: Nothing, absolutely nothing. We need to show goodwill towards our leaders particularly President Muhammadu Buhari who is working to give Nigeria a new footing, a new orientation. Nothing absolutely to worry about but a lot of goodwill, a lot of prayers are necessary at all times.
The select reporters also had a chat with the Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin, who briefed the president on The Gambian crisis.
He gave the following response: “The meeting was to give Mr. President update on our operations within and outside the country especially our involvement with the ECOWAS standby force that are being inducted into Senegal which has to do with the issue of mandate ensuring that the president-elect of The Gambia is sworn in.
Reporters: What is the operational mandate in Gambia?
Olonishakin: The operational mandate in Gambia is in line with the decision of the ECOWAS Heads of States and government that the ECOWAS standby force be put in place to ensure that the decision of the people of The Gambia is respected.
Reporters: Were there any other directives as the president proceeds on leave now?
Olonishakin: Those were the things we talked about. As the head of the military, he is to ensure that everything is in order and to make sure that the situation is handled appropriately.
Meanwhile, activities at the presidency was literarily grounded on Thursday as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who is supposed to steer the nation’s affairs was still away in Davos, Switzerland, where he led a delegation to attend the World Economic Forum.
Osinbajo is expected back in the country today.
Buhari, who had expressed regret and sadness over the accidental bomb blast in Rann community, Borno State by the Nigerian Air Force was last seen publicly at the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Day held at the National Arcade, Abuja.
He had praised the military for waging what he described as a successful with the insurgents while urging them to keep the flag flying.
He was also joined by other top government functionaries to lay wreath in honour of the nation’s fallen heroes.
Within the week, the president operated mostly from his official residence. On Monday this week, he came briefly to his office, but on Tuesday, when the Cross Rivers State governor, Ben Ayade, visited Aso Villa to see him, the governor was advised to meet the president at his residence.
Also, Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which the president usually chairs did not hold and he remained in his residence throughout.
No official reasons were given for why the FEC failed to hold