Buhari Admits Going Abroad For Medical Treatment Since 1978

NEWS

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to visit his Doctors in the United Kingdom for medical checkup after he took a short break from official duties which started yesterday, February 5th, 2016.

Buhari who is currently in the UK on official purposes later announced a break but shortly before the

announcement, the President told Nigerians in the UK that his doctors who he had been using since 1978 are based in London.

He said this while telling the audience the reason why he missed three court sittings when he was contesting the result of the 2003 presidential election in court.

He had said, “The court process during my first attempt at the Presidency lasted 30 months. I only missed four sittings.

“One, when we went to bury late Chuba Okadigbo, my vice presidential candidate.

“The other three times, I came here (London) to see my doctors who I have been using since 1978 when I was in Petroleum.”

Meanwhile, the President Buhari statement may not be consistent with the change agenda of the present APC administration as the incessant patronage of foreign health institutions by Nigerian government officials was severely criticised by citizens during the past administrations.

Mr. President’s statement also raised question on the state of health facilities in Nigeria and competence of local health officers.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari has budgeted N3.8 billion for the State House Clinic in the 2016 budget while 17 government-owned public hospitals across the federation would get an average of about N250 million each.

But the presidency has said: “contrary to the published newspaper report, the total for health institutions as given by the Director-General, Budget Office is more than N200 billion. The 17 teaching hospitals have more than 50 percent of that allocation.