A former senator who represented Kaduna Central in the Senate, Shehu Sani has subtly mocked the President Muhammadu Buhari administration over the construction of a State House Clinic Presidential Wing.
“No matter how much is spent to upgrade and equip the Presidential Clinic, it will never change their obsession with foreign doctors and foreign clinics,” he wrote on his verified Twitter handle on Monday.
Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to President Buhari had recently flagged off the construction and equipping of a 14-bed space Presidential Clinic at a cost of N21 billion.
Gambari said the clinic when completed, would provide the needed medical care for the President, the Vice President and other officials of government.
He had said: “It is a humble beginning but what we are doing today will outlive the current administration and would serve many generations yet unborn.”
Permanent Secretary, State House, Umar Tijjani also explained that the clinic would contain 14-bed facilities with a total area of 2,700 square metres.
Tijani added that there would be an underground, first floor, two operating theatres, two executive suites, two VIP wards, two Isolation wards, and a six-bed isolation area in the building. There would also be a laboratory, healing garden, pharmacy, and X-ray facility in the clinic.
Since he assumed office on May 29, 2015, Buhari has embarked on medical trips abroad at least five times, covering a period of no fewer than 170 days of the five years he had been in power.
The following is a timeline of the President’s trips for medical treatment; on February 5 to 10, 2016, the President took a six-day vacation in the United Kingdom, saying that his doctors lived in England.
Between June 6 and 19, 2016, Buhari went on a 10-day medical trip to England for an ear infection surgery. He extended his trip by three days to rest.
On January 19, 2017, the President was back in London again on a medical vacation.
On February 5, 2017, he wrote to the National Assembly, seeking an extension of his London medical leave. Later on March 10, 2017, Buhari returned to Nigeria but didn’t resume work immediately at Aso Villa.
The Presidency had claimed that “he was working from home.” On May 7, 2017, Buhari embarked on a trip to London for another medical vacation. He returned after 104 days – the longest he had stayed outside the country.
On August 19, 2017, Buhari returned to Nigeria, and it took him a while to resume work because rats had reportedly damaged furniture in his office.
The Presidency had announced that he would be working from home. On May 8, 2018, Buhari went to London for a four-day “medical review.”
On April 26, 2019, Buhari again left for the UK on a 10-day private visit to seek medical care. He came back to the country on May 5.
Also, from March 30 to April 6 2021, the President embarked on another trip for a routine medical check-up in London.
He was as well in the country in July 2021 for a ‘scheduled medical follow-up’ and conference.
