President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that his old age is affecting his job and his efficiency in administration.
Buhari, who clocked 79 on December 17, 2021, said this while reacting to a question during an interview on NTA, on Thursday.
“About my age, I see my colleagues; they are now resting, and I assure you that I look forward to the next 17 months when I too will be less busy,” he said.
“The age is telling on me, working now for six, seven to eight hours per day in the office is no joke; there are questions of executive council, memos from as many states as possible to be considered virtually every week. Really, it’s a lot of hard work, but as I’ve said, I asked for it and I cannot complain.
“I have been a governor, I have been a minister, and I’m in my second term as president. So, I’ve gone through all the system and really, what else can I do for this country? I have given my best,” he said.
SaharaReporters had on Wednesday reported how Buhari, ravaged by dementia, fumbled for words when he wanted to recall the names of two governors who visited him at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja over the farmers-herders’ clashes in their states.
In an interview on Channels TV on Wednesday monitored by SaharaReporters, Buhari had been asked whether he would support state police and regional efforts such as Amotekun and Ebubeagu to stem the tide of clashes and insecurity in the country.
He had said, “We have to revert to that system for us to have an effective security in the localities; for example, there were two governors that came to see me, about the problem; the governors of ha…ha…ha…ha…Oyo State and the governor of ha…ha… this other state…in Ondo…not Ondo…one other state. I said because the herders were in the forest…let them go and talk to the local leadership why there is break in communication. The routes they follow; the forests they confine themselves in.”
SaharaReporters had done several reports about how Buhari’s dementia affects his performance in the government and slows down the decision making process.
SaharaReporters in May 2021 reported that Buhari’s worsening dementia and other undisclosed health challenges were taking their toll on his ability to effectively coordinate meetings.
The President had faltered during a meeting with the security chiefs during that week.
Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language and thinking abilities – a condition which may be caused by the President’s old age or an undisclosed medical condition.
