PRESIDENT BUHARI DEPARTS FOR UK

Nigerian presidency has insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari is not ill despite his departure to London on a 10 day trip on Monday during which he was also scheduled to see an ENT specialist.

Femi Adesina, special adviser on media and publicity to the President told journalists that it will not be right to use the word “ill” to describe the present condition of Buhari who,  still attended to all his official duties till his departure from the country on Monday morning.

“The buzz going round town is that the president is “ill”, but “ill” will be a misnomer; it should not be the right word to use,” said the Presidential aide.

“The President is going for 10-day rest and during that period, he will see specialists who will look at his ear. He has been treating that ear locally for some time,” Adesina who spoke to journalists at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja where the President departed for London on Monday morning said.

“Nigerian physicians have looked at it and they said, `you are going to UK, now that you will be there let specialists look at the ear. They have treated it locally. So, it is not a question of whether the President is ill,” said Adesina.

He added that if the President is indeed ill, there would be certain things he cannot do. But he added that the President carried out all his constitutional duties till the last minute he was travelling.

While acknowledging that any human being can fall sick, Adesina said the President is going to London to rest after spending a full year in office: “You know that in February he took five days leave; he is taking another 10 days now that means 15 days leave in one year. You and I take more than that, so it is natural that the president as a human being is taking 10 days rest but he is not ill. We need to underscore that.”

Rather than embark on rash speculations about the president’s  state of health, Adesina advised Nigerians to continue to pray for the President.

“Things about health, life and death are in the hands of God, but I believe that all is well. God will take care of him and take care of the country.’’