President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday confirmed that
the National Assembly was formally notified of his 10-
vacation as required by law.
The President made the statement while fielding
questions from State House correspondents at the
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly
before his departure to London.
He dismissed insinuation that his trip abroad might cause
tension in the country, adding: “Is there anybody that
doesn’t fall sick?”
Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity
to the President, who also spoke to the correspondents,
dismissed media reports that Buhari was ill.
The presidential aide said Buhari was going to London to
spend part of his annual leave.
He explained that the President would use the
opportunity of his vacation to see an ENT specialist for a
persistent ear infection.
According to Adesina, the President has been effectively
performing his presidential duties until the time he left
Nigeria for London on Monday.
He said: “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.
“The President is going for 10 days 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.
“Nigerian physicians have looked at it and now they have
said: ‘Yyou are going to UK, now that you will be there,
let specialists look at the ear.’
“They (Nigerian physicians) have treated it locally.
“So, it is not a question of whether the President is ill.
“If he is ill, it presupposes that there are certain things
that he cannot do.
“Till the very last minute that he is traveling, the
President performed the duties and functions of his
office as president.
:So, illness is not the issue, but as a human being, yes
he can rest.
“He has been President for one full year.
“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 going into frenzy, I will urge Nigerians to
show goodwill and patriotism; they should pray for him
and wish him well.
“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.”
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