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Buhari Defends UK Trip, Meet Blair …Speaks On Future Of Nigeria, Thursday
Commissioner for Commerce and Industry Rivers State, Hon Chuma C. Chinye (left) presenting an award to Executive Director, MCC Nig Ltd., Mr Nelson Jaja (right) during the Garden City Corporate Award, organised by Ministry of Commerce and Industry at Atlantic Hall, Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt recently. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson
The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, has dismissed reports that he visited a London hospital to attend to his health.
Buhari was reacting to the allegation by Governor Ayo Fayose that the APC presidential candidate was being attended to in a London hospital.
According to Fayose, Buhari’s alleged visit to the hospital corroborated his alarm that the former military dictator was sick and lacked the required capacity to rule a complex country like Nigeria.
Buhari, who spoke to our source from London, said: “I am hale and hearty. I am not in any hospital as claimed. I just finished having talks with the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, in his country home. I would be having another meeting with the Awujale of Ijebuland soon. Apart from this, I am also visiting some friends. As you can hear from my voice, I am hale and hearty with some of my friends around me”.
Also, in a statement issued the same day, the presidential campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) debunked Fayose’s claims that Buhari was hospitalised in London.
The party which issued a statement on Saturday to explain Buhari’s itinerary, said contrary to insinuations that he was receiving treatment in UK, the former Head of State was scheduled to hold discussions and interviews with some groups and organisations while in London.
The statement from the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), said Buhari planned to honour an engagement at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House in London scheduled for Thursday, February 26.
According to the campaign organisation, Chatham House will post the event and send out invites on Monday, February 23.
Spokesman of APC campaign organisation, Malam Garba Shehu, said, “We are not even going to engage with Fayose, he is not our type. All we will do is to intimate Nigerians with Buhari’s activities while in London. First, he has met with former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair and his group and there will be other engagements that will follow including the lecture at the Chaattam House in London. We will put out these facts when we are ready and it will shame detractors,” he said.
The statement signed by Malam Garba Shehu reveals that as part of his ongoing engagement in the United Kingdom, General Buhari had an interview yesterday with a local medium, the “All Eyes on Africa TV Show” with Kemi Fajodutimi and met with Tony Blair in the morning of Saturday, February 21.
Shehu said Buhari also visited the London residence of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, at about 1.30 pm UK time on Saturday and returned to his rented flat in the city afterwards.
Meanwhile, the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to call one of his party’s governors, Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti to order over his continued pestering of their candidate, Buhari, with falsehood and death wishes.
Shehu said the APC had learnt on good authority that Governor Fayose had hired people in London who had been trailing the movements of the APC presidential candidate while on his working visit in the city.
“Let it be on record that knowing Governor Fayose’s antecedents, we are not leaving anything to chances. The governor who has published death-wish advertorials on Buhari will stop at nothing. If anything should happen to General Muhammadu Buhari while in London or anywhere, the authorities over there in the UK and at home should know who to hold responsible,” he said.
The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, has teamed up with a renowned hospital group in Port Harcourt, the Meridian Hospitals, which is in partnership with the Pilgrims Health Foundation, to carry out a one-day medical outreach last Tuesday.
The free treatment scheme took place at Oromenike Government Girls Secondary School in D-Line, Port Harcourt, with over 100 persons accessing free treatments, including free eye-glasses and booking for eye surgeries.
Other areas of treatment included general health consultations and treatment; blood pressure and sugar level testing; malaria testing and treatment; free prescriptions; preventive health talks focusing on hygiene, maternal health, and nutrition.
The scheme was conducted under the theme: ‘Bringing Healthcare to the Community.’
Newsmen who visited the venue of the scheme found that enthusiastic beneficiaries had thronged the area as early as 7a.m. After setting up, the medical team began attending to the patients.
Mr. Jerry Onwuso, a 63-year-old patient, who was first to see eye doctors and got eye glasses and drugs, told newsmen that he was pleased with the medical intervention.
He made it clear he did not pay any money to get all the treatments and glasses, and pleaded that the scheme be sustained.
Another patient, Loveth Sam, expressed satisfaction with the scheme and appealed to the sponsors to continue to increase the benefits.
Throwing some light on the scheme, Mr. China said he worked in Meridian Hospitals as a Lab. Scientist 19 years ago, but resigned because he could not bear to see patients struggling for life because they had no money to pay for treatment.
He said he came back to help extend free medical treatment to the less privileged.
Sources said China was always having issues with the hospital authorities when he would insist on critical patients being allowed to be treated first, with or without money.
Years later, China, who now goes by a brand name, the Mayor of Housing, returned to the Meridian Hospital headquarters to support free medical scheme.
He also went the next day to the headquarters of Meridian, after the one-day medical outreach, to give cash gifts and palliatives to workers he met when he worked there but had remained in service since he left.
He encouraged them to continue to give their all to humanity through the hospital. The Mayor of Housing called most of them by name and a cloud of emotions descended on them during the reunion.
Appreciating the gesture, the Founder and Chief Medical Director, Dr. Iyke Odo, said China had always manifested hard-work, ambition, and impulsive giving.
According to him, the then young bright boy was full of humanity, kindness, love, and made friends easily, adding that “not everybody that gives is a giver. The difference is that givers are given to give.”
Dr. Odo used the opportunity to call on governments to review Nigeria’s health insurance system and make it work in Nigeria to save lives.
He said it was sad watching critically sick persons abandoned because they did not have money for treatment.
He also condemned harsh tax and electricity tariffs whereby facilities like his now pay N12 million instead of N500,000 few years back.
He wondered why hospitals were being made to pay tariffs like oil companies, citing many other countries where medical facilities were placed on low rates and tariffs so they could charge moderate fees from patients.
The Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Rivers State Government has empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with financial support of N200,000 each.
The empowerment programme was part of activities to celebrate the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme RHIESS, a social investment policy initiated by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, recently, under the theme, ‘Finding Joy in Old Age,’ Senator Tinubu said the gesture which has become traditional since 2023 was a mark of gratitude in recognition of the invaluable contributions of the senior citizens to nation building.
The First Lady who was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, said the scheme was to “support two hundred and fifty (250) vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) totalling 9,500 selected beneficiaries across the nation.
She urged the beneficiaries to engage in activities that will make them find joy in old age.
“I encourage you to continue playing your part by staying healthy and active, nurture both your body and mind through regular exercise and meaningful engagement,” Senator Tinubu advised.
On her part, Lady Fubara said the State Government through the magnanimity of the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has increased the beneficiaries of the programme from 250 to 500.
She restated the commitment of the State Government towards provision of social welfare and improving the standard of living of the elderly in the State.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala, said the State Government has through the Health4allrivers Initiative, introduced free medical care for senior citizens in the State, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
