News
Buhari Under Fire Over Aisha’s Medical Trip Abroad
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has berated President Muhammadu Buhari for his failure to stop the members of his inner caucus from embarking on medical trips abroad.
HURIWA also lamented Buhari’s lack of political will to set up a panel to investigate the allegations of corruption at the State House Clinic.
According to the rights group, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has shown no interest into investing massively in reviving the moribund health sector despite the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group pointed out that annual budgetary allocation of the State House Clinic was a lot more than what was allocated to each of the 16 major teaching hospitals across the country with over a total of N13.59billion having reportedly been budgeted for it since the administration came into being.
“A breakdown of the total budgetary provisions within this period showed that N3.94billion, N3.87billion and N3.20billion were budgeted in 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively. While in 2018, 2019 and 2020, the budgetary provisions dropped to N1.03billion, N823.44million and N723million, respectively,” HURIWA said in a statement, yesterday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.
“Despite these huge allocations it receives, the clinic has left more to be desired as those the facility is meant to serve are still spending millions of taxpayers’ money to seek treatment in other private facilities within and outside the country on health matters that could be well managed here in the country, yet no panel of investigation has been set up to investigate the scandals and allegations of corruptions oozing out from there even as a bulk of the allegation had come from members of the first family.
“In 2017, the wife of the President; Aisha Buhari had attacked the management of the State House Clinic over poor equipment and non-availability of drugs. This attack by the wife of the President had followed the earlier criticism by her daughter; Zara Buhari, who took to one of her social media accounts to criticise the Permanent Secretary of the State House; Jalal Arabi, for his inability to provide even Paracetamol tablets to the clinic despite a budget of N3billion for the provision of drugs to the hospital.
“Although in October, 2017, the House of Representatives said it would investigate the “deplorable condition” of the State House Clinic but till date the outcome of that inquiry remains unknown.
“Again, President Buhari in the build up to his election in 2015, had on his campaign trail, itemized the abolition of medical tourism as one of his key objectives in government.
“Although his administration officials vowed to put an end to the practice, Buhari has been Nigeria’s most prominent medical tourist. He has visited the United Kingdom for at least five medical trips since becoming president, including an extended stay of more than five months in 2017.
“According to the calculations made in one of the editions of ‘Saturday Punch’ Newspaper, in the first three years of his first tenure from May, 2015 to May, 2019, President Buhari was outside the country for a combined 404 days (one year and 39 days) in 33 countries.
“In 2016, President Buhari spent a total of 17 days in a London hospital treating an undisclosed ailment. Shortly after that, in 2017, he reportedly spent a total of 152 days in London on medical vacation when he became inaccessible, except for a few politicians. He equally made frequent trips to the UK on ‘private visits’ believed to be for medical reasons. On May 8, 2018, he again embarked on a six-day medical vacation to London.
“More worrisome is that the medical treatments of the President are still an official secret as Nigerians are not told how much of their cash has been deployed for the medical treatments of the President for months.
“Apart from the Nigerian President, his son; Yusuf, in December, 2017, was flown to Germany after suffering injuries from a bike accident in Abuja. These trips were embarked upon despite a huge sum of above N10billion allocation to the State House Clinic from 2015 to 2018.
“In a recent development, the wife of the President; Aisha Buhari, and a nephew and close confidant of the President defied the lockdown and the shutdown of airports to gallivant all over UK and Dubai for the so called medical tourism.
“In addition, if he is spending his money how is it that the Presidency is being quoted by newspapers to be saying Mamman Daura is not ill and the phone conversations are being shown to Nigerians through the instrumentality of the publicly funded media office of the President?
“That of the first lady is more shocking because she was said to have neck pains and that was the reason for deploying a presidential jet to jet off to Dubai for weeks at public costs.
“HURIWA is pleased and indeed happy that God was on our side to have stopped an unforeseeable air disaster from ever happening following the reported incidents with the homebound Presidential jet in connection with the weather, but to convey the idea that the First Lady had to fly out to treat neck pain is to tell the world that the Nigerian health sector has totally collapsed. This is sad and unfortunate,” he said.
The human rights group demanded that “This penchant of government officials and those close to the corridor of power jetting abroad to receive medical care for undisclosed ailments even as the rest of the population relies on an underfunded and overworked public healthcare system has been the bane of our health sector and the economy has been worse hit for it.
“The problems associated with the poor healthcare system also indict the governors of the 36 states because in those states, there are virtually no functional health centres to care for the residents. However, the pathetic situation afflicting the State House Clinic is even more disturbing.
“The expenditures of the released budgetary funds for the State House Clinic over the years must be investigated in addition to a comprehensive audit of the spending on the State House Clinic and the health sector in the country.
“It is unjustifiable that the State House Clinic would be guzzling billions of taxpayers’ money and those the facility is meant to serve would still be spending millions to seek treatment in other private facilities within and outside the country.
The Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBE) has trained 1,000 newly recruited teachers with a view to raising standards in public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.
The two-day orientation and capacity building programme held in Port Harcourt introduced the teachers to civil service rules, classroom management practices, and professional conduct expected of educators in the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, told the newly recruited teachers that teaching demands more than academic qualifications, and called for discipline, diligence, and a strong commitment to service.
He described teaching as a noble profession that is central to the development of the state.
The recruitment, he said, reflects the government’s investment in children and long-term development.
“Education is the foundation of societal progress, and basic education is where that foundation is laid,” Nwagor stated.
He urged the teachers to shape the values and character of pupils during their most formative years.
He pledged continued support from the Ministry of Education through training, resources, and an environment that allows teachers to perform effectively.
Nwagor directed RSUBEB to reject transfer requests from rural to urban schools, saying the newly employed teachers have an obligation to serve where they are posted and help strengthen education in those communities.
In his opening remarks, the RSUBEB Chairman, Hon. Sam Oge, explained that the recruitment process began in 2023 under the previous board, adding that after assuming office, he consulted widely and secured Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s approval to complete the exercise.
Oge said the selection was competitive, with 1,000 candidates chosen from more than 5,000 applicants, and urged the teachers to treat the opportunity seriously and avoid lobbying for reposting.
He directed the teachers to resume at their assigned schools immediately, saying request for reposting will not be entertained.
The former RSUBEB Chairman, Ven. Dr. Fyneface Akah, who delivered the keynote address, described the orientation as the teachers’ formal entry into the civil service.
He urged them to be creative, purposeful, and open to learning on the job.
Akah stressed that teachers have a role in restoring values lost to moral decline, and urged them to model national values and see their work as a calling with lasting impact on the society.
He thanked the State Government for approving the recruitment, noting that the exercise will improve access to quality basic education across the State.
Akujobi Amadi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that no fewer than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps will be deployed for the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman of the commission, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), made this known on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu, at the Yakubu Gowon House, headquarters of the scheme, in Abuja.
Amupitan, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, described the meeting with the NYSC senior management team as more than a formal courtesy visit, saying it was also a mission of gratitude.
According to him, the NYSC remains a critical pillar in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He noted that corps members had participated in virtually every election cycle since 1999, stressing that, “INEC cannot conduct elections in Nigeria without the NYSC.
“As the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, I am honoured to discuss our collaborative efforts toward ensuring seamless and credible elections in Nigeria.
“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of corps members.
“They are the most dedicated, educated and patriotic election duty staff we have, and their presence at polling units brings a level of neutrality and public confidence that is irreplaceable.
“They form the backbone of our election processes, especially as ad hoc staff, whose dedication, discipline and patriotism are critical to the success of our elections,” he added.
Amupitan said institutional data from the 2023 general election showed the importance of the partnership between INEC and the NYSC.
He explained that INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff for the 2023 elections, with over 70 per cent, nearly 850,000 personnel drawn from corps members and student volunteers.
Speaking on preparations for the 2027 elections, the INEC chairman said more than 1.4 million ad hoc staff would be engaged, with corps members making up the majority.
“For the 2027 general election, we will require 707,384 ad hoc staff for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
“The same number will be needed for the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027, making a total of 1,414,768,” he said.
He added that INEC would also require 52,446 corps members for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, as well as by-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
Amupitan said corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers in many states during previous elections.
“These young Nigerians did not just facilitate voting; they protected the sanctity of the ballot in 176,846 polling units across some of the most difficult terrains in the country,” he said.
He further praised the corps members for their role in off-cycle elections, particularly the Anambra governorship election and the FCT Area Council polls.
According to him, their digital proficiency contributed significantly to the seamless operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
“In those exercises, it was the digital proficiency of corps members that ensured the seamless performance of our BVAS, proving they are the tech-savvy backbone of our modern democracy,” he added.
Amupitan acknowledged the sacrifices made by corps members during elections and assured that INEC would continue to work with the NYSC and security agencies to strengthen safety measures and welfare packages for them.
As the 2027 general election approaches, we are committed to ensuring adequate mobilisation and preparedness of NYSC members for this important national assignment,” he said.
He also noted that the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, scheduled for June 20 and August 15, respectively, alongside several by-elections, would serve as tests for innovations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Responding, Brig. Gen. Nafiu thanked INEC for its continued collaboration with the scheme.
He recalled that the Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations was signed in 2011 and had been periodically renewed.
Nafiu described corps members as credible, reliable and easily trainable manpower.
“The last batch of millennials will soon exit the scheme, leaving behind Gen Z corps members known for their digital savviness, which will benefit INEC,” he said.
He assured the commission of the NYSC’s continued support in both the 2027 general elections and upcoming off-cycle elections.
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