Again, Buhari Goes On Medical Trip To UK

President Muhammadu Buhari will again depart Nigeria on a two-week medical leave to the UK.

The president will first attend the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Environmental Programme scheduled for 3rd – 4th March, 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya.

After the event billed to last for two days, the President will proceed to London for routine medical checks for two weeks, a statement from his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina said on Tuesday.

His latest medical trip will make it nine times he will be officially traveling out for medical checks since he became president in 2015.

By the second week of August, when the president went on medical leave in 2021, he had aggregated 200 days in London on official medical trips.

In 2022 alone, he would have spent 35 days in London on official medical leave, meaning for every ten days Mr Buhari has been in office as Nigeria’s president, he has spent an average of 1.5 days in London for health reasons.

The statement, which followed the latest trip, however, quoted the organisers of the event in Nairobi as saying , “For 50 years, UNEP has coordinated a worldwide effort with Member States to address the world’s biggest environmental challenges. Member States are vital partners in formulating UNEP’s policy, implementing UNEP’s programme and championing solutions to our shared environmental challenges.

“UNEP@50 is a time to reflect on the past and envision the future. It provides an opportunity to reinvigorate international cooperation and spur collective action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. No country or continent can solve these global crises alone. But each nation has a crucial role to play in protecting our people and planet.

President Buhari is expected to deliver the National Statement of the country and participate in High Level Dialogue Sessions on the Environment at the event.

He will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of State for the Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, National Security Adviser, Maj.Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd), Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, and the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

From Kenya, President Buhari will proceed to London for routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks,” the statement said.