Buhari ‘Working’ From London, His Absence Immaterial, Kachikwu Tells BBC

Ibe Kachikwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum, has said running of the nation’s affairs has not been necessarily affected by President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence.

Kachikwu said Buhari, who is currently away from the country for medical consultations, is still capable of issuing policies and approving projects from London.

The minister stated this while granting an interview to BBC’s ‘Hard Talk’.

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“Yes, he is in London. He is undergoing hospital treatment, (but) I don’t know the details of that and I obviously wouldn’t know.

“But let me say this, he returned from his first trip in London, even though the doctors advised him to have some rest.

“He’s back to London and he has continued some levels of meetings and has been able to play some roles.

“He has a very efficient Vice-President who is sitting in for him in his absence. It really hasn’t made much of a difference.”

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Asked what was really wrong with Buhari, the minister said: “I don’t know. But let’s face it; who in the world goes around giving to everybody what their medical statuses are? “The doctors have got to be able to release something official and he’s working through it. It has not become a major problem.”

“We’ve heard rumours in Nigeria about sick presidents off and on, most of them sometimes not quite correct. Will he be able to lead Nigeria?

“I think looking at the sort of conversations I had with him when he came back, he was strong enough to do his work, struggled a bit in terms of trying to fully recover.

“Nobody plans on illness, it happens. He has an efficient number two man; the system works, that’s the whole essence of democracy.

“He’s on top of his abilities to be able to issue policies and to be able to approve what he needs to be approved.”

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Asked to explain Nigeria’s possession of about 11 aircraft for ministerial use in spite the nation’s recession, Kachikwu said, “There isn’t any aircraft for ministerial use. Ministers don’t use (private) aircraft, we travel public.

“There are some presidential jets, some of which have been put up for sale, although I don’t have the details.

“But I think it is down from an initial of about 11 or 12 to something like about seven and only two or three are really in proper condition.

“And I know he’s given some authorisation for some to be sold. So in terms of numerical accountability he has reduced that substantially. Ministers are tied to travelling business class by commercial airlines,” he said.

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