NIGERIANS in UK protest BUHARI’S Medical Visit as Unpatriotic…Converged at Abuja House, London
*Demand Mr President return home, fix Nigerian hospitals instead of seeking medical treatment abroad, planning for importation of foreign medical Doctors, spends 200 days out of office for medical tourism
*Highlights insecurity, lack of basic amenities in Nigeria while Nigerian politicians continued to travel abroad to enjoy facilities provided by the politicians of other countries
*PLUS How Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari travelled to London to meet with his boss to sign the amended bill of the Deep Offshore
BY FRED ABEDE/SPECIAL DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, UK
A GROUP OF NIGERIANS stormed the Abuja House, London of Nigerian Embassy few days ago protesting and demanding the return of President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria back to Africa’s most populous black nation on earth to fix Nigerian hospitals instead of seeking medical treatment abroad, planning for importation of foreign medical Doctors.
These protesters whose ages range between 23 and 45 years old openly queried why President Buhari continued to patronise foreign services when foreign products such as rice had been banned by his government.
Nigerians from all walks of life under the platform of the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria in the United Kingdom expressed regret that thevisit by President Muhammadu Buhari for alleged medical treatment was unpatriotic.
The protesters was led by Gabriel Agbontaen who highlighted the insecurity and lack of basic amenities in Nigeria while Nigerian politicians continued to travel abroad to enjoy facilities provided by the politicians of other countries.
The protesters queried why President Buhari continued to patronise foreign services when foreign products such as rice had been banned by his government.
Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, on Monday travelled to London to meet with his boss to sign the amended bill of the Deep Offshore (and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract) Act which was recently passed into law by the National Assembly.
In the course of his 2015 electoral campaign, President Buhari promised Nigerians that he will not seek medical treatment abroad. He recently banned ministers from unjustifiable international trips.
Since his assumption in office, he had spent almost 200 days out of office for medical tourism.
The protesters argued that since Buhari’s visit was private, he ought to privately incur the financial cost of his visits. About N10bn had been budgeted for the Aso Rock Clinic since Buhari assumed office in 2015, yet Aisha Buhari complained in 2017 that there was no syringe in the clinic.
Though no government official came out of the Abuja House to address the protesters, who were there for over two hours, some persons were seen filming the demonstrators from inside the facility.
The British police were there to ensure that the protest remained peaceful.
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