Buhari: Now, many things will change —Govs

AFTER about 105 days in the United Kingdom on medical vacation, President Muhammadu Buhari landed at about 4.35pm at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Saturday.

He was met on arrival by a welcome party, led by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, accompanied by state governors, including Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); Nyesom Wike (Rivers, Umar Ganduje (Kano); Rochas Okorocha (Imo), and Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), as well as ministers, service chiefs and other top government officials.

Though frail, Buhari received a welcome salute from a detachment of the Brigade of Guards before shaking the hands of officials who had gathered in front of his aircraft.

Presidency officials ensured that all those that were to shake the president had sanitizer administered to the hands to maintain utmost hygiene.

Rather than inspect a guard of honour arranged by Brigade of Guards, he simply walked to the reception of the Presidential Wing to greet tens of officials that had waited for hours for him in the hall.

He thereafter boarded his official car and was driven off to end the short airport ceremony.

The traditional dance troupe that had come from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) did not have the time to perform for him.

Speaking shortly after the president touched down, the governors were optimistic that the return of the president would make things to move quicker in the country.

They agreed that even though Acting President Osinbajo had been very up to task in discharging his presidential duties, it could not be compared to when the President himself is in charge.

According to the governor of Zamfara and chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Yari, Buhari’s absence for Nigeria was like a body without a head.

He said the president’s return would make immediate impact on the country.

Yari stated: “This is the moment that Nigerians have been waiting for over 90 days. We, as governors that paid him a visit, what we saw the first time, we reported to Nigerians, Nigerians will see for themselves.

“We pray to God to give the president good health and for him to continue to manage the economy.

“It will impact seriously because it is just like a body. When the head is cut off, so the body will not make any meaningful achievement.

“The fact that he has a vibrant vice-president, who can work effectively when he is not around does not mean.

“You can compare the difference between when he is around and when the two of them are around.

“It will impact on the economy and it will impact on the security. It means so many things will change.”

Also speaking, his Kano State counterpart, Gnaduje, maintained that the president’s return would impact on security and socio-economic situation of the country.

He said, working together with the vice president, things would move faster in the country as Osinbajo would no longer need to wait to communicate certain decisions.

Ganduje added: “Nigerians are happy and we are happy. We did say when we visited that he was doing better and will soon return.

“It will impact on the socio-economic activities in the country because now that the number one decision maker is now around.

“He and his deputy will take decision together and things will be done in a more quicker way. We will see improvement.”

On the effect on the security, the governor argued: “It will impact on security there is no doubt about it because there are certain decisions you know the  Acting President will have to communicate him.

“But now that he is coming back, that would no longer be necessary.”

People lined some areas along the airport road hoping to catch a glimpse of the retuning president.

Bus loads of people also gathered around the entrance to the Presidential Wing of the airport to welcome him back.

The president was taken in a motorcade to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He left Abuja for the United Kingdom on May 7, 2017 for what the Presidency announced then was a medical vacation for an undisclosed ailment.

Before that, he had on 19 January 19, 2017, left for UK for a similar medical vacation.

On February 5, 2015, he requested that the National Assembly  to extend the medical leave and later returned to Nigeria on March 10, 2017 but was unable to resume work immediately.

On April 26, 2017, he missed meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the second time as the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, explained that he was working from home.

But on April 28, 2017, Buhari missed his usual Friday prayers at the presidential villa mosque and thereafter on May 3,  2017, failed to show up at the FEC for the third time.

On May 5, 2017, he attended Friday prayers but travelled on May 7, 2017 after playing host to newly released Chibok School girls.

Buhari’s wife, Aisha, who had gone to London to be with the husband, was conspicuously absent at the airport as she did not travel on the Presidential Aircraft 001 with the president.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has denied that the Return or Resign protest group, led by Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, forced President Buhari to return prematurely to the country from his medical vacation in the United Kingdom (U.K.)

The group has recently conducted a sit out protest at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, at times, having confrontation with security agencies as they demanded the president’s return to country or resign if he could no  to continue in office.

The protest came to a head when the group’s U.K. branch organised a night vigil on Friday night in front of Abuja House, London, where the president was residing and using public address system, also demanded his return home or his resignation.

But early on Saturday morning, the Presidency issued a statement that Buhari would be returning to Nigeria later that day having recovered from his illness.

Speaking to State House corespondents at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi International Airport, Abuja while awaiting the arrival of the president, Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, noted that Buhari’s return was not influenced by the protest.

He said the president returned to Nigeria to continue with the work he had started.

He said the date of Buhari’s return was know to some officials in the Presidency.

Adesina said: “The return of the President has nothing to do with the protest. It is about continuing with the work he started. Some of us knew bout his return some days back.

“Remember that the acting President held on effectively and they will continue the work together.

“We left the work of announcement with the managers of the acting President.”