I have been very ill, will go back for checkups —Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, who returned to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday morning, will resume duties on Monday, just as he has revealed that he was critically ill and underwent blood transfusion for the first time in his life while he was in the United Kingdom.

The president is to transmit a letter to the National Assembly on Monday to inform the legislature of his return from vacation.

The transmission of the letter will signal his readiness to resume work.

His spokesman, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a tweet on his official handle on Friday.

“PMB will Monday transmit a letter to the National Assembly on his return to the country. That makes his return to work formal and constitutional,” he tweeted.

On his arrival, Buhari told a welcome party led by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo that he had never felt so sick in his life, not even during his military days which were more hectic.

The president, who cautioned against self drug administration, was grateful that he received the best of treatment and was feeling much better and ready to meet the aspirations of Nigerians.

He said: “I am very conscious of the economy. I have rested as much as humanly possible. I have received, I think, the best of treatment I could receive.

“I couldn’t recall being so sick since I was a young man, not even during the  military days  which were hectic.

“ I found out that technology is moving so fast.

“Blood transfusions, going to the laboratories, and so on and so forth. But I am very pleased that we, when I say we, I mean the government and the people all over are trying to keep pace with technology.

“I couldn’t recall when last I had blood transfusion, I couldn’t recall honestly.

“I think one of the terrible things we do is self drug administration. We have to trust our doctors more.

“Where I visited, they only take drugs when it is absolutely necessary. They don’t just swallow everything.

“Having said that, I am pleased that I am back. I am pleased that the vice president enjoyed this break and he has to do much more this time around.”

Buhari disclosed that he would be returning to London to do follow ups on his treatment and thanked Nigerians for praying for him.

He observed that their prayers for him was a demonstration of their support for government programmes despite the prevailing hard times.

According to him, “I am deeply grateful to all Nigerians, Muslims and Christians alike who have prayed and are still praying for my good health.

“This is a testimony that in spite of the hardship being experienced, Nigerians are supportive of the government in its efforts at tackling the country’s challenges.

“The best way for me to pay you all is to rededicate myself to serving you, protecting your interest and keeping your trust. I thank you very much.

“I feel much better now.  All I will need is to do further follow ups within some weeks.”

The president admonished Nigerians to refrain from sending delegations to Abuja to visit him but rather continue in their prayers for him.

“Rather than sending delegations to Abuja to welcome me, may I appeal to our people to continue to pray for the country’s unity, progress and prosperity. I thank you very much and may God bless our country,” he said.

The president stated that he arrived on a weekend so that he could continue to rest while Osinbajo would continue his work.

He added:”Youth and intellect are squarely behind him, age and purely military experience is behind me.

“Continue to do the work, Nigeria will continue whether we are here or not. The most important advice I have for Nigerians is that we take the issue of education  very seriously. We must do more on education.

“I deliberately came back towards the weekend, so that the vice president will continue with his work  and I will continue to rest.”

In his address of welcome to the president, Osinbajo conceded that he had a challenging time during the period the president was away because he went around in “borrowed robes.”

He thanked the president for the confidence reposed in him which led to the transfer of power to him as acting president.

The vice president observed that it was a demonstration of Buhari’s belief in the system of government operated by the country.

He expressed gratitude to God for enabling the president return to the country “hale and hearty.”

Osinbajo said: “Mr President, again on behalf of the Federal Executive Council, we welcome you back home. We are very grateful to God that you are back home, hale and hearty. Mr President, I must say that personally, the past few days have been very interesting.

“First,  I must say that I want to thank you very much for the confidence reposed in me by handing over the reins of government to me in the capacity of acting president.

“I think more important is that you demonstrated the belief in our system which is even more important than anything else.

“The constitution which we all swore to is important because it outlines the code of conduct. I want to say not only am I, but I am sure the entire nation is grateful to you.

“For me, I must say that it has been an interesting period going around the nation maybe because I have been going around in borrowed robes. I must say I had a very interesting and challenging time but above all, the president gave us the good support.”

 

Buhari’s return: APC, Fayose trade words

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State and the state governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, have exchanged verbal attacks over Friday’s return of President Buhari.

Ekiti APC, in a statement on Friday, congratulated the president for his return and taunted Fayose and also accused him of wishing President Buhari death.

But Governor Fayose denied wishing the President dead and even called for corporate prayers for the president’s quick and full recovery so that he can take Nigeria out of the present economic and development challenges.

Speaking through its state Publicity Secretary, Mr Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC expressed delight over President Buhari’s successful medical trip to London.

It said Buhari’s return had vindicated its claim that the President was not terminally ill as being portrayed in some quarters opposed to the anti-corruption war of the APC-led Federal Government.

The party said: “With the President’s safe return after failure of Fayose’s death wish for him. The governor has been put to shame with Buhari’s arrival hale and hearty on Friday.

“We also commend the Presidency and the President for not dignifying Fayose with a response when he cynically requested Buhari to call him to prove that he was alive,” Olatunbosun said.

Reacting, Governor Fayose said: “Whether they say shame on us or they abuse me, goodluck to the President’s loyalists and APC. Nobody would wish President Buhari dead.

“What is important is that for the President to stay away for that long, anybody would feel concerned about it. So, we pray that may God give him the strength to do his job. He has a job to do, so we will continue to pray for him to be well to fix the economy, put food on our table, we cannot task a sick man on these challenges, we will continue to pray for him to be well and bring the  Dollar back to N200 or less.

“We don’t have power over life and we have to continue to thank God that the President is alive, strong and back.

“Anybody can be sick whether you are young or old. What is important is that God should give him the strength to be alive and do what we expect him to do for our country. I just leant that he said he would be going back in a few weeks’ time we have to keep our fingers crossed.”

Explainng his earlier critical position further he said: “There is no doubt that age is not on his side like every other person and there are many health challenges that comes with aging. What is best is that we continue to pray for him because the Holy books say we should pray for our leaders in authority.”

Governor Fayose, who spoke to newsmen while signing a condolence registrar in honour of  late General Robert Adeyinka Adebayo also spoke about the plan of the state to honour Adebayo but denied declaring a public holiday in his honour saying: “We are not declaring public holidays for mourning him(General Adebayo) but that does not mean we are not touched by his demise.

“At some point, we have to go, but the legacy that is left behind would leave on. His was a life worthy of celebration. He has left so many landmarks beyond our state and in the whole of the Western region.

“Also, he left behind worthy sons and daughters that Ekiti is proud of. So, he has done well and rather than mourning, we should celebrate such a man for a life well-spent.

“We are thinking and planning towards celebrating him in a grand way and in due time, we will roll it out, “ he said.

 

Atiku welcomes Buhari home, urges unity

Former vice president and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar expressed joy and relief at the return of President Buhari from the United Kingdom.

In a statement released in Abuja on Friday, by his media office, the former vice president said Buhari’s safe return was a happy moment for him not only as a fellow party member, but also as a Nigerian that had tremendous goodwill and best wishes for the president.

According to the Turakin Adamawa, the return of the president at this time would put to an end to the uncertainty and the conspiracy theories that attended his 50 days absence.

 

Buhari’s return: Nigeria’s hope for greatness rekindled —Oyo APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has described the return of President Buhari to the country on Friday, after his vacation in London, as a divine reassurance that the mission to reinvent Nigeria and make it a great nation would be achieved after all.

Reacting to the president’s arrival, the Oyo APC said in a statement by its state Chairman, Chief Akin Oke, on Friday, in Ibadan, that President Buhari remained undeterred in his mission to restore the country to the path of greatness.

“In Oyo State chapter of the APC, we have always believed in the sincerity, capability and competence of Mr President and this was why our state gave him the largest number of votes in all the 17 southern states in the 2015 general election.

“So far, we have not regretted our contribution to his victory at the poll and we will not only continue to identify with his policies and programmes, but we will also pray for his success since it is a general belief that he is on a rescue mission,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO), has described President Buhari’s return to the country after 50 days of medical trip, as a prayer answered by almighty Allah.

NACOMYO’s National President, Alhaji Kama’ldeen Akintunde, in a statement, said that Nigerians, individually and collectively prayed for the restoration of Mr. President’s health.

The body, therefore, urged him to settle down on time and continue with the work of nation building, especially the reinvigoration of the ailing economy and other challenges confronting the country.