Nigerians from all walks of life have continued to specific blended emotions over the present journey to London for medical check-up by President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly with the rising insecurity within the nation and the nationwide strike embarked upon by members of the Nationwide Affiliation of Resident Medical doctors (NARD).
DAILY POST experiences that President Buhari left the shores of the nation on Tuesday, October 30, for the UK for what his Particular Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina known as ‘routine medical check-up’.
Because the assertion by Adesina on Monday night saying Buhari’s journey to London, tongues have been wagging, particularly by those that felt the President’s journey is coming at a time he’s wanted on floor to supervise the myriad of challenges dealing with the nation, particularly within the space of safety.
Different Nigerians are, nonetheless, of a distinct view, arguing that it’s nicely inside the appropriate of the President to journey for his medical wants.
The controversies the President’s journey introduced up was additional compounded by the strike launched into Thursday morning by residents medical doctors within the nation, for which NARD had notified authorities nicely earlier than Adesina introduced Buhari’s journey.
For a lot of Nigerians that spoke to DAILY POST in a random voice pop, the journey coming at a time a nationwide strike by medical doctors was impending was an insensitive transfer by the nation’s chief, particularly contemplating the truth that the medical doctors have real calls for that require correct and immediate consideration.
Main the cost in condemning Buhari’s newest medical tourism is the opposition Peoples Democratic Occasion (PDP), which mentioned the President’s journey overseas for medical check-up is a transparent testimony of his failure within the very essential healthcare sector.
“It’s certainly worrisome that underneath President Buhari, even the hitherto extremely rated State Home Clinic, has develop into so moribund that it can’t present a easy medical checkup service for Mr. President,” the PDP mentioned in a press release by its Nationwide Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The celebration additionally insisted that the frequent journeys of the Presidential had been a drain on the nation’s treasury.
“The PDP is disturbed that whereas Mr. President jets out for medical therapy in well-equipped hospitals overseas, our hospitals and medical personnel are in a really sorry scenario whereas thousands and thousands of our compatriots undergo,” it mentioned.
Additionally, the writer of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, in his personal response, known as on Nigerians in the UK to occupy the London hospital the place Buhari plans to have his check-up.
Describing Buhari’s journey as a waste of sources, the journalist-turned activist urged the president to have his check-up within the ‘world class’ hospital he had inbuilt his years in authorities.
He tweeted: “Nigerians within the UK should #occupy the hospital the place sickly @mbuhari is losing Nigeria’s sources and the Nigeria embassy in addition to Abuja Home in London, let Buhari return residence and do a medical examine within the “world-class” hospital he constructed since coming to energy. #Buharimustgo!”
Becoming a member of the fray, Enyinnaya Abaribe, the minority chief of the senate, faulted Mr President’s journey, describing it as morally flawed.
“He mentioned he would by no means go for a medical checkup throughout his marketing campaign. We had been assured that well being services could be upgraded.
“What we now have is APC saying one factor and doing one other.
“For medical check-up, you need to go all the way in which to the UK. Folks have been coming right here to do medical checkups for individuals. Which means that we now have some native hospitals which have upgraded”, Abaribe mentioned.
A physician in one of many Federal Authorities owned well being services in Lagos, who most popular to be referred to easily as Dr. Joe, believes the President’s journey is provocative, not simply to medical doctors and different well being staff however to each Nigerian with conscience.
In response to him, the motion of President Buhari has solely re-echoed the extent of disdain prime authorities officers have for the typical Nigerian, and their go-to-hell perspective.
“That is merely provocative to say the least. How can the President journey overseas for medical check-up when medical doctors within the nation are warming up for a nationwide motion? What extra can a go-to-hell perspective than that? The President has simply proven that he can’t be bothered with no matter we’re going by way of or agitating for. He’s simply too aloof from the sentiments of most of the people and carries an I don’t care mindset.
“Although some Nigerians view our strike motion as one too many, what different possibility do we now have? This authorities understands no different language than strike in any try to demand for one’s proper. The problems that led to the strike had been on the entrance burner for some time however the authorities and its functionaries selected to look away and deal with them as non-issues. So we needed to communicate the very language they perceive so we will get their consideration.
“It’s baffling that no demand by staff is ever handled with seriousness till you difficulty a strike discover. And likewise sadly, when such occurs, they, reasonably than resolving them, solely search for tactics to cease it or break the ranks of the employees. That has been their ploy however sadly, it has at all times failed. For me, we now have to face steadfast within the present motion in order that President Buhari and his authorities will cease seeing us as simply numbers that don’t matter. If he can afford to journey overseas for an extraordinary medical check-up, there are such a lot of different Nigerians who wouldn’t have that chance. So the one possibility they’ve should be nicely attended to”, Dr. Joe mentioned.
For Adeagbo Ojo, a instructor in Caleb Worldwide Faculty, Lagos, who mentioned he doesn’t have any downside with the place the President selected to be attended to medically, the timing of his journey was flawed and insensitive. In response to him, the nation is battling with the worst sort of insecurity in its historical past, other than the strike by medical doctors, requiring the President to be on his seat to supervise efforts at returning normalcy again into the nation.
“The one downside I’ve with Buhari’s journey is the timing. It’s coming at a time when the nation is buffeted with myriad of insecurity challenges that has rendered most components of the nation unsafe, with individuals continuously watching their backs, particularly those that have want to maneuver from one location to the opposite.
“I’d have anticipated that because the Commander-in-Chief, he would have stayed again within the nation and brought efficient cost of the warfare towards insurgency, banditry and the sundry legal actions bringing the nation to its knees. I’d have anticipated him to remain again and monitor actively the execution of his quite a few matching orders to the safety businesses, together with these dished out at his assembly with safety chiefs on Tuesday morning. I’d even have anticipated him to take cost of efforts at persuading the hanging medical doctors to not embark on it and try to resolve their grievances. However in his knowledge and that of his advisers, he selected to not.
“Actually, the President’s journey might have been the principle cause the hanging medical doctors selected to not shelve their industrial motion as a result of it’s provocative. How can the federal government be interesting to them to not go on strike and the top of that very same authorities selected to journey overseas for a mere check-up, if what we’re advised is true? I don’t blame the medical doctors, although it’s unlucky that it’s the widespread man on the streets like me that may bear the brunt of the federal government’s failure to do the needful”, Ojo mentioned.
Nevertheless, President Buhari, then again has been defended by another Nigerians who really feel he has not performed something flawed in selecting to go and see his medical doctors.
Main the cost is his Senior Particular Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who mentioned his journey doesn’t qualify for medical tourism as many termed it.
Shehu mentioned: “I feel there’s a false impression of the President’s journey seen within the context of medical tourism. President Buhari just isn’t a medical vacationer.
“If somebody has saved retainership with medical specialists, you might be speaking about 30 years and plus to look at you they usually provide you with a go? would you be altering your medical doctors each different 12 months as a result of there’s a likelihood that the gap can be shortened? No. I feel that the President is sensible and fairly appropriate in his choice that he retains some set of medical doctors who’ve insured good well being for himself.”
Additionally, Mr. Haruna Tanimola, a banker with a microfinance financial institution in Ikeja, Lagos sees the criticism trailing President Buhari’s journey to London as mere idle talks by incurable haters of the current administration. In accordance President Buhari has performed the needful earlier than travelling by giving clear orders and directives to the safety businesses because it issues insecurity. He additionally famous that Buhari has the ministers of labour and employment and that of well being dealing with the agitations by resident medical doctors.
“I actually don’t know what Nigerians shouting everywhere over Buhari’s journey hope to realize from it. If the president stays again due to insecurity, will he be the one that may carry weapons and face the insurgents and bandits within the forests? Will he placed on an Military uniform and command the troops into Sambisa forest? His job is clearly acknowledged for him, commander-in-chief, not entrance the fronts, however from wherever he could also be at any given time. His job is to offer path and provides acceptable orders deemed crucial.
“Additionally, if the President had been to be within the nation, will he be the one sitting on the negotiation desk with resident medical doctors to steer them to not go on strike or negotiate their calls for? No, he has acceptable ministers who’ve been saddled with such duties. Like I mentioned earlier, his job is to offer clear path and directions. I imagine Nigerians ought to get issues proper, get knowledgeable adequately and never simply criticize for the sake of criticism”, Tanimola mentioned.
Talking alongside the road, a bureau de change operator at Airport Lodge, Ikeja, Ibrahim Abu, requested if there is a perfect time or acceptable time to go for medical check-up.
He additionally questioned if these criticising the President over the timing of his journey would have shelved their scheduled ‘routine’ medical check-up for any trivial cause comparable to falling numbers within the books of their locations of labor.
Abu mentioned: “We’d like the President to be sturdy and wholesome to have the ability to carry out and that’s what he’s doing, checking himself up. What’s flawed in that? The identical people who find themselves complaining right this moment would be the first to say he ought to step apart due to ill-health if he didn’t handle himself. Nigerians are troublesome to please, so it’s not stunning. For me, Buhari has performed no flawed. I want him nicely at all times.”
