The senate yesterday told state house officials to restrain President Muhammadu Buhari from embarking on further medical trips abroad by ensuring that the State House Clinic becomes fully functional this year.
The senate committee on federal character and inter-governmental affairs headed by Mr. Danjuma La’ar handed down the directive when the permanent secretary of the state house, Tijani Umar, defended his 2021 budget estimates before the panel.
The committee said rather than allow Buhari to jet out to seek treatment abroad, the government and stare house officials should put the State House Clinic in order for such purposes.
Umar had presented a total budget proposal of N19.7 billion for the 2021 fiscal year, out of which N1.3 billion was earmarked for the State House Clinic.
Responding, La’ah said the panel would approve the budget for the State House Clinic but that the President and other top officials of his government should no longer be flown abroad for medical treatment.
“Our President is not a man to be taken out anytime anything happens to him or he is sick.
“He must attend our clinic here and we must make sure we equip our hospital to the best of our ability so that any emergency will first be taken care of here before flying out, if the need arises.
“N1.3 billion is already approved for State House Clinic. I want this thing done and I want the credit to go to the whole committee that the rehabilitation and equipment of State House Clinic we requested was done within the shortest time.
“Oversight will be done monthly to ensure the job is completed in record time,” he said
