Following the scheduled medical trip by President Muhammadu Buhari to London, the United Kingdom on a medical trip, some Nigerians living abroad have angrily reacted over the trip, asking the British government to declare him persona non grata in the United Kingdom.
Some of them who spoke to our Reporter argued the President has all it takes to improve healthcare facilities in Nigeria and wondered why he should leave Nigeria where insecurity, poor health facilities, dwindling economy have killed many Nigerians to a foreign nation that has been properly governed.
The Presidential Adviser on Media, Femi Adesina had hinted on Thursday that the President will depart Abuja to London today (Friday) for a medical checkup, adding that the President will be back in second week of July, 2021.
Mr Ikechukwu Ogbonna, a London resident told our Reporter in a telephone chat that the President’s constant trip to London on medical tourism is becoming embarrassing to Nigerians as the issue has become a mockery to all Nigerians, even Africans living here”.
“Other nationals derisively asked us: ‘don’t you have specialist hospitals and doctors in Nigeria? Why must your President keep on embarrassing Africans by coming to sleep in London for weeks, abandoning state matters in the guise of coming to treat himself? It’s shameful”.
Segun Oluleye who lives in Manchester said, “We’re worried because no President, Prime Minister or Head of Government does this kind of thing except Mr Buhari. Think of a situation where the American President, British Prime Minister or French President would leave his country to another country to treat himself…
“Donald Trump of the USA and Boris Johnson, the British Prime had COVID-19 at different times in 2020, were they treated in Nigeria or even in any advanced nations? Were they not treated in their individual countries? Why wouldn’t this man emulate other world leaders and build a state-of –the –art hospital where VIPs like him would be treated?
“We’ll hold a rally against the visit; we may even bring in masquerades to symbolize it because enough is enough!”.
Back home, Reno Omokri, the former Presidential aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan said, “The President has had enough time to put up quality heath facilities to stop his incessant medical trips.
He declared, “Am putting you on notice. You’ve just announced planned trip to London to see your doctors next week, it’s one trip too many. You have refused to build hospitals for Nigerians and if by July 10, you’re still min London, now prepare for the Mother of All #HarassBuhariOutLondon.
“You have had six years to develop to develop the health sector. If you can spend $1.9billion money to build a railway in Niger Republic, then you could built hospitals to cater for your health and the health of Nigerians”, he enthused.
Meanwhile, Nigerians are mobilising to embarrass Buhari in London. Sources close to our Reporter explained that like Buhari’s last trip that country which was rough and disenchanting will be a child’s play compared to the present protest against Buhari’s UK visit, stressing that it may be laced with humiliation.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
