The protests by some Nigerians over President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical trip to the United Kingdom is unguided, unwarranted and an assault on his fundamental human right to life.
According to the Nigeria First movement, it is well within President Buhari’s right, like every other citizen, to seek routine medical checkup.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, Secretary-General, Richard Adie noted that it is proper to put things in perspective and for well-meaning Nigerians to see the mischief propagated to whip up sentiments.
By travelling abroad, Adie noted that the president has not violated his Office or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Nigeria First movement, therefore, urged the unsuspecting general public to disregard the mischievous comments and headline generated so far on the President’s routine medical check with his physicians that he has maintained for close to thirty years and still counting.
According to the group, those in the medical field understand the strategic importance of keeping medical records and maintaining the services of physicians that have your medical records and have rendered medical services at one time or the other.
The Nigeria First, however, warned mischief-makers to pull the plug on this campaign and instead channel their energies and resources to charitable ventures that would make life more meaningful for Nigerians.
Read the full statement below:
The leadership of Nigeria First welcomes you all to this press conference that became necessary due to the outcry in some segment of the country regarding the medical leave undertaken by President Muhammadu Buhari on a routine visit to see his physicians.
We must all agree that certain rights and privileges are guaranteed to every individual regardless of their status in society. And the right to seek routine medical checkup by President Muhammadu Buhari has indeed ruffled some feathers. Consequently, they have gone to press with all manner of narratives to mislead unsuspecting members of the public.
It is indeed worrisome, hence the press conference’s convocation to put issues in proper perspectives and for well-meaning Nigerians to see the mischief been propagated to whip up sentiments that might not augur well for our dear country.
Nigerians must come to terms with the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has never hidden his intent and purposes whenever he embarks on trips for medical purposes. This much he has formed the habit of informing the citizens in good faith.
It, therefore, beats common sense as to why some misguided elements have elected to politicize the medical leave undertaken by President Muhammadu Buhari in a puerile attempt to heat the polity unnecessarily.
Nigeria First is aware that President Muhammadu Buhari acted within his rights. As such, the attempt to cast aspersion on his character or motives for embarking on medical leave should not be twisted by any individual or groups.
Nigeria First also frowns at the ethnic and religious dimension the Presidents medical leave has assumed and therefore call for caution from those individuals and groups whose stock in trade is to stoke tension in the polity through the propagation of fake news, illogical conclusions and mischief.
It is sufficient to state that President Muhammadu Buhari is a human being as a first who has a right to his personal life that includes the right to seek medical attention when necessary, as in this case. We are not convinced that the President acted in an ignoble manner. As such, the comments and reactions generated in some quarters are needless in this material instance.
Nigeria First is also in receipt of the plot by some politicians to turn the heat on President Muhammadu Buhari in select media houses, all in a bid to score cheap political points. In as much as these individuals and groups are at liberty to air their opinions, they must, however, be careful not to insult our sensibilities by attempting to make Nigeria a laughing stock among the comity of nations.
Our considered view remains that headlines should not be made about the President embarking on medical leave, especially when he has not violated his Office or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The pertinent questions that must be asked are if the President is entitled to medical leave and if there are also constitutional restrictions on where the President can decide to seek medical attention.
Nigeria First, as a body of patriotic Nigerians across the federation, is using this medium to inform members of the unsuspecting general public to disregard the mischievous comments and headlines that have been generated so far with regards the President undertaking routine medical check with his physicians that he has maintained for close to thirty years and still counting.
It is also our firm belief that those in the medical field understand the strategic importance of keeping medical records and maintaining the services of physicians that have your medical records and have rendered medical services at one time or the other.
Nigeria First wishes to use this medium to call on the mischief-makers to pull the plug on this campaign and instead channel their energies and resources to charitable ventures that would make life more meaningful for Nigerians.
They should also do well to learn to call a spade a spade and not a cutlass as that task towards making Nigeria great does not rest on the shoulders of one man but rather a collective endeavour that requires active citizens’ participation.
Nigeria First has been in the vanguard of promoting good governance built on the tenets of transparency, accountability and patriotism. And we make bold to announce that the aforementioned has been the hallmark of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Nigerians must indeed rise to the occasion to ensure that mischief-makers and unpatriotic elements amongst us are denied the opportunity to ply their trade.
We thank you for your attention.
God bless Nigeria.
