Following the unexplained absence of President Muhammadu Buhari, pundits are speculating that the ailing President may have had a relapse of the illness he went to London to treat.
In a swift response, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed dismissed the reports suggesting that President Muhammadu Buhari was ill and that was the reason for his absence at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
It would be recalled that during the President’s Medical vacation in London, Lai Mohammed told Nigerian that the President was not sick, but upon his return,President Buhari publicly told Nigerians that he has never been so sick.
Mohammed made the statement about the president’s health while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
He made the statement in company of the Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehinare and Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jubril.
The Information Minister said that Buhari’s absence from the FEC meeting didn’t mean that he was not working.
“I want to make some remarks on what I think is trending. Clearly when you came in this morning, Mr. President was not in the chamber and the Vice President did preside over the council meeting. Understandably, that has sparked controversies and agitations in the mind of the people. I just want to make this clear that Mr. President is in town, Mr. President is attending to other issues,@ Mohammed said.
“Mr. President looked at the agenda, a very light agenda, and decided that the Vice president should preside. It is not unusual for the kind of interest that has been shown, especially given the fact that Mr. President was away for a while on medical treatment. We are not surprised that people will be wondering if the President is ill again.
“He is not ill, he is not sick. I am sure that later in the day or tomorrow morning he will be back in the office. I just want to clear that misconception. It’s not unusual, even if the President is hail and hearty and everything going on well, for the Vice President to preside over the FEC meeting.
“The fact that Mr. President is not in the office does not mean he is not working. I have just been told that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is with him at the residence and they are working. The fact that you did not see him in the office, did not mean he is not working at all.”
Later on the Minister of State for health disclosed that 420,000 persons have been vaccinated against meningitis type C in Zamfara State.
He said further that there are 4,637 suspected cases in the country.He added that 489 persons have died from the disease.
He said that 823,000 vaccines are expected this week from the United Kingdom.
The Minister added that Nigeria was among the 128 countries that signed the convention while 50 countries are needed to ratify it to make it effective. So far, he said, about 40 countries have ratified the convention.
