Monday 6 June 2016
president Buhari is ill
President Muhammadu
Buhari is ill and is being
treated at the presidential
villa, PREMIUM TIMES can
authoritatively report.
The president has an
infection in his left ear,
otherwise called Meniere
Disease, a challenge which
has drastically reduced his
outings in the last one week.
As a result of the infection,
the president now suffers
hearing impairment and
routinely complains of severe
pains and unusual sounds
from that ear, those familiar
with his condition told
PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr. Buhari had on three
recent occasions cancelled
official trips within and
outside the country due to the
infection and was
represented at those events
by Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo.
A statement by the presidency
on Friday said the vice
president would again
represent the president at the
48th Ordinary Summit of
Head of State and
Government of the Economic
Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) holding this
weekend in Dakar, Senegal.
The statement by Laolu
Akande, the Senior Special
Assistant on Media and
Publicity to the vice
president, said Mr. Osinbajo
would leave for Dakar on
Friday and was expected back
in Abuja on Sunday.
Multiple sources in the
Presidency told this
newspaper Friday that the
president got the ear
infection about two weeks ago.
Our sources said apart from his family,
only a few high profile individuals who
visited at the Presidential Villa in the
last one week were aware of the
president’s illness.
Mr. Buhari, who clocked 73 last
December, was said to have confirmed it
to some dignitaries who visited him in
the past days, explaining to some of
them that that was why he was unable to
visit Lagos and Rivers as scheduled.
He was also said to have told some of his
guests that he was struggling to give his
failing health a major attention.
He is currently being treated by his
personal physician and other experts
from the State House Clinic, our sources
said.
An official said the president might seek
treatment abroad if his condition does
not improve in the next few days.
Despite hearing difficulty, the president,
our sources said, managed to attend
Jumaat service and host some important
visitors, including former Presidents
Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck
Jonathan as well as some clergymen on
Friday.
Presidential spokespersons could not be
reached to comment for this story on
Friday night.
While calls to the Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina,
failed to go through, Garba Shehu, the
senior special assistant on media and
publicity did not answer or return calls.
Media reports first hinted of the
president’s illness two weeks ago when
he was billed to visit Lagos.
Mr. Osinbajo represented him on that
visit.
The vice president also represented the
president in Papua New Guinea last
weekend where the 8th Summit of the
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of
States held.
Mr. Buhari on Thursday put off his
scheduled trip to Rivers State where he
was billed to kick off the cleanup of
Ogoni land as recommended by the
United Nations Environmental
Programme.
Again, Mr. Osinbajo represented him at
the event.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment