Buhari’s Medical Trips ‘Expose Our Country To Ridicule’ – Falana

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, on Thursday, criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for embarking on a medical trip to the United Kingdom.

Speaking during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily in Lagos, the human rights lawyer believes the President and other Nigerians who travel abroad for medical attention are ridiculing the nation.

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He said, “These medical trips by the President and the rich in Nigeria expose our country to ridicule because you cannot justify that a little of enormous resources cannot fix a few hospitals to the extent that everybody can be treated in Nigeria.”

President Buhari had embarked on the trip on Tuesday and he is expected to return to the country on Saturday.

He is returning to the UK to meet with his doctor barely nine months after he returned from a medical vacation which lasted for more than 100 days on August 19, 2017.

Falana, however, recalled that he had approached a court some years ago with a view to restraining public officers from being allowed to go abroad for medical treatment at the expense of the nation.

He stressed the need for Nigeria to attain the level where those seeking to be elected or appointed to public offices cannot go to other countries for medical treatment or send their children abroad for education.

The senior lawyer noted that unless the nation gets to such level, the people will continue to suffer as long as the hospitals and schools remain unfixed.

He alleged that the poor Nigerians keep dying because of their inability to get proper healthcare while go out of the country to treat themselves.

The activist added, “I can even go further to say it is discriminatory and illegal for anybody to use public funds to treat himself while the majority of people are dying in public hospitals that are not maintained.”

He, however, called on the Federal Government and those in public offices to ensure health and education, among other sectors, are given the needed attention.