By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs on Thursday charged the presidency (State House officials) to dissuade President Muhammadu Buhari from traveling abroad for medical reasons/care.
Instead, the presidency should ensure that the State House Clinic is in perfect condition and functional to take care of President’s health related issues and other State House officials.
The Committee’s charge came when the Permanent Secretary State House, Tijani Umar, appeared before the committee to defend his 2021 budget estimates.
The State House official had presented a budget of N19.7billion for 2021, out of which N1.3 billion was proposed for the State House Clinic.
In his reaction to the proposal, the Chairman of the Senate committee, Senator Danjuma La’ah, said the committee would approve the budget for the State House Clinic but insisted that the President and other top officials of his government should no longer be flown abroad for medical treatment.
Addressing journalists after defending his budget, Tijani Umar assured that he would put necessary arrangements in place to meet the medical needs of the President and other top officials immediately the budget was approved.