The Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu on Monday
disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has been holding meetings with top
government functionaries and playing some roles despite being on medical
vacation in London.
Featuring on BBC Hard Talk, Kachikwu said Buhari was still
capable of issuing policies and approving projects when necessary.
According to Kachikwu, the President’s health makes little
or no difference in running his administration.
“Yes, he is in London. He is undergoing hospital treatment,
(but) I don’t know the details of that and I obviously wouldn’t know.
“But let me say this, he returned from his first trip in
London, even though the doctors advised him to have some rest.
“He’s back to London and he has continued some levels of
meetings and has been able to play some roles.
“He has a very efficient Vice-President who is sitting in
for him in his absence. It really hasn’t made much of a difference.”
Responding to a question on what is wrong with Buhari,
Kachikwu said, “I don’t know. But let’s face it; who in the world goes around
giving to everybody what their medical statuses are?
“The doctors have got to be able to release something
official and he’s working through it. It has not become a major problem.
“Well, we’ve heard rumours in Nigeria about sick presidents
off and on, most of them sometimes not quite correct. Will he be able to lead
Nigeria?
“I think looking at the sort of conversations I had with him
when he came back, he was strong enough to do his work, struggled a bit in
terms of trying to fully recover.
“Nobody plans on illness, it happens. He has an efficient
number two man; the system works, that’s the whole essence of democracy.
“He’s on top of his abilities to be able to issue policies
and to be able to approve what he needs to be approved.”
This is coming at a time when a British politician and
former military officer, Eric Stuart Joyce insisted that Buhari is dead.
By Seun Opejobi
