President Muhammadu Buhari has spent at least 225 days away from the country on medical trips since assuming office in 2015, Sunday PUNCH investigation has uncovered. On February 5, 2016, eight months after assuming office, the President took his first medical trip to London, the United Kingdom, spending six days. Buhari’s second medical trip would follow four months later on June 6, 2016. He spent 10 days treating an undisclosed ear infection after which he rested for three extra days before returning to Abuja on June 19, 2016. On January 19, 2017, the President embarked on his second longest medical trip. Before leaving, however, he wrote to the Bukola Saraki-led Senate revealing his plan to travel to London on a 10-day vacation. In the letter, the Nigerian leader said he would hand over to his deputy, Prof Yemi Osinbajo. Though the medical holiday was due to commence on January 23, 2017, Buhari left Abuja the same day. He returned to Abuja on March 10, 2017, spending 50 days away. In May of the same year, barely two months after his last trip, the President departed for London for his longest medical pilgrimage lasting 104 days. It is still unclear what ailment he was being treated for, but Nigerians were asked to “pray” for the President. What followed were speculations and misinformation about his health status, with some presuming him dead and replaced with a body double. The long treatment must have helped as the President would not visit London for another medical check-up until a year later in May 2018 when he spent four days on “medical review.” In late March 2021, Buhari departed for London again for a “routine medical check-up” that lasted 15 days. His trip came amid a labour crisis in the health sector, which saw members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors commencing an indefinite strike over unpaid allowances. On March 6, 2022, the President jetted out to London for a medical trip, which lasted 12 days. Earlier, Buhari was scheduled to visit London from Nairobi, Kenya, where he was attending the United Nations Environmental Programme at 50. He, however, returned to Nigeria on Friday March 4, but departed for London on Sunday March 6. Earlier, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, had announced that Buhari would proceed to London from Kenya for “routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks.” On October 31, 2022, the President departed Owerri, the Imo State capital, for London on another medical check-up lasting about two weeks. He returned to the country on November 13, 2022. The President’s spokesman had, times without number, defended Buhari’s medical trips abroad saying he “has used the same medical team for about 40 years.” Adesina also argued that it was advisable that the President stayed with the team that had his medical history. Although it is not clear how much has been spent on the President’s medical check-ups, the Buhari regime has earmarked at least N33.3bn for the State House medical infrastructure in the past eight years. This includes recurrent items such as the “purchase of health/medical equipment, drugs and medical supplies” and capital components such as the construction of the presidential wing of the State House Medical Centre scheduled for completion this month. A breakdown of budget documents for the period under review revealed that general “medical expenses” gulped N308.26m; the State House Medical Centre took N8.35bn, while the presidential wing gulped N24.24bn. The President had presented the 2023 appropriation bill to a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja on Friday, October 7, 2022, his last. In 2016, the State House medical budget stood at N4.84bn. In 2017, N384.76m was allocated for medical expenses and operation of the facility. A total of N1.08bn and N850.68m was allocated in 2018 and 2019, respectively. This dropped to N634.14m in 2020. In the 2021, 2022 and 2023 budget proposals, N693.01m, N708.75m and N476.52m, respectively were allocated to the State House Medical Centre and medical expenses. However, the document did not reveal how much the regime spent on the President and Vice-President’s medical treatments and check-ups in the past eight years. But a closer examination of the appropriation bills revealed that the State House earmarked N744.85m for “drugs and medical supplies” alone within that period. On the capital expenditure side, the Federal Government budgeted N723.72m for various phases of the “completion of dental wing extension in the SHMC and outstanding liabilities on reclamation and earth filling.” Since 2019, successive appropriation bills also allocated a total of N24.24bn for the “construction of the presidential wing at the State House Medical Centre.” The breakdown is as follows: N395,834,810 (2019), N416,668,220 (2020), N1,064,643,299 (2021), N21,974,763,310 (2022) and N393,661,239 (2023). The facility is due for completion in December 2022. Meanwhile, the President has embarked on at least 84 trips visiting over 40 countries in the past seven years. These include trips for medical check-ups, regional and global summits, high-level meetings, condolence and state visits, among others. Within that period, the Presidency earmarked N50.75bn for the Presidential Air Fleet. Our correspondent observed from past appropriation bills from 2016 that funds were budgeted for air navigational equipment, aircraft calibration equipment, purchase of Phase 7 Avionics for AW 139 helicopters, etc. (PUNCH)

  Former President Olusegun Obasanjo late Saturday, was host of the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council leaders in Abeokuta. A statement by Special Assistant on Media to the former President, Kehinde Akinyemi, indicated that the team led by the Vice Presidential candidate and Governor of Delta State, Okowa, included the Director General of the Presidential Council and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido Others include, former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Cross River State governor, Liyel Imoke and Otunba Oyewole Fasawe. Speaking after about two hour closed door session, Tambuwal said the team was in Abeokuta “to pay our usual respect and to continue to consult our leader, former President Olusegun Obasanjo on matters of national interest and we have had a very fruitful conversation with him.” He added that, “We’re in the build up the the 2023 general elections, and we will continue to do what we have to do to win the election. “My message to Nigerians is that we should come out en masse when it is time in February to vote for a balanced ticket that reflects the characteristics of this country, that will provide leadership that will stabilise this country and revive our economy and foster more of national unity and that is Atiku Abubakar and Governor Okowa. Tambuwal hinted that the party was expecting a very very rousing and large crowd at the Lagos State Presidential campaign in Lagos on Monday.

  South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will not resign despite a scandal over money stolen from his farm, his spokesman says. The row centres on claims he kept large sums of cash on his property then covered up its theft. A panel of legal experts concluded that he has a case to answer. But Mr Ramaphosa’s spokesman suggested he would fight on, and rather than quit would seek a second term as leader of his African National Congress party.” President Ramaphosa is not resigning based on a flawed report, neither is he stepping aside,” Vincent Magwenya said. “It may be in the long-term interest and sustainability of our constitutional democracy, well beyond the Ramaphosa presidency, that such a clearly flawed report is challenged,” he added. The scandal erupted in June, when a former South African spy boss, Arthur Fraser, filed a complaint with police accusing the president of hiding a theft of $4m (£3.25m) in cash from his Phala Phala game farm in 2020. Mr Ramaphosa admitted that money had been stolen, but said it was $580,000, not $4m. The president said the $580,000 had come from the sale of buffalo, but the panel, headed by a former chief justice, said it had “substantial doubt” about whether a sale took place. The panel’s findings have been handed to parliament, which is set to examine them and decide whether or not to launch impeachment proceedings against the president. Mr Ramaphosa is also under pressure from the opposition, as well as rivals from his governing ANC, to resign. He is due to meet the ANC’s top leadership bodies on Sunday and Monday after failing to turn up at an earlier meeting. The scandal is especially damaging for Mr Ramaphosa because he came to power vowing to clear up the corruption which had dogged the country under his predecessor, Jacob Zuma. The ANC remains deeply divided between supporters of Mr Zuma and those who back Mr Ramaphosa. Mr Ramaphosa will be challenged for the ANC’s leadership by his former health minister Zweli Mkhize, who has also been accused of corruption. He denies the allegations. BBC

  Angered by relentless attacks in parts of the country by criminal elements, the Department of State Services has warned that the agency will henceforth deal ruthlessly with anyone who threatens the peace and security of Nigeria. The Director-General of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, handed down the warning at the graduation ceremony of participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course of the National Institute for Security Studies in Abuja. The DGSS vowed that henceforth anyone who unleashes any form of attack on security, institution or on human beings will be dealt with appropriately. The DGSS said: “Bichi said: “Our destiny is in our hands, and it is time to say enough is enough. “My Service will not allow anybody to mess up this country. If you attack our structures, we will attack you. “If you attack our men, we will attack you. It is tit-for-for-tat. The way God created Nigeria, nobody can dismantle this nation.” The DGSS maintained that it is better to unite than to “scatter”, adding, “let us not allow ourselves to be instigated to see ourselves as enemies”. Bichi warned against attempts by subversive elements to undermine the authority, unity and corporate existence of the nation. While describing security is a whole-of-society-approach, he reiterated the need for all Nigerians to support and cooperate with the military and other security agencies in the country to tackle any threat to the country. While declaring that Nigeria will surmount the challenges of insecurity, occasioned by terrorism, banditry and the like, Bichi affirmed that “Nigeria is not a failed state having been endowed with all indices of a great nation. The Commandant of the NISS, Alh. AS Adeleke, had said that after the ten-month cause, the institute had succeeded in training the graduands to be highly-motivated and committed managers of security. A total of seventy eight participants of the directorate/executive cadre, drawn from Nigeria, the Gambia, Ghana, as well as Niger Republic, participated in the 2022 course.

  Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has debunked rumours making the round that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, was denied a visa to the United States of America. Describing the story as fake news in a Facebook post on Saturday, the former Abia State Governor said Tinubu postponed the travel himself and was never denied a visa. He said as the election draws closer, the opposition will spread more fake news against their presidential candidate and urged the party’s supporters to always ignore and keep their eyes on the ball. Orji Kalu claimed that the State Department of the US confirmed to him that Tinubu will be received in the third week of December. He wrote, “As the election draws closer, the opposition will spread more fake news against our presidential candidate but we should always ignore and keep our eyes on the ball. The news that Tinubu was denied a visa to the USA is as fake as other fake news. “Tinubu postponed the travel himself and was never denied a visa. The State Department of the US confirmed to me that Tinubu will be received in the third week of December. As the presidential candidate of our party with an outstanding personality, he will be warmly welcomed in the United States. OUK.”   The APC Presidential Campaign Council had in a statement last week said that Tinubu will embark on foreign trips from December 4 to meet global leaders and pitch his Presidential aspiration. In the statement posted on its Twitter handle, the campaign council disclosed that Tinubu and his delegation will be in London, USA, France, and key European Union member states to share his vision and plans and to also solicit the support of the Western powers for the democratic process that will usher in the new administration in Nigeria from May 29th, 2023. It also stated that while in London, Tinubu will address the Chatham House, the United Kingdom’s elite Foreign and Policy Think-tank institution where he will speak on security, economy and foreign policy on Monday, December 5, 2022. Tinubu to embark on foreign trip, speaks on security, economy at Chatham House pic.twitter.com/FtU0TD5GSt — APC Presidential Campaign Council (@APCPresCC2022) November 28, 2022

  The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) will resume the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train service on Monday, with only two return services. The announcement is contained in a statement sent to Channels Television on Saturday by the Managing Director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria. The statement shows the first train will depart Rigasa train station in Kaduna state to Abuja by 8:00 in the morning while from Abuja, the first train will depart Idu train station to Kaduna state by 9:45 in the morning. The NRC management also revealed that as part of the new security measures, it is now mandatory for passengers to present their National Identity Number and valid Boarding Ticket before they will be allowed to board. It also says the purchase of tickets by proxy is only limited to minors and a specified number of adult passengers. Online and mobile app ticketing will be available from 8:00 in the morning on Sunday, December the 4th, 2022 while the ticket offices at the train stations will open from 6:30 in the morning on Monday, December the 5th. Recall that the NRC suspended train service along the route after Boko Haram terrorists attacked a moving passenger train in Kaduna on March 28, 2022. The insurgents had blown up the rail track and bombed the moving train, killing some and abducting more than 60 passengers. The unprecedented attack attracted international and national outrage. The terrorists, who attacked the Kaduna-bound train released hostages in tranches with the last release coming on October 5, 2022. Before the hostages were completely released, distraught family members had protested several times to demand the release of their loved ones.

  Governor Nyesom Wike has told other parties to avoid campaigning in Rivers State, maintaining that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would sweep the oil-rich state in next year’s elections. He spoke during the State Honours and Awards held at the Banquet Hall, Government House in Port Harcourt on Saturday. “Lawyer, you must make money but here don’t worry yourself; nobody (opposition) would win here,” he said during the event, urging opposition parties not to waste their resources campaigning in the state. “I told David Umahi, Governor of Kogi (Yahaya Bello), and Abubakar Malami (Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) when they came to visit me, ‘Don’t put money here it won’t work; it is a no-go area’,” the governor added. According to him, his government already has a successor and that is based on the good works of his administration. “In my state, we know who is going to be my successor. I want to advise you if you are spending money on anybody, stop,” Wike said. “Here, we have a successor. It is not by my power but by what we have done in this state. It is not that I want to impose a successor. It is not true. Bring a successor and tell people why you want to bring a successor.” Wike, who is a former minister, has been at loggerheads with the leadership of the main opposition party since he lost the party’s presidential ticket to Atiku Abubakar. The governor claimed the process was unfair, asking the PDP national chairman Iyorchia Ayu to quit his position since he (Ayu) and the former vice president are from the northern region. While efforts to reconcile Wike alongside his allies have failed thus far, the party’s echelon is optimistic that a truce would be reached before the country goes to the polls next February. But Wike’s political romance with top members of the opposition, observers say, is a major concern for the PDP who have been out of power at the centre since 2015.

  The Labour Party (LP) has released its manifesto tagged “It’s POssible” which will be formally unveiled to Nigerians on Sunday, December 4th, 2022. The Head of Media of the Presidential Campaign Council of the party, Diran Onifade, told Channels Television that the candidate, Peter Obi, was part of those who produced the manifesto, unlike other parties where the candidates have no idea of the contents of such document. In the 62-page manifesto, the Peter Obi campaign anchored it on seven thematic areas. These are security, production, institutional reforms, the industrial revolution, infrastructural development, human capital development, and robust foreign policy.   A further perusal of the document showed that Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti-Ahmed, promised to among others: “Secure and unite our dear nation, and manage our diversity such that no one is left behind in Nigeria. “Move Nigeria from consumption to production and embark on comprehensive legal and institutional reforms and practicable restructuring measures, to fight corruption; ensure the enthronement of the rule of law, and decisively tackle all forms of corruption.” They also pledged to “prioritize Human Capital Development through robust investments in STEM education, health, and infrastructural development, with emphasis on wealth creation, distribution, and sustainable development. “Improve access to finance, particularly to MSMEs, youths, and women, to significantly reduce unemployment and insecurity. “Ensure that in policy and practice, governance will be made more inclusive, cost-effective, transformative, and less transactional. No more sharing of the national wealth by a few.”

  Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, says he does not owe anyone an apology for commending President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the payment of funds owed to states in the Niger Delta since 1999. Wike spoke on Saturday during the 2022 Rivers state honours and awards ceremony, in Port Harcourt, the state capital. On November 18, the Rivers governor had announced that the Buhari-led government paid his state and other Niger Delta states funds owed from the 13 percent derivation fund. Wike said the funds paid by the federal government have significantly aided his infrastructural strides in the state. Wike’s comments elicited varied reactions as Nigerians called on other state governors who had received the fund to account for it. On Friday, the presidency also said nine oil-producing states received a total of N625.43 billion as 13 percent oil derivation, subsidy and SURE-P refunds from the federation account between 2021 and 2022. The states that benefitted from the derivation refunds include Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers. Wike said he is currently battling “problem” because he appreciated Buhari for approving the refund to the nine oil-producing states. “Instead of human beings to say they appreciate you, they become envious that why were you appreciated. Because I said Buhari thank you, I’m having problem today,” he said. “I’m not a fan of Buhari. I told the honourable attorney-general but when a man has done well say he has done well in that area. On the other area, he has not done well, you equally say so. “I have no apology to anybody. Today, Wike did this and that projects. Look if Buhari did not release the money — from 1999, which my party did not even release — I won’t have done what I did.   “I don’t give a damn to anybody. I don’t care. I got the money. I’m not a fan of Buhari. He has not done well in so many areas but with this payment of money, he did well. “My friends and party members may not be happy. Make una no vex oo. This one, Buhari did well. He gave me money and I used it to do something for people in Rivers state. The other ones will talk about their own later.”

  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has taken a swipe at ARISE TV over its constant broadcast of an advertisement about its scheduled town hall meeting. On November 25, the broadcast media announced that its presidential town hall will hold on December 4, with four presidential candidates expected to attend on the said day. However, the Bola Tinubu campaign organisation said its presidential candidate will not attend, citing a lack of prior discussion on the matter with ARISE TV, as a reason for the non-attendance. The campaign organisation had also warned ARISE TV against using its candidate’s photograph on advertisements for the town hall meeting. But in another poster announcing the town hall meeting on Tuesday, ARISE TV listed Tinubu as one of the invited candidates, and quoted section 22 of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria in its defence. The television station said candidates participating in the 2023 presidential election must respect the constitution and ensure they respond to questions from the media on their manifestos. Reacting, the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Saturday, said it was shocking and that the station had continued to broadcast the participation Tinubu, despite the party’s earlier statement that the former Lagos state governor will not be available. The statement, which was titled, ‘Tinubu won’t succumb to Arise News blackmail,’ reads, “We find it shocking and downright anomalous that Arise News continues to broadcast the participation of All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in its Presidential Town Hall meeting scheduled to hold on 4 December, 2022 despite our earlier statement that our candidate will not be available. “We noticed that Arise News has also been running a campaign on the so-called constitutional duty of the presidential candidates to participate in its debate by dubiously citing section 22 of the Constitution of Nigeria on the obligation of the Mass Media. “While it is trite that the media has clear constitutional duty to hold public office holders accountable to the citizens and its role as the watchdog of the society, there is no part of the Constitution and the section 22 that says a presidential candidate of any political party and least of all, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu must participate in Arise News Town Hall event or any media organised event at all. “The same Constitution grants all citizens of Nigeria including, Asiwaju Tinubu the right and freedom of choice and association. The APC Presidential candidate has a right to decide where he goes and events to participate in as he seeks the mandate of Nigerians to be elected as the next President of our country. “We want to make it abundantly clear again that Asiwaju Tinubu will not participate and will not attend the Arise News Town Hall meeting slated for Sunday, 4 December, 2022 and any other ones it may plan before the February 2023 presidential election. “The APC Presidential candidate has his own schedule of campaign activities and other engagements within and outside Nigeria. One of such events is his scheduled event for Monday , December 5, 2022 at Chatham House in London where he will speak on Security, Economy and Foreign Policy. “Asiwaju Tinubu travelled to United Kingdom early today (Saturday) for this earlier scheduled engagement. We want to reiterate for the umpteenth time that no amount of blackmail, intimidation and media bully and innuendos by the owner and management of Arise News will change the position our campaign has taken on this matter.”