Pascal Arogorn Ibe
….Assembly summons emergency sitting over Sule’s vacation letter
There is disquiet in Nasarawa State following the denial of Governor Abdullahi Sule that he travelled to the United States for medical check-up.
The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, had announced during the plenary that Sule had notified the state House of Assembly that he was travelling to the US for medical check-up begining from December 13 to 29.
Abdullahi read a letter, titled: “Notification to Travel to the United States of America,” purported to be from Sule to the lawmakers.
The letter read: “I wish to inform the Rt Hon Speaker that I shall be travelling to the United States of America for medical check-up from Sunday, December 13 to Saturday, December 29, 2020.
“Accordingly, in my absence, the deputy governor would oversee the affairs of the state pending my return”.
But while appearing on a Channels Television programme, monitored in Lafia on Sunday, the governor denied the portion of the letter that he was on medical tourism in the US, saying that he was on a vacation.
He explained that he was visiting the US to see his children while on his annual vacation.
The governor, who was visibly amused by claims that he abandoned hospitals in his state for medical tourism in the US, said he usually goes on annual vacation in December and takes the opportunity to spend time with his family in Houston, Texas.
Sule added that while on vacation in the US, where he has stayed for quite some years, he equally uses the opportunity to carry out routine medical check-ups.
“My trip here has nothing to do with my health. I’m here on my annual vacation. You know, I used to live right here in Houston and my doctors are here.
“Usually, I carry out my medical check-ups even while I was the managing director of the Dangote Group. There is nothing wrong with my health. I have just finished my routine medical check-ups, dental check, eye check and everything went perfectly,” the governor said.
While dismissing insinuations that he travelled to the US on medical tourism, Sule said he has a medical doctor at the Government House who conducts regular medical checks on him, adding that even recently, his wife gave birth to a set of twins at a hospital in Abuja.
According to him, since he has his family members living in Houston, whenever he visits the US, usually in December while on his annual vacation, he uses the opportunity to meet his longstanding medical doctor and to carry out routine medical check-ups as well.
However, members of the state House of Assembly are to cut short their recess and hold an emergency sitting today, on the matter.
THISDAY learnt from impeccable source that the emergency sitting is at the instance of the speaker.
The source said the speaker called on all members to attend the emergency sitting unfailingly.
The source added that the lawmakers will debate and investigate the origin and source of the letter read on the floor of the Assembly.
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