The Nigerian Senate has asked State House officials to restrain President Muhammadu Buhari, from foreign trips for medical treatment in order to ensure the State House clinic becomes functional as soon as possible.
The Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs gave the warning on Thursday, when the State House Permanent Secretary, Tijani Umar, appeared before the committee to defend his 2021 budget estimates.
A total budget of N19.7 billion for 2021, was presented by the State House official, and out of the N19.7 billion, N1.3bn was proposed for the State House Clinic.
The Chairman of the Senate panel, Senator Danjuma La’ah, while reacting to the proposal, 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.
The Permanent Secretary in an interview with journalists after defending his budget however promised to put necessary arrangements in place to meet to medical needs of the President and other top officials once the budget was approved.
