PDP chides presidency over Buhari’s London medical trip

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that the routine overseas medical checkup embarked upon by President Muhammadu Buhari is a direct indictment of his presidency over its failure to fix the nation’s healthcare system, which has been wrecked by his administration.
The party said this in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.
The PDP said that it is indeed worrisome that under President Buhari, even the hitherto highly rated State House Clinic, has become so moribund that it cannot provide a simple medical checkup service for the President.
According to the statement, “While the PDP has nothing against where any person, including President Buhari, seeks his or her medical services, our party is worried that the Buhari Presidency is taking no decisive steps to fix our health care system, ostensibly because Mr. President can afford overseas medical treatment at tax payers’ expense.
“The PDP is disturbed that while Mr. President jets out for medical treatment in well-equipped hospitals abroad, our hospitals and medical personnel are in very sorry situation while millions of our compatriots suffer, with many dying on daily basis from conditions that have simple medical solutions.
“It is indeed heartrending that Nigerians are suffering this huge misfortune of having this highly insensitive, incompetent and corrupt leadership of very selfish individuals who do not care about the welfare of other citizens.
“More saddening is that all the institutions, policies and programmes established by the PDP, which hitherto ensured access to affordable healthcare for Nigerians have been wrecked by the Buhari administration.
‘Our party urges President Buhari to show leadership by reflecting on the fact that millions of Nigerians cannot afford overseas treatment and have become despondent by his failure to take decisive steps to address our national healthcare needs”, it said.
President Buhari, the PDP maintained, must know that his duty as President is not only for his personal needs but more importantly for the needs of the generality of Nigerians.
The main opposition party however called on Nigerians to remain calm and not resign to despondency “as we collectively work to rescue our nation from the stranglehold of misrule”.