Mr. President would continue to rest until he his fit to work - Mr. Lai Mohammed

Mr. Lai Mohammed

Shortly after yesterday’s weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Mr. Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, told newsmen that Mr. President was absent from the FEC meeting because he is not fit to work.
He added that the federal government has said  that President Muhammadu Buhari will continue to rest until he has fully recovered and is fit to work based on his doctor’s advice.

The Minister further dismissed the claim that the health of the president has worsened to the extent that he is being fed

The president was first absent from the weekly meeting on April 12, with Mohammed saying that he had deliberately stayed away from the meeting because the agenda was light, hence his decision to yield the floor to his deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to preside over the day’s meeting.

But the following week, the meeting was completely cancelled. This time, the excuse given was that the Easter break had prevented the staff of the council chamber secretariat from circulating memos for the meeting to ministers.

Again, the president did not show up on April 26, during which Mohammed said Buhari had asked the vice-president to preside over the meeting having informed the council that he would be attending to matters of state from home.

Mohammed on Wednesday also thanked Nigerians whom he said had been concerned and sympathetic about Buhari’s health.

“We want to take this opportunity to thank Nigerians who have expressed a lot of concern and sympathy, and who have been praying for him.

“Like we’ve always said, Mr. President will stick to his doctor’s advice so that he can recover quickly. We thank all of them for their concern. I think it shows how concerned Nigerians are about the health of the president. And all their suggestions are being taken on board,” he added.

Mohammed, however, said the president’s health notwithstanding, the government would mark its second year in office on May 29, claiming that since inception, the government has saved $100 million in foreign exchange and another N60 billion in budgetary provisions.

He also submitted that in the last two years, the government had addressed fundamental issues on the economy, fought insecurity and corruption and placed an emphasis on infrastructure development.

“Not that alone, we have been able to revive 11 food blending plants. Before now, only five blending plants were working at 10 per cent capacity, and we saved about $100 million in foreign exchange and about N60 billion in budgetary provisions.

“In the area of power, we have signed 13 power purchase agreements with 13 solar companies. And that is going to add at least more electricity to the national grid, among others.

“So, we have a good story to tell Nigerians and I think that is what they want to hear,” Mohammed said.

Meanwhile, the presidential committee probing allegations of financial impropriety against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, as well as the claim of ownership of N13.3 billion discovered in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos, said on Wednesday that it has concluded its assignment but would only submit its report next Monday.

This disclosure was however in contrast to the submission of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami on Tuesday, when he said that the committee would submit its report on Wednesday.

A statement by the vice-president’s media aide, Mr. Laolu Akande, said whereas the committee concluded its assignment on Wednesday, it would submit its report on Monday, May 8.