*Says no panic as life normal around President’s quarters in London
*NASS confirms receipt of President extension letter
*House spokesman: No need for plenary as Acting President already in place
By Kemi Kasumu
Asked if the House would resume plenary for members to be fully briefed on the president’s extension letter, Namdas said there was no need as there is already an Acting President.
A Nigerian author in the United Kingdom capital city of London has described the death or health rumours that Nigerian media carried about their President, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, who is currently enjoying 10 days out of annual leave in London, as embarrassing as he said it ridicules Nigerians in the eyes of the world.
The DEFENDER, upon the news of the President’s extension of stay in London over doctors’ advice to wait for results of tests of his medical checkups, had gone extra miles to contact some Nigerians in The Diaspora as a way of being able to be in position to tell its reading public a beyond-presidency sourced information about situation with the Nigeria’s President.
The author of “Thoughts for Developing World Leaders and People”, who said his visit to the President’s quarters was impromptu, informed this online media that he dropped some goodwill messages for the President which he said an official of the High Commission was sent to collect because there was no previous appointment for him to see the President. He however said life was normal around Mr. Buhari as everywhere was cool and calm “and our President is having his deserved rest as a leader on holiday.”
“They seemed keen to let me in but as you will appreciate, they are under very strict rules to follow protocol. I have already sent a message to the High Commissioner with my contact details for him (Buhari) and will try and get them to arrange an impromptu visit, this week… Oh yes. Well it is the least I could do for someone we fought so hard for.”
Speaking on strictly requested anonymity, the author, who said he had been in touch with President Buhari since the beginning of APC merger arrangement, said he had 23 text messages by PMB which he had since the President sent to his phone, which he said showed the kind of wonderful leader he is.
On whether there was panic around his quarters, he said, “What panic? Not at all. In fact there was no one outside there when I arrived. It is an official residential quarter of the High Commission. And I attended the Nigeria independence celebration there in 2014, which was celebrated there; I got an invitation from the High Commissioner, whom I had a chat with, during the event. But it is good as he needs proper rest from the excruciating rigours of running our country.”
Responding to a particular request to enable this media report this chat even as his names would not be mentioned, the author said, “I do not see why not. I shall endeavour to contact the High Commissioner tomorrow (Monday) first thing about arranging a visit. For one thing (I have never told you this), GMB and I exchanged very many messages, from the time of the amalgamation talks he had with Tinubu/, up to the election. He responded to every text message (mostly advices on how to go) that I sent him, which is a very good thing for a leader.
“In all, I got 23 text messages from him, which are still on my phone. Plus he sent me the email address of his secretary for sending documents, etc. So I am sure when he knows that I want to see him, he will say ok.”
President’s extension of stay in UK was communicated in a three-paragraph statement, signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, emailed to The DEFENDER on Sunday.
Adesina said Buhari delayed his return in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.
He said President Buhari had written to the National Assembly about his leave extension.
Mr. Adesina, however, did not state for how long the president would remain in the UK.
The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the National Assembly today, February 5, 2017, informing of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.
“The president had planned to return to Abuja this evening, but was advised to complete the test cycle before returning. The notice has since been dispatched to the Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives.
“Mr President expresses his sincere gratitude to Nigerians for their concern, prayers and kind wishes.”
President Buhari departed for London on January 19, and was scheduled to return to Nigeria February 5 and resume work February 6.
His chief spokesman, Femi Adesina, had said before the President left Nigeria that his boss would undergo routine medical checkups during his vacation.
Rumour that the president had died in London went viral a couple of weeks ago before it was dispelled.
His spokesman told Nigerians that Buhari was neither ill nor in any hospital in the UK.
On January 25, Adesina had stated during a CNBC Africa interview programme that ‘‘The president is in London on vacation. He is not in any hospital and he is not ill.
“When he (Buhari) was travelling, the statement we put out was that he was going on vacation and during the vacation, he would do routine medical check-up and nothing has changed from what we pushed out last week. If anybody has fed something else into the rumour mill that is just what it is – rumour.”
Adesina also on his twitter handle stated that there was no cause for alarm over Buhari’s health and asked Nigerians to disregard the death rumour.
Apparently to dismiss the president’s death rumour, the Presidency had late night on January 27 released a photograph of Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s visit to Buhari in London.
Also on January 28, it released another photograph showing Buhari and Amosun having a dinner in London.
The following day, photographs of Buhari and his wife, Aisha, were released.
On January 30, there was another photograph showing Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s mother and wife together with Buhari and Aisha.
It would be recalled that on February 5 last year, Buhari went on a six-day annual vacation. Also on June 6, 2016 the president went on another 10-day vacation during which he travelled to London to see an ear, nose and throat specialist. All put together for last year were 16 days, which were not up to the leave days he was entitled to in 2016.
Both the Senate and the House of Representative on Sunday confirmed they had received the president’s letter.
When contacted last night, spokesman of the House, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa) said that the House received the letter on the extension of Buhari’s vacation.
Namdas, however, said he could not confirm the content of the letter as he was still at his hometown receiving condolences over the death of his mother who died Friday.
“Yes, there is a letter from the president on the extension of his vacation. That I can confirm, but what I cannot confirm is the content. You know I have been here in my constituency since Friday when I lost my mother, so I’m bereaved,” he said.
Asked if the House would resume plenary for members to be fully briefed on the president’s extension letter, Namdas said there was no need as there is already an acting president.
“The issue of resuming plenary is not necessary because in the first place, there’s no vacuum. Remember, the president’s first letter on the vacation was read on the floor of the House, so there is an acting president already. So, there is no need for us to resume plenary,” he said.
It was also gathered similar letter has been transmitted to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
A source close to Saraki, said, “Yes, the letter has been transmitted to the Senate President but I don’t know the duration of the extension. All I know is that the letter has been transmitted”.
