The Nigeria Senate has asked State House officials to restrain president Muhammadu Buhari, from seeking medical treatment abroad in order to ensure that State House clinic becomes functional.
The Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs said this during the defence of the State House Permanent Secretary, Tijani Umar, who appeared before the panel to discuss his 2021 budget estimates.
In the budget which was submitted by the State House official, N1.3bn was allocated for running the State House Clinic, out of a total sum of N19.7bn presented for 2021 budget.
The Chairman of the Senate panel, Senator Danjuma La’ah, while reacting to the proposed budget, said the committee would approve the budget for the State House Clinic but the president and other top officials of his administration ought to be urged to stop seeking medical treatment abroad.
Also, while briefing newsmen after defending his budget, the Permanent Secretary promised to put necessary arrangements in place to meet the medical needs of the President and members of his administration, once the budget is approved
He said, “We have appealed to the committee to assist us with the presidential wing of the State House Clinic.
“The N1.3bn is absolutely inadequate when you juxtapose the amount proposed, the labour, and the status of the principals that the project is going to serve.
“When compared with worldwide standards you see that it is not anything near what we need.
“It (the clinic), is considered a legacy project for us because we want to leave something down.
“It is not correct to say the state house clinic is in comatose. It is not.”
