Abuja — President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday returned to Nigeria after a 17-day medical trip to London, the United Kingdom.
Buhari has also expressed the hope that the service chiefs would be able to surmount the security challenges facing the nation.
He was received on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by his Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Awwal Zubairu; the Chief of Air Staff, Air-Marshal Ishiaka Oladayo Amoo, Acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Bello and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mohammed Musa Bello, among other top government officials.
The presidency had on Wednesday refused to be specific about when Buhari would return to Nigeria from his routine medical trip to London, late last month.
Asked after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting when exactly the president would be back, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, was not categorical while speaking with newsmen at the State House, Abuja.
He said: “Today is Wednesday, this week finishes on Saturday. So, what’s the big issue in that one?”
According to him, the federal government was currently more concerned with the issue of myriad of security challenges facing the nation.
Buhari had on March 30, left Abuja for London for a routine medical check-up.
The president, before embarking on the medical trip, had met earlier in the day with Irabor and the service chiefs to appraise the security situation in the country.
The media adviser to the president, Mr. Femi Adesina, had said in a statement on March 29 that Buhari was expected back in the country in the second week of April.
“The president meets with security chiefs first in the morning, after which he embarks on the journey.
“He is due back in the country during the second week of April, 2021,” the statement had said.
Meanwhile, Buhari has expressed the hope that the service chiefs would be able to surmount the security challenges facing the nation.
He also stated that he expected a better performance from the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba, who was appointed in acting capacity while he was in the UK.
Speaking to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) after disembarking from the Nigeria Air Force One, on his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the president, when asked about the performance of the service chiefs, said: “They have been in the system all the way; they know what is wrong; they know what is right and I think they are doing their best; I hope their best will be good enough for Nigeria.”
Buhari, while commenting on his expectation from Baba, said much was expected from the IG after emerging the best among the officers screened for the top police job.
“Well, we went through the system, there was a committee by the Minister of Police Affairs, they gave me some names and he happened to be the one chosen. He knows his job, he has been in it for a long time, he went through all the trainings, he has the necessary experience. So, we have a high expectation from him.”
The president, who said his medical check-up in London “went very well” as scheduled, told Nigerians to expect continuity in his six-year-old administration as he resumed duties.
– Thisday