The
Federal Government says it will not succumb to any pressure to disclose
expenses for President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical treatment in London.
Information
and culture minister Lai Mohammed said demanding information on the president’s
medical bill had implications for national security and moral issues.
In
comments to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council
meeting chaired by Buhari, Mohammed said, “This matter has come several times
and our position on the matter is quite straight forward.
"What
are the president's conditions of service? What are his entitlements in terms
of his well-being and health care? The state is supposed to take responsibility
for these.
"We
believe that asking for how much has been spent on the health of the President
is an issue that we should weigh very well both for national security and also
for moral issues.
"I
don't know why we must divulge such very sensitive information. I might be
wrong, but I don't have experience elsewhere that the president of any country
will be ill and be forced to disclose how much the state has spent on his
health.
"Yes,
there is Freedom of Information Act, but it is also carved in such a way that
when such information is likely to endanger national security, I think it is an
area that is not covered."
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