President
Muhammadu Buhari would soon return to Nigeria, his wife Aisha said yesterday
after her return from London, where the president is receiving medical
attention in the last one month.
The
wife of the president, who left for London last Tuesday to visit her ailing
husband, returned yesterday without him, assuring that “he is recuperating
fast.”
Mrs
Buhari didn’t specifically state when the president is returning despite
speculation that he may likely come back on Saturday, June 11 and sign the 2017
budget.
The
first lady didn’t release any photograph with her husband during this visit,
unlike the previous ones when her office released photographs she took with the
president.
There
was no any photograph of the president from the presidency as well. No any
senior official publicly visited the president like some of them did during his
previous medical vacations.
This
is the third time President Buhari is travelling to London to treat undisclosed
ailment. He left Nigeria on May 7, after receiving the 82 abducted Chibok
school girls released by Boko Haram insurgents.
Buhari
had earlier spent seven weeks in London between January 19 and March 10,
fuelling serious concern about his health status.
He was
also in London in June 2016 to treat “mild ear infection,” according to his
media handlers.
A
director of information in the first lady’s office, Suleiman Haruna, said in a
statement that Mrs Buhari conveyed her husband's appreciation to Nigerians over
their constant prayers.
She
quoted the president as thanking Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for his
loyalty.
The
first lady also quoted Buhari as calling on Nigerians to continue to support
the acting president in his efforts towards actualising the mandate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC).
Osinbajo
seeks N/Assembly’s nod for $1.5bn loan
The
acting president yesterday requested the National Assembly to approve $1.49
million foreign loan for 10 states.
The
letter dated May 25, 2017, tagged ‘Re-Federal Executive Council approval of the
2016 - 2018 External Borrowing (rolling) Plan,’ was read by Senate President
Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
“I
write in reference to my earlier letter requesting for the consideration and
approval of the Senate for the 2016 - 2018 External Borrowing plan and request
the Senate to separate the states' projects from the items listed in the
borrowing plan with a view of giving them accelerated consideration,” he
said.
Osinbajo
listed the states to include Kaduna State Development Policy Operation, $350m
from World Bank; Ogun State Development Policy Operation, $350m from World
Bank; Ebonyi Ring Road Project $70m from African Development Bank and Rural
Access and Mobility Project (RAMP), Abia state from African Development
Bank.
Others
are Health System Project, Katsina $100m from Islamic Development Bank;
Integrated Rural Development Project, Jigawa state from Islamic Development
Bank; Ring Road Project Ebonyi state from Islamic Development Bank and
Integrated Agricultural and Water Resources Development, Kano State $200m from
IDB.
The
request also showed that four states of Enugu, Kano, Plateau and Ondo States
seek $200m from the French Development Agency for third National Urban Water
Sector Reform (NUWSRP-III).
He
said the request for the separation of the states' projects from the list
became imperative in view of the current economic realities in the country.
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