BUHARI WILL RETURN SOON – AISHA

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.