In what appeared to be a negative verdict on Nigeria’s healthcare system, the former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, has stirred controversy with a bold assertion that his former boss might have died long ago if he had relied on Nigerian hospitals.
Adesina made the remark on Tuesday during a special funeral broadcast on Channels Television, held in honour of the late former President, who passed away at a London hospital on Sunday.
Responding to critics who questioned Buhari’s preference for foreign medical treatment, Adesina defended the former leader’s long-standing relationship with United Kingdom’s hospitals, saying his decision was based on medical consistency and necessity.
“Those who are criticising the fact that he died in a London hospital forget that he had used that hospital for decades,” Adesina said. “Even before he became president in 2015, he was already using that hospital. The doctors were familiar with his medical history.”
He further stressed that some Nigerian hospitals do not have the requisite facilities and expertise to handle Buhari’s health condition.
“If he had subjected himself to some of our hospitals, maybe he would have been long gone,” the former presidential spokesman added.
Adesina’s comments came amid renewed national conversations about the state of Nigeria’s healthcare system and the increasing trend of political elites seeking medical care abroad.
LEADERSHIP reports that former President Buhari, who served two terms from 2015 to 2023, was known for his frequent medical trips to the United Kingdom, particularly during the early years of his administration when he battled an undisclosed illness that kept him abroad for extended periods.
The former president died at a clinic in London over the weekend, sparking tributes, criticism, and debates across the nation.
A state funeral has been scheduled to take place in Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday, in line with Islamic rites.
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