After spending billions of Naira to treat Buhari in London, Nigerians were surprised to hear that he still requested for some days to rest before resuming office. Below is an account of his of the President's engagements in his first week in office after the seven weeks spent in London for medical vacation and or rest.
Upon his return from London on the 51 days medical leave, Friday, last week, he appealed to Nigerians to keep their peace to enable him get some rest, knowing full well that his house would have naturally turned to Mecca of some sort with well wishers. He had remarked that his coming back on a weekend was deliberate to help him get some rest. It was not reported that the President had public functions or saw anyone that weekend.
And with the weekend over, the President kept to his promise of resuming his official duties on Monday. With the development, the Presidential Villa is back alive with government activities. Indeed, the President is back. And his engagements spanned across the week.
"Monday, March 13 – I am back, Buhari tells Saraki, Dogara
Even though, he was still recuperating, President Buhari demonstrated his agility, patriotism and commitment to duty when on Monday morning, the President, decked in a white flowing gown with a cap to march, walked down to his office from the residence. On arrival to the office, the President got busy, signing a couple of documents. Two of such documents were separate letters to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara where he officially informed them of his return to the country from London.
Later in a statement, his media aide, Mr. Femi Adesina, stated: “President Muhammadu Buhari today resumed duties after his vacation. “In compliance with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President formally transmitted letters to the Senate and the House of Representatives, intimating the National Assembly “that I have resumed my functions as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with effect from Monday, March 13, 2017, after my vacation.”
The signing was not what kept Buhari busy at the office that Monday. The president took briefings from some of his aides which included the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and National Assembly (Senate) Liaison Officer, Senator Ita Enang.
More pronounced that day was the visit of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to Buhari’s office. Coming out of the office, Osinbajo, who acted on Buhari’s behalf for the period he was away, was besieged by a battery of journalists whom he told that the President was fully back to work. He said: “He is very well. We just had a very long meeting, basically, trying to bring the President up to speed as to some of the things we have done while he was away. And he has given a few directives on what we should be doing on so many areas; the North-east, budget, the economy, a wide range of issues. “He held a meeting with me for over an hour where we discussed a wide range of issues. So his readiness for work is not in doubt at all. In fact he is over-ready.
“Oh yes! I’m back to my regular position as vice president.”
Tuesday, March 14 – Saraki, Dogara pay Buhari a visit
At exactly 12 noon on Tuesday, the official vehicle of the Senate President, Saraki wheeled into the Presidential forecourt at the Villa. Swiftly, the two occupants who turned out to be Saraki himself and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Dogara alighted from the back. Their destination was the President’s office. About 40 minutes later, the two leaders emerged to tell State House correspondents that issues of ambassadorial nominees, Niger Delta, among others, dominated the meeting that held behind closed doors with the President.
They were the first to pay the President a visit from outside the Villa. Later that day, Buhari signed the instrument of ratification of the treaty on establishment of Abidjan-Lagos corridor billed to serve the governments of Republic of Benin, Cote Divore, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria. The President also received briefings from the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele. Outside these two developments, Sunday Vanguard did not see any other guests until the President retired home at noon.
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