President Buhari set to return after 10-day medical trip
– The 10 days which was stipulated for President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical trip have elapsed
– Buhari is expected back in the country on Thursday, June 16
– President Buhari has assured Nigerians that his administration will restore smiles on the face of the people
If all goes well as planned President Buhari is expected back in the country on Thursday (today) from London, after having had commenced a 10-day holiday penultimate Monday.
President Buhari is to return to Nigeria today, June 16, after his 10-day medical trip to London.
The Presidency had, in a statement, indicated that the President would during the visit to the United Kingdom, see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist for a persistent ear infection.
The 10-day holiday ended on Wednesday and the President is expected to return to Abuja today, June 16.
A source in the Presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday, June 15, that arrangements had been put in place to receive the President, who is due back in the country on Thursday.
“He is expected back on Thursday (today). We are in touch with him. As of today (Wednesday), we have not been told that there is any change in arrangement,” the source said.
The Presidency had, on Monday, June 13, released photographs of the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Revd, Justin Welby, to Buhari in London.
Welby, who presented a souvenir to the President, was in company with Nigeria-born Secretary-General of Anglican Communion Worldwide, Most Revd Idowu Fearon.
Buhari had so far embarked on holiday twice this year. The President had earlier embarked on a six-day holiday between February 5 and 10, 2016.
Like the case of the second visit, Buhari remained in London throughout the first holiday. He had earlier granted an interview where he said the doctors he had been consulting since the 1970s were based in London.
Buhari had, before leaving the country, written to the National Assembly to inform the federal lawmakers of his medical trip.
He had indicated in the letter that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo would perform the duties of the President while he would be away.
Meanwhile, the Presidency on Wednesday, June 15, commended the House of Representatives for giving prompt action to two executive bills that scaled through second reading.
This was contained in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja by the Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Reps), Alhaji Suleiman Kawu.
“We wish to thank the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, for passing two of our bills today, June 15, 2016,” Kawu said in the statement.
“The other is a Bill for an Act to Provide for the Domestication and Enforcement in Nigeria of the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of South Korea and for Other Related Matters.”
“One is a Bill for an Act to Provide for the Domestication and Enforcement in Nigeria of the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain.
According to the statement, the action has shown that the House is solidly behind the executive on its numerous policies aimed at making Nigeria better.
“We hope you will also pass our other bills that are currently before the House with the same zeal that you passed these two,” the Presidency stated.
President Buhari has assured Nigerians that his administration will soon put smiles on their faces by rehabilitating the economy and creating more jobs.
The President said this in his address delivered at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2016 Batch ‘A’ stream II at the National Youth Service Corps permanent orientation camp, Ede in Osun state on Wednesday.
Punch reports that the address was read by the state deputy governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori.
He said the collapse of industries had worsened the unemployment rate because millions of unemployed youths were now struggling to get very limited government jobs.
Buhari, who lamented the poor state of the economy inherited by his administration, said he was bent on recovering the nation’s stolen wealth and used them to rebuild the economy.
He said: “The collapse of industries and the eventual overbearing pressure to grab public jobs has put the nation in a sorry economic state of unemployment. Thousands of graduates from the higher institutions of learning get frustrated daily, as they search for non-existing jobs.
“That is why this administration is anxious to recover illicit wealth to channel them into enduring economic rehabilitation. Very soon, the gloomy situation would be reversed to put smiles on the faces of young people.”
The President advised the youths to shun kidnapping, drug peddling and other criminal activities which could jeopardise their future.
The Coordinator of the NYSC in Osun state, Mrs Regina Iluebbey, said the scheme had adjusted its cooking arrangements to cater for Muslim corpers, during the Ramadan.
She said the scheme would start preparing saur and Iftar for Muslim corps members for them to participate in the Ramadan.
She said:
“The camp kitchen would double its efforts in ensuring that the corps members participating in the ongoing Ramadan are served at saur (midnight) and Iftar (evening) time throughout their stay in camp.”
She added that the NYSC reduced the usual 21 days orientation camp to 17 days due to the large number of students who graduate annually, adding that the cut in days was important in order to cover the salient orientation camp exercises.
Iluebbey added that the camp registered 1,416 male corps members and 799 female corpers from the 36 of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.
Also, the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, on Wednesday said there was no wisdom in scrapping the NYSC since the primary objective of the programme was still relevant in the nation.
Bello, who said that the NYSC was still relevant as a vehicle for national unity, asked the Federal Government to reinvigorate the scheme rather than scrap it.
The governor said this at the formal opening ceremony of the 2016 Batch ‘A’ (Stream Two) orientation course and swearing-in ceremony of 2,001 corps members deployed in the state.
The governor, however, said in the NYSC implementation processes,
“we need to be more innovative and we need to reinvigorate the programme by giving the youths the opportunity to learn higher ideals and prepare them for the reality of life after death.”
Earlier, the NYSC Niger State Coordinator, Mrs. Bolade Loto, said that a total of 2,001 corps members were registered in the Stream B, adding that they had so far exhibited high level of discipline, commitment and loyalty since they arrived the camp.
In Owerri, the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, advised corps members posted to the state to ensure active participation in the empowerment programme so as to enable them to stand on their own as entrepreneurs instead of job seekers after the completion of their service year.
Okorocha gave the advice while declaring open, the 2016 Batch
“A” (Stream 11) 1,800 corps members posted to the state after the State Chief Judge, Justice Paschal Nnadi represented by Justice Kenneth O. Ojiako of the state judiciary administered the oath on the corpers.
He said:
“The NYSC orientation programme provides a veritable platform for you to be trained mentally and physically and this is done to enable you to face the rigours and challenges of the service year as well as the post-service year.”
Okorocha, who was represented by his deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, restated his determination to make the NYSC Permanent Orientation camp at Eziama Obaire, the best in the country.
He also announced the immediate restoration of regular supply of water, electricity and functional vehicles in the orientation camp for the comfort of the corps members and enhancement of the operation of the NYSC officials in the state.
The state Coordinator of the NYSC, Mr. Fasanu Isaac, had earlier commended Okorocha for his sustained support to the scheme as well as his resolution to make the orientation camp second to none in the country.
