The Senate on Thursday asked State House officials to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from embarking in foreign trips for medical treatment in order to ensure the State House clinic becomes functional this year.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator Danjuma La’ah, gave the admonition when the State House Permanent Secretary, Tijani Umar, appeared before the panel to defend his 2021 budget estimates.
The State House official had presented a budget of N19.7 billion for 2021, out of which N1.3 billion was proposed for the State House Clinic.
La’ah said the committee would approve the budget for the State House Clinic, but insisted that the President and other top officials of his government should no longer be flown abroad for medical treatment.
Speaking with newsmen after defending his budget, the Permanent Secretary promised to put necessary arrangements in place to meet the medical needs of the President and other top officials once the budget was approved.
