The Senate has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to desist from embarking on foreign trips for medical care.
Urging President Buhari to desist from foreign medical trip on Thursday, the Senate Committee on Federal character while receiving the State House Permanent Secretary Tijani Umar, said that the committee will approve the Budget for the Statehouse clinic so as to stop the other top government personnel from being flown abroad for medical treatment.
Umar who appeared before the senate to defend the 2021 budget estimates, presented a budget of N19.7bn for 2021, from which N1.3bn was proposed for the State House Clinic.
Speaking with journalists after the budget defence the Permanent Secretary said provision will be made to meet the medical needs of the President and other government officials immediately the budget is approved.
“We have appealed to the committee to assist us with the presidential wing of the State House Clinic.
“The N1.3bn is absolutely inadequate when you juxtapose the amount proposed, the labour, and the status of the principals that the project is going to serve.
“When compared with worldwide standards you see that it is not anything near what we need.
“It (the clinic), is considered a legacy project for us because we want to leave something down.
“It is not correct to say the state house clinic is in comatose. It is not.
“We have realigned some many things and one of the fundamental challenges we have dealt with is the sustainable supply of drugs and consumables,” he said.
