President Muhammadu Buhari has now spent more than two days in London visiting his doctors despite the presidency announcing only his visit to Glasgow, Scotland and Paris, France on official duties.
Buhari, after his participation in the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at Glasgow has since moved from there to London to visit his doctors and has since remained there.
Investigation shows Buhari left the COP26 on Tuesday, November 2 for London.
According to the UN, the event which started on October 31st is expected to end on November 12, 2021.
“President Muhammadu Buhari will Sunday, October 31 depart Abuja for Glasgow, Scotland to attend the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“The President is scheduled to deliver his national statement at the High-Level segment for Heads of State and Government at the conference on Tuesday, November 2,” a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu had read.
Shehu had added that “In Glasgow, President Buhari will participate in some side-line events hosted by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“President Buhari will thereafter travel to Paris, France on an official visit to reciprocate an earlier one to Nigeria by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and also attend the Paris Peace forum 2021, the fourth edition to be hosted by the French President.
“It will have Heads of State and Government and CEOs of major multinationals, as well as several civil society actors, gathering to advance concrete solutions to the enormous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to improve global governance in times of COVID-19.”
Though Shehu’s statement said the President would travel to Paris after the summit, investigation shows that President Buhari after his speech on Tuesday at the COP26 Leaders’ Summit left Glasgow for London for a medical checkup and Shehu has not deemed it fit to inform Nigerians about this.
The presidential aircraft which conveyed Buhari, a Gulfstream Aerospace GV-SP (G550) with registration number 5N-FGW and serial number 5310 (Mode-S 0640F2) left the Glasgow International Airport at 10:14 pm (9:14 UK time) and arrived at Stansted Airport, London at 11:11 pm (10:11 pm UK time).
Meanwhile, the 5N-FGW (Gulfstream Aerospace) has been registered as Nigerian Air Force 1, to replace the Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-700) 5N-FGT that is still in Germany for repairs.
At the time of filing this report, the presidential jet, now tagged Nigerian Air Force 1, had been in London for two days and 16 hours.
His use of the Gulfstream Aerospace and Falcon 7X Jets recently followed the ongoing repairs to the traditional Nigerian Air Force 1, a Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-700) 5N-FGT in Germany.
Buhari took the Falcon 7X jet (5N-FGV) to Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia recently but flew the 5N-FGW Gulfstream Aerospace to Glasgow, Scotland, but it is currently sitting in London, awaiting when Buhari will be done with his doctors.
Therefore, since September 19, when Buhari departed Abuja for the UN General Assembly in the US and now, Buhari has used three private jets.
Newsmen reported the presidential jet (Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-700) 5N-FGT) developed a fault following Buhari recent trip to the UN General Assembly in the US.
Sources said the aircraft was subsequently moved to Euro Airport in Germany on September 29 and arrived at 4.15pm after leaving the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 9.48am, with the Nigerian government paying €5,000 (Euros) (N2,385,000 at official rate of N477 to €1) per night as parking fee.
To avoid any backlash, journalists gathered that the registration of the 5N-FGT aircraft was done using AMACGND.
“The Presidential Boeing Business Jet registration number 5N-FGT developed a fault during his trip from New York. He travelled to Saudi Arabia with a smaller jet. A Falcon 7X jet with registration number 5N-FGV. No picture of his departure to Saudi Arabia was released to avoid the public knowing about the jet he travelled with,” a presidential source had told SaharaReporters.
“The one that developed fault has been moved to EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg, Germany for repairs since September. It is registered and operated under another name AMACGND. They intentionally hid it and parked it under another name because it cost €5,000 (Euros) for parking per night.”
SaharaReporters had recently reported that Buhari would leave the country for Saudi Arabia and later proceed to Europe where he is expected to begin a fresh round of medical checkups and attend some conferences before the end of 2021.
Sources said the President would spend up to two weeks on his medical tour in Europe but his first point of call would be Saudi Arabia for Umrah, otherwise known as the Lesser Hajj.
“Baba (Buhari) is going to Saudi Arabia, France and Glasgow from Tuesday. The date is set and part of it is for his medicals. The trip will not exceed two weeks but the first stop is Saudi Arabia. He will go for the Umrah before heading for Paris and Glasgow,” one of the sources had revealed.
“Buhari to visit Glasgow, Scotland, Paris, France and Dubai, UAE before the end of 2021 amidst strong rumour of third term agenda,” another source had said on Wednesday, October 6.
Meanwhile, the President’s health has been a source of concern for many Nigerians.
SaharaReporters in December 2020 reported how the inability of President Buhari to make critical decisions on insecurity and the depressed economy had become worrisome to many Nigerians – a situation that his dementia and other undisclosed ailments he is treating could have contributed to.
Since he assumed office on May 29, 2015, Buhari has embarked on medical trips abroad at least five times, covering a period of no fewer than 170 days of the five years he had been in power.
The following is a timeline of the President’s trips for medical treatment; on February 5 to 10, 2016, the President took a six-day vacation in the United Kingdom, saying that his doctors lived in England.
Between June 6 and 19, 2016, Buhari went on a 10-day medical trip to England for an ear infection surgery. He extended his trip by three days to rest.
On January 19, 2017, the President was back in London again on a medical vacation.
On February 5, 2017, he wrote to the National Assembly, seeking an extension of his London medical leave. Later on March 10, 2017, Buhari returned to Nigeria but didn’t resume work immediately at Aso Villa.
The Presidency had claimed that “he was working from home.” On May 7, 2017, Buhari embarked on a trip to London for another medical vacation. He returned after 104 days – the longest he had stayed outside the country.
On August 19, 2017, Buhari returned to Nigeria, and it took him a while to resume work because rats had reportedly damaged furniture in his office.
The Presidency had announced that he would be working from home. On May 8, 2018, Buhari went to London for a four-day “medical review.”
On April 26, 2019, Buhari again left for the UK on a 10-day private visit to seek medical care. He came back to the country on May 5.
In 2020, Buhari’s penchant for foreign medical treatment was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the global lockdown and strain on medical facilities.
From March 30 to April 6 2021, the President embarked on another trip for a routine medical check-up in London.
He was as well in the country in July 2021 for a ‘scheduled medical follow-up’ and conference.
