According to presidential sources, the President wants to go to his hometown, just to get some rest.
President Muhammadu Buhari will this weekend depart Abuja for Daura, Katsina State, SaharaReporters has gathered.
According to presidential sources, the President wants to go to his hometown, just to get some rest.
“He's departing for Daura this weekend for home rest. He just wants to go and rest. He will return next week,” one of the sources told SaharaReporters on Wednesday.
Buhari on September 26 returned from New York, United States after participating in the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA76), with the theme, "Building Resilience Through Hope – To Recover from COVID-19, Rebuild Sustainably, Respond to Needs of the Planet, Respect the Rights of People and Revitalise the United Nations.”
The President had departed for the UN Assembly on September 19.
And shortly after returning to the country, Nigeria celebrated its 61st Independence Day Anniversary, which again took Buhari out of his comfort zone.
According to one of the sources, for a younger and healthier leader who is used to hard physical and mental work, such a hectic schedule may not be too taxing.
However, considering Buhari's age and health, the source said he probably found the recent activities taxing enough to require some rest.
Incidentally, Buhari was in his home town on December 11, 2020, when bandits stormed Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina and abducted over 300 schoolboys who were later released after some six days in the abductors’ den in a faraway forest in Zamfara State.
Meanwhile, the President’s health has been a source of concern for many Nigerians.
Since he assumed office on May 29, 2015, Buhari has embarked on medical trips abroad at least eight times, covering a period of no fewer than 200 days of the six years he has been in power.
The following is a timeline of the President's trips for medical treatment; between February 5 and 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 purportedly damaged furniture in his office.
The Presidency, therefore, 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.
Also, from March 30 to April 6, 2021, the President embarked on another trip for a routine medical check-up in London.
He was also in London on July 26, 2021, to attend the Global Partnership for Education organised Global Education Summit before undergoing a scheduled medical check-up.