By Yanju Uwala
Mr Femi Adesina, a former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Muhammadu Buhari and managing director of the Sun has disclosed that the late Nigerian leader did not own a private place of residence in the United Kingdom despite undertaking his medical treatments there.
Making this known on Tuesday via an interview on Channels Television, Adesina dismissed notions that Buhari had a place of permanent residence in London, stressing that the former President always stayed at a residence provided by the Nigerian High Commission during his medical stay at the United Kingdom.
According to him, “There was a time he was in the High Commission for many months when he went on that eight-month medical vacation.
“For about three-quarters of that period, he was in the High Commissioner’s apartment. The High Commissioner even moved to a smaller place so the President could stay in his official residence.”
The former presidential aide, noted that Buhari had been used to undertaking his medical treatment in London even before becoming the President, adding that this made him have preference for treatment in the UK.
“Before he became President, he had always done his medicals in London, the same set of doctors. Those who knew his medical history continued with him instead of starting afresh,” he added.
While speaking on the cost of the medical care and other personal expenses, Adesina hinted that Buhari largely depended on the goodwill of friends.
“I doubt if he paid for those bills himself. President Buhari just needed to call anybody, the Dangotes, the Abdusalamis, and they would oblige. This last trip he made, I know the jets of the person he went in,” Adesina stated.
However, in his reaction to previous arguments over Buhari’s children attending expensive schools abroad, the former presidential spokesman said the former President disclosed that the tuition was not paid from his pocket.
“When I asked him about the noise online over the schools his children attended, he told me, ‘I do not know. It’s my friends that pay it.’ He even said I should go and see Modi, his wife brother, who had the details,” Adesina said.
