'President not in critical condition, not in hospital,' Lai Mohammed says

dimeji akinloye

February 27, 2017 8:15 PM

Mohammed said Nigerians have no reason to be worried because Buhari is very fine, adding that he spoke with him over the weekend.

Minister of information, Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture,

He said the insinuations that the President is critically ill and in the hospital are absolutely untrue.

Mohammed stated this on Monday, February 27, at the second town hall meeting for the southeast and the launch of national reorientation campaign, "Change Begins With Me" Umuahia, Abia State.

When asked to open up on Buhari's true state of health, he said Nigerians have no reason to be worried because the President is very fine, adding that he spoke with him over the weekend.

He said: "I can say here very boldly and confidently that there is absolutely no cause for alarm.

"Mr president called me at 2.43 p.m. on Saturday and we spoke.

"If Mr. President is in the hospital or is critically ill, as minister of information, I will give daily bulletin on his health.

"Mr. President is neither critically ill nor in the hospital and there is nothing life threatening about the checks he is going through."

Buhari has been on medical vacation in London since January 19, 2017.

On the state of the economy, the Mohammed said it is corruption that made the prices of commodities to go up.

He noted that no economy in the world could survive the blind and reckless looting perpetrated by the previous administration.

"If one person was found with almost $10 million in an uncompleted house and another with $136 million in fake account and other with N7 billion, how can the economy survive the kind of looting," the minister said.

"Naturally the price of commodities will go up.

"These are funds meant for development of infrastructure and for provision of services.

"That is why you cannot do anything with the economy without first facing corruption squarely.

"But the good news is that the government is doing both together. As we are fighting corruption, we are also making sure that we are ensuring we are out of recession by investing heavily on infrastructure," he added.

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Mohammed also pacified the audience who lamented the spate of attacks on farmers by herdsmen.

He said contrary to the position of some elements who want to destroy the unity of the country, the government is not supporting any section of the country against the other.

He said it is purely security issue and it is being handled from both at the federal and the state levels.

dimeji akinloye