ITS AN AFFRONT FOR BUHARI TO APPROVE EKWUEME’S MEDICAL TREATMENT ABROAD

Life pension (medicare too) of former Presidents and their Vice, is statutory; How come Ekwueme’s case is presented as a favour?

These are clear facts and law:

Babangida was flown abroad at least twice in 2016, Germany and Switzerland. Buhari didn’t announce those.

GEJ bought two brand new bulletproof jeeps for Buhari (statutory entitlements) without any fanfare.

Dr. Alex Ekwueme is entitled to medical treatment from the Federal Government as an ex VP, Buhari should take his tokenism and desperation for popularity elsewhere, what an insult on Alex Ekwueme announcing to the world that you want to give him what he is entitled to.

REMUNERATION OF FORMER PRESIDENTS AND HEADS OF STATE (AND OTHER ANCILLARY MATTERS) ACT

Perequisites of office of former Vice-Presidents

Personal staff

1. (1) An officer not below the rank of a Chief Administrative Officer.

(2) A Personal Secretary not below Grade Level 10, who shall be selected by the former Vice-President and paid by the Federal Government.

Security

Civilian Vice-President

2. (1) Two to three armed policemen.

(2) One State Security Service Officer not below Grade Level 8 as an Aide de Camp to be attached for life and paid by the State Security Agencies.

Vehicles

3. (1) Two vehicles to be bought by the Federal Government and liable to be replaced every four years.

(2) The drivers shall be selected by the former Vice-President and paid by the Federal
Government.

Protocol

4. (1) Diplomatic passport for life.

(2) Entitled to protocol within and outside Nigeria.

Medical services and vacation

5. (1) Free medical treatment for former Vice-Presidents and their immediate family within Nigeria.

(2) Treatment abroad for former Vice-Presidents and their immediate family and where
necessary at Federal Government expense.

(3) Thirty days annual vacation within and outside Nigeria at Federal Government expense.

Provision of office accommodation

6. A modestly well-furnished and equipped office in any location of the choice of the former Vice-President in Nigeria.

Provision of residential accommodation

7. A well furnished three-bedroom house to be provided in any location of the choice of the former Vice-President in Nigeria.

Postal privileges

8. All former Vice-Presidents shall be entitled to send non-political mails within and outside Nigeria as franked mail marked “POSTAGE PAID”.

Telephone

9. One direct telephone line at Federal Government expense.

My question then is: why is this Government making so much noise about a little formal constitutional duty it carried out as if Buhari did Ekwueme an unmerited favour?

The announcement on the night of 3rd November, 2017, on national TV (NTA, et al) that his Excellency, President Buhari has approved Ekwueme’s medical treatment abroad is therefore an affront to our collective sensibilities and politics taken too far.

Kingsley C. Ehujuo, Esq.
Tel.: 08067752132.
E-mail: kcehujuo@yahoo.com.

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