Reno Omokri, former presidential aide to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on Friday led a protest against President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical trip to London.
The protest tagged #HarassBuhariOutofLondon rally was held at General Buhari’s residence, Abuja House, 2 Campden Hill, Kensington, London W8 7AD.
According to a press statement by the protesting group, “The rally was held in strict compliance with COVID-19 protocols with protesters massing in groups of six.
“The London Metropolitan Police were called in by the Nigerian High Commission but were unable to stop the process. After questioning Mr. Omokri and observing that the event was orderly, peaceful and not in breach of COVID19 protocols, the police allowed the protest to continue” the statement said.
Speaking at the event, Omokri said Buhari “left his country on the day resident doctors began a strike and came to the UK to take care of his own health. He has been in office for 5 years, and he is yet to initiate, start and complete even one hospital. Will Boris Johnson fail to build hospitals for the British then run to Nigeria to treat himself?”
“Buhari has budgeted over ₦10 billion Naira for the Aso Rock State House Clinic in the five years he has been in office. Is that not enough money to build a hospital and train doctors that can treat him and other Nigerians? Yet, his own wife said that the clinic can’t even provide ordinary paracetamol. Google it”.
Omokri said “Only 5% of Nigerians are covered by a doctor. …He promised he would do better, but he has turned Nigeria into the world headquarters for extreme poverty. He has bequeathed us the highest unemployment in the world at 33%. We have the highest number of out of school children at 13.5 million. And having destroyed our economy he has ran to a London that is on COVID19 lockdown to restore his health”.
Nigerians at the protest chanted “Go back home Buhari”. Many carried various placards asking Buhari to return to Nigeria.