Nigerians have reacted in anger and mockery to the claim by Muhammadu Buhari that he has no house in the United Kingdom, even though it is public knowledge Aisha his wife lives in her or the family house in Dubai, another foreign land.
They argue that enabling family members and cronies unfettered access to public funds and as well wasting tax payers’ funds on medical tourism at the neglect of home infrastructure is as deadly, callous as having homes or starching funds in foreign lands.
“When he (King Charles III) asked me whether I have a house here (UK), I said no, even in Nigeria, the ones I have are those ones I built before I got into government.
“I am not very much interested in having assets all over the place. I feel freer when I have nothing,” Buhari said in 25-second Twitter video he posted on Thursday through his Digital Media Assistant Tolu Ogunlesi.
Buhari met with King Charles at Buckingham Palace, London on Wednesday in his latest junket/medical tourism, a series that costs Nigerian taxpayers millions of dollars each time, while he wilfully neglects medical facilities in his own country.
Nigerians have taken to various social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook, et cetera – to fault Buhari’s reply to Charles, saying the question is pregnant with meaning and his answer “miserably pathetic.”
Some mocked Buhari’s anti-corruption fight and accused him and his family members of turning UK hospitals into “second homes” at the neglect of Nigeria’s health facilities, as collated below by The PUNCH.
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Ejikeme Precious
“His question means don’t you have a place to stay in your country; every minute you are in his place. Even when your country is going through a lot you are there.”
Emuobohwo Odje
“Pedestrian business. The king was mocking him perhaps, yet, he sounds condescending to himself.
“The English people have a penchant to speak figuratively and may ridicule you if you can be suffered gladly. Utterly laughable and pathetically miserable.”
Dapo Adeya
“We know. Your wife or children or your in-laws definitely have houses in the UK bought through proceeds of stolen funds.
“You are an enabler of corruption, always hiding behind one finger!”
Arike Awe
“Yes but he has a special reserved hospital room fully equipped with taxpayers’ money. What does he need a house for? Ndi corruption fighters!”
Ubani Chimaobi
“He may think it’s just an ordinary question King Charles III is asking of him but there’s an undertone to it.
“It is possible Buhari doesn’t have a house in the UK but he spends so much on rent in the UK whenever he travels, but I wonder if the UK government is unaware of the societal menace happening in their former colony (Nigeria).”