Oluwatosin Lamidi
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday arrive Edo State on a two-day working visit narrated how former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida (retd), detained him 31years ago in the State.
Buhari who went down the Memory lane said many Nigerians have forgotten how the Babangida incarcerated him for 40 months.
The President was expected to commission projects completed by the outgoing State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, as part of the activities to mark swearing in of incoming governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki.
He said, “Not many people may remember: I spent most of the 40 months of my detention, following the 1985 coup, in a small bungalow here in Benin City (Edo State).
“I am glad to be visiting Edo State again to commission Infrastructure projects completed by the administration of (outgoing governor) of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole.”
On his arrival to the state on Monday, the President inaugurated a 200-bed capacity ultra-modern central hospital, in Benin, just he commended Oshiomhole for executing one of the best project required of any government.
Buhari said he respected Oshiomole for putting personal comfort aside to achieve construction of the edifice which he believed would benefit thousands of the citizens.
The president added that his present visit was the third time he would be visiting the state to commission projects executed by the governor, whose administration targeted improvement of residents welfare.
Earlier, Oshiomhole argued that he was not comfortable with state of the medical facility during his first visit and decided to demolish and renovate it, stressing that since the hospital was established in 1902, successive governments had tried to renovate the edifice.
The governor said the renovation was in line with his conviction that public health facility should not be inferior to private healthcare centers in the country.
He noted that one of the methods to exhibit equality by any government was for such administration to provide good health facilities and desist from lamenting about foreign medical tourism.
The president’s two-day visit continues on Tuesday as he would also inaugurate more projects, including new Edo University, Iyamoh, in Edo North and Central Senatorial Districts of the state.
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