Muhammadu Buhari disclosed this when Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Rashid Bawa, presented his letter of credence to the Nigerian leader in Abuja.

“I will be in Ghana for your independence day celebration on March 6th, Ghana and Nigeria have come a long way and my presence there will cement the relationship between the two countries,” Mr. Buhari said.

Despite being appointed in 2017, Rashid Bawa has had to wait until February 2018 to present his letters of credence, following the extended medical leave of President Buhari during that period.

Mr Bawa thanked President Buhari and pledged to deepen the strong bonds between Ghana and Nigeria.

“Ghana and Nigeria have come a long way, we both share a lot in common, anywhere you hear Nigeria you will hear Ghana,” he said.

Rashid Bawa also took the opportunity to extend condolences on behalf of the Republic of Ghana to President Buhari on the recent sudden loss of two of his relatives.

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By: Sammi Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The African leader has recently faced questions at home over whether he is well enough to run the country.

Since the start of 2017 he has spent more time in the UK than in Nigeria.

His current period of sick leave is the second this year, after a stint from January to March. The nature of his illness has not been disclosed.

“I feel I could go home, but the doctors are in charge,” Mr Buhari said in a statement. “I’ve now learnt to obey orders, rather than be obeyed.”

He added that there had been a “tremendous improvement” in his health.

Some protesters in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, have demanded the president’s resignation this week. Others called for more transparency about his condition.

When Mr Buhari first went to London for treatment in June 2016, his office said it was for a persistent ear infection.

His main opponents in Nigeria’s 2015 election had claimed he had prostate cancer – which he denied.

Photos released by the presidency show the 74-year-old standing outdoors in sunglasses and smiling as he holds a “Get well soon” card.

Mr Buhari has appointed his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, to carry out his duties in his absence.

The leader’s medical challenges have sparked speculation in Nigeria about whether he will be fit to seek a second term in 2019.

If he does not stand for re-election, observers say, it could prompt tensions between factions in the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south.

The health of Nigeria’s leaders has been a sensitive topic since 2010, when President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua died in office after months of treatment overseas.

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Source: BBC

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The 74-year-old leader, who has been out of the country for two weeks, was expected to return to Abuja on Sunday.

An official statement said he had been advised by doctors to await the results of a series of tests.

However, it did not say how much extra time would be needed.

There was also no mention of what the medical checks were for.

Analysts say that Mr Buhari’s extended absence could further erode confidence in his administration which is already under pressure due to a weak economy and the conflict with Boko Haram Islamist militants in the north-east of the country.

The country is currently suffering from its worst economic crisis in years, following a sharp in the price of oil, its major export.

Businesses and investors complain that the government’s handling of the currency exchange rate has made a bad situation even worse, and there have been demonstrations against the lack of jobs and high inflation.

Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo is taking on presidential responsibilities while the president is abroad.

‘Medical tourism’

It is the second time in less than a year that Mr Buhari has sought medical assistance overseas. Last June, he spent nearly two weeks, again in London, for treatment for an ear infection.

The trip to the UK appears to roll back on the commitment to tighten up on government officials seeking medical attention abroad.

Speaking on the president’s behalf at last year’s Nigeria Medical Association General Conference (NMA) in Sokoto, Health Minister Isaac ‎Adewole said the Buhari administration would not encourage spending Nigeria’s hard earned resources on any government official seeking medical care abroad, especially when there was evidence of expertise in Nigeria.

The president has been heavily criticised for seeming to renege on his promise to restrict “medical tourism”.

After the first visit to London, leading Nigerian doctor Osahon Enabulele, vice-president of the Commonwealth Medical Association, said it was a “national shame” that Mr Buhari went to the UK for treatment when Nigeria had more than 250 ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists, as well as a National Ear Centre.

He said also that Mr Buhari should lead by example in using Nigerian doctors and facilities, and ensure government officials do not go abroad on “frivolous” medical trips.

In the past, President Buhari has said that Nigeria loses about $1bn a year to medical tourism.

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Source: BBC

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