Nyemson Wike
By Victory Oghene
Four years after criticising leaders for seeking foreign treatment, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has sneaked out to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
Recall that Wike had four years ago publicly declared that Nigerian leaders had “no justification” to seek healthcare abroad.
A dependable source informed NATIONAL WAVES that Reliable sources confirmed that Wike, left Abuja earlier this week on a discreet medical trip.
According to those close to him, doctors have diagnosed him with congestive heart failure, a condition that requires urgent and sustained management.
Specialists reportedly recommended a bypass surgery, but Wike is said to have declined, fearing an extended absence from office that could open political space for his rivals. “He has congestive heart failure that is being managed,” one source disclosed. “The doctors suggested a bypass surgery, but he refused because he doesn’t want to be away for too long or risk being replaced.” The revelation has triggered widespread controversy and public outrage, largely because of Wike’s well-documented statements in the past against medical tourism by Nigerian leaders. In 2019, while receiving a delegation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) in Port Harcourt, Wike proudly announced that he had not traveled abroad for two years and saw no need to do so, insisting that Nigeria had the resources to provide healthcare at international standards. He questioned why any leader would need foreign medical treatment when hospitals within the country could be equipped to serve the same purpose. His words at the time were celebrated across the country, with many hailing him for “speaking truth to power” in a system where leaders routinely abandon local facilities for foreign hospitals.
The latest development therefore comes as a stunning contradiction to the image Wike projected during his governorship years. Nigerians who once admired his stand against medical tourism are now accusing him of hypocrisy, saying he has joined the long list of political elites who fail to practice what they preach. Critics argue that while citizens are urged to make sacrifices and endure a failing healthcare system, their leaders secretly fly abroad at the slightest health scare.
This controversy has been compounded by persistent rumors about Wike’s health over the past year. Earlier in 2024, reports circulated that he had collapsed at a public event in Abuja and was rushed to hospital before allegedly being flown overseas for emergency treatment. The minister strongly denied the allegations at the time, describing them as “politically motivated lies” designed to distract attention from crises in Rivers State. He insisted that he was in good health, adding that he had never fainted nor received overseas treatment. His sudden journey to London now casts a shadow over those denials, raising questions about the accuracy of his previous statements and fueling speculation ithat his health challenges may be more serious than admitted.
Credit: SaharaReporters
