Falana: Nigerians Should Stop Officeholders from Seeking Medical Treatment Abroad

Segun James

Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, has called on Nigeria to ensure that officeholders stop seeking medical care abroad to make them develop health facilities in Nigeria.

Falana, who said this at the First Mohammed Fawehinmi Memorial Lecture and Book Presentation, insisted that if officeholders were mandated to have their medicals in Nigeria, they would be compelled to provide adequate health facilities for the people.

Speaking on the theme ‘Nigerian Masses and The Election’, Falana said Nigerians should take the 2023 general elections seriously.

He stated that medical tourism by public officeholders is responsible for their disdain for the facility they provide for the people.
“Enough of health tourism. Anybody who holds public office must be treated in Nigeria for any health challenge. Public office holders must die here,” said Falana.
He explained that since Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s knee surgery took place in the country a few weeks ago, officeholders should be compelled to do the same.

Speaking about citizens’ preparedness for the 2023 polls, Falana said, “The business of next year is not a joke. The people must challenge their parties to address the various issues the country is facing. Questions should be asked on health issues, the ASUU strike, insecurity, and the economy. Their position on all these issues and how they plan to end them for good.”

The human rights lawyer also urged the Chief of Defence Staff to live up to his promise that the 2023 general election must hold. He lamented that this promise has become necessary given that so many Nigerian communities are under the control of bandits and that the security agencies seemed helpless.

He said it was lamentable that bandits were controlling parts of the country and threatening to abduct the president.

“Now people are praying that the threat to capture the president should be carried out. That shows the level of frustration of the people,” the lawyer stressed.