By Our Correspondent
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has dismissed reports suggesting that he travelled to London for treatment over congestive heart failure.
There were speculations claiming that the minister was in London in the past week for medical attention, after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
The report added that the minister had declined doctors recommendations for a bypass surgery, expressing concerns about being away from his ministerial duties for an extended period and the possibility of being replaced in his absence.
Speaking yesterday, however, at the flag-off of the construction of Arterial Road N1, linking Wuye District to Ring Road II, Wike said his recent trip abroad was purely for rest, noting that he had not taken a break since assuming office.
“There were speculations that I was diagnosed with heart failure and went abroad for treatment. That is false.
“I simply decided to travel without carrying files or work along. One has to be alive first before attending to others,” the minister said.
He described the reports as politically motivated, adding that some individuals were deliberately spreading falsehoods.
“Each time I travel, I go with files, I travel with C-of-Os, to make sure that work is not being delayed. But this time around, I said, whatever it is, I must travel and I must do so without any file, so if the whole place will crumble, let it crumble. Because one has to be alive before one can satisfy other people.
“You know this job we are doing, people are waiting for you, the day you drop, they will announce another person. So, you must make sure while you are working, you also take time out and relax, so I said, let me travel.
“Before I knew it, I heard that they said they were sick and I heard they said they have heart attack. God will continue to help them to have heart attack. It is my prayer that I will sign their condolences. It is my prayer, very soon, I will write a letter, we are sorry, we lost him. But take heart, it is God that gives, it is God that has taken.
“You know, this country we are in, we play politics with everything. How can somebody sit down and write all sorts of things? Where the person saw me, I don’t know.
“The hospital where he saw me, I do not know. And yet, we were all happy reading it on social media,” the minister said.
