•Faults medical trip allegation

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha said  yesterday President Muhammadu Buhari’s reaction and his wife, Aisha’s BBC interview were both taken out of context
The governor, who described the reactions trailing the two cases as distraction, urged that all hands must be on deck to salvage the country which he said was currently passing through trying times. This is even as he denied the President’s Germany’s trip was for medical check-up.
Mrs. Buhari had in the interview with the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) alleged that his administration had been hijacked, adding that she would not campaign for his re-election in 2019 if he does not rejig his cabinet.
Buhari had during a joint Press conference he had with the German Chancellor, Angela Markel during his three-day visit to Berlin, while responding to a question regarding his wife’s remark, said his wife belongs in his kitchen, living room and the other room.
Okorocha, who was one of the governors who accompanied the President to Germany, told State House correspondents yesterday that the statements of the President and his wife were jokes taken too far outside the chores of the country.
He said Mrs. Buhari’s interview was not meant to pull down the government but  to make peace among party members who are complaining of not being carried along.
He noted that the President’s reaction was also not meant to denigrate his wife or women generally, explaining that Buhari wasvsmiling while responding to the question.
He said, “our nation is passing through a trying moment now, very difficult times ranging from economic, security to political challenges.  This is the time  all Nigerians irrespective of political parties, religion or culture must come together to see what we can do to salvage the situation and build a Nigeria of our collective hopes and aspiration.”
Okorocha also faulted a Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed, who said the President’s trip was for medical reasons.
He said, “The President never went for any medical check-up. I was always with him till like 1am after dinner before I left him and he went to bed and I went to bed. The following day, I came to see him in the morning. The President didn’t go for any medial trip at all.
“The hospital we went to was to see a General who had an accident. These are some of the things of which people make uninformed comments and I do not know why people in this part of our world are always happy when somebody is going down and I think there is the need to change our attitude completely.
“If the issue was the one that had to do with how to move Nigeria forward, nobody will make comments or talk about it but once it is anything that is perceived to be in the negative, Nigerians are awake,” he said.