The first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari has denied enjoying any special favours as the first lady of the country adding that she feeds her children from her own purse.
The disclosure is contained in a statement issued by the wife of the president through her media aide, Adebisi Ajayi on Friday.
The statement comes in reaction to the accusation of abuse of privileges at Nigerian High Commission in London leveled against her by Sahara Reporters.
Sahara Reporters in its earlier publication had stated:
“Abba Kyari, the increasingly controversial Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, is at the centre of another unwholesome saga that is likely to reinforce further the view that the Buhari administration’s anti-corruption stance is a ruse.
“This time, an investigation by SaharaReporters found that Mr. Kyari has been fiddling with the finances of the Nigeria High Commission, London, where the country’s resources are being dubiously deployed for questionable or illicit purposes.
“Also involved in the costly financial mess are Adah Simon Ogah, Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner, and Omolayo Akinfala, a special assistant to Aisha Buhari, the president’s wife.”
The report by Sahara Reporters further claimed to reveal that Nigerians in the UK were unknowingly responsible for the payment of Abba Kyari’s medical bill when he was treated at Wellington Hospital, St John’s Wood, London, in December 2016 adding that the Nigerian government at the time blamed its inability to issue passports to Nigerians resident in the United Kingdom to lack of funds, funds used in payment of Kyari’s medical bills.
Sahara Reporters added: “A letter signed by Mr Ogah and addressed to Professor Paul of Wellington Hospital provides a confirmation of the role of the high commission in Mr Kyari’s treatment.
“Dated December 1, 2016 and titled: ‘Letter of Guarantee In Respect Of Alhaji Abba Kyari’, Mr Ogah’s letter stated: ‘I write to confirm that the Nigeria High Commission, London, United Kingdom, will guarantee the payment of all medical bills of Alhaji Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
In reaction to the publication above, the first lady wrote:
“The attention of the Wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari has been drawn to a report in Sahara Reporters where, she was amongst other things accused of abuse of privileges at Nigerian High Commission in London.
“It is not in her interest to join issues with anyone or defend others mentioned in the report, it is however paramount to put the record in proper perspectives as it concerns her trips to UK vis-à-vis the Nigerian High Commission in London.
“Aisha Buhari has never traveled to London with a large entourage as was carried in the report. The highest number of people on a trip involves her three kids, ADC, and her personal physician.
“The Nigerian Commission in London has never offered any favor either monetarily or materially to her or her so called entourage on any of her trips to London.
“The state house in Abuja caters for her meal when necessary, and other healthy food or variety needed by her children are her personal responsibility.
“It is on record that the Nigerian Commission in London does not receive Aisha Buhari at the airport with any official distinction or privileges as was accorded other first ladies before her.
“Her drivers are privately arranged without any recourse to the embassy for staff.
“She has never complained or raised dust about any of these acts by the High Commission because of the understanding, as clearly spelt out and practiced by her husband, that public office must be separated from the private lives of the occupants.
“She has always been an advocate of good governance where officials of government are responsive and appealing to their constituents, it therefore baffles the imagination that one could believe she would corroborate with any government official however highly placed either at home or abroad to shortchange the Nigerian people.
“These records are not hidden for a non-mischievous reporter who really intends to inform the people and not to disparage the family of the President just to add weight to a report.
“Aisha Buhari would have ignored this, like all of such baseless accusations, but the angle to which the report was presented has a corruption and abuse of privileges connotation which negates the fundamental principle upon which this administration thrives.
“Consequently, Sahara reporter or any of the embassy staff is hereby challenged to provide any concrete evidence either in hard or soft copy to contradict Aisha’s Buhari’s position as it concerns her trips to London.”