By Dennis Okechukwu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is hale and hearty and has continued to work while on his annual vacation, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has said.
Onanuga, in a statement, said Tinubu was entitled to his vacation and did not need to be physically present in Abuja to perform his duties as President, particularly in the digital age.
He said the President had remained engaged during the vacation, including holding meetings with investors in France.
According to Onanuga, Tinubu had most recently facilitated a $7 billion deep-sea port initiative in Ogun Waterside, an investment project of the Ogun State Government.
He also pointed out that two other African leaders, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, did not attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“Ramaphosa booked himself off public engagements. Johannesburg and Pretoria made no uproar over Ramaphosa’s absence at UNGA. And Egypt did not erupt that Sisi did not go to New York,” Onanuga said.
He noted that Tinubu had announced his annual vacation and delegated Nigeria’s representation at the UN General Assembly to Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Onanuga also criticised former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, over questions concerning Tinubu’s whereabouts.
He said Obi was “pretending to be unaware” of the President’s whereabouts while questioning his absence from New York.
Onanuga said Tinubu would return to Nigeria during the week to participate in activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
He added that the President would also honour the late Chief MKO Abiola by attending in Lagos the premiere of a movie made in memory of the acclaimed democracy icon.