Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of traveling abroad for medical check-up.
The governor, according to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, stated this when a delegation of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Wike insisted that everything he needs for medical examination was available in the Government House Clinic built by his administration.
The governor’s statement came just 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari traveled to the United Kingdom for a routine medical check-up.
Many groups and individuals in Nigeria had slammed the President over the trip with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) describing it as a badge of failure and a serious indictment of the government over its failure to fix the country’s healthcare system.
Wike urged the council to avoid the temptation of playing politics with the approved quota for medical and dental schools in Nigeria, particularly the Rivers State University College of Medical Sciences.
He said: “The health care system in Nigeria requires very serious attention. It is unfortunate where we are. I don’t want to comment on people who are traveling for a medical check. I have not traveled for the past two years.
“If we have all these things here why do we have to travel? We have all it takes to provide it. Why will I go out to do my check (overseas) when I have all the facilities in Government House?
“I don’t need it. Everything that is required for me to undergo any test is here. The resources we have it. Why can’t we provide it for our people?”