Minister of Information Lai Mohammed yesterday explained that releasing how much President Muhammadu Buhari spent on his medical vacation in the United Kingdom (UK) may jeopardise national security.

The President, who returned to Nigeria on March 10, spent about 50 days in the UK, where he had treatment for undisclosed ailments.

He had also last June embarked on medical trip abroad.

The minister, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, was reacting to calls for the President to tell Nigerians amount spent on his medical treatment abroad.

He was with Minister of Interior Abdulraman Danbazzau and Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun.

According to Mohammed, it was too sensitive to disclose amount spent on the President’s health.

He said: “This matter has come several times and our position on the matter is quite straight forward. What are the President’s conditions of service? What are his entitlements in terms of his wellbeing and health care? The state is supposed to take responsibility for these.

“We believe that asking for how much has been spent on the health of the President is an issue that we should weigh very well both for national security and also for moral issues.

“I don’t know why we must divulge such very sensitive information. I might be wrong, but I don’t have experience elsewhere that the President of any country will be ill and be forced to disclose how much the state has spent on his health.

“Yes, there is Freedom of Information Act, but it is also carved in such a way that when such information is likely to endanger national security, I think it is an area that is not covered.”

The Nation