Wasn’t me: What then does Osinbajo think about tourism?

by Alexander O. Onukwue

Laolu Akande, the media assistant of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has distanced his boss from bearing credit for the statement that criticized medical tourism.

Mr Osita Okechukwu, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, was representing Vice President Osinbajo at the Health Dialogue event organized by Premium Times in Abuja and made the statement. It has been interpreted as being the words and sentiment of the Vice President but Mr Akande says the opinion was solely that of the DG.

What then is the Vice President’s opinion on the matter?

It became imperative that the clarification be made because an open criticism of medical tourism from the Vice President, just five days after the return of President Buhari from London, appeared to be a thinly veiled dig that at the President. That said, seeking to separate himself from the implication of the speech opens up other questions as to what Prof Osinbajo’s opinions are on medical tourism.

He is yet to take up any foreign trip for medical purposes. In that sense, the Vice President could refer all inquiries to his record on travels. He can comfortably say that he has led by his actions, hence not required to offer any other explanation.

But that would be escaping the point: Mr Okechukwu made that observation while speaking on his behalf and even with the caveat that he was speaking as a “private citizen” at that point, his words were being listened to as the representative of the Vice President. They will be stored in the files of the VP’s soft bombs until there is a direct and counter statement on the matter.

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