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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has travelled to the United Kingdom for medical attention, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Sources privy to the minister’s health status told SaharaReporters that Wike has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and is currently under medical management.
Doctors reportedly recommended a bypass surgery, but Wike declined the procedure over concerns about being away from his duties for an extended period and the possibility of being replaced during his absence.
“Wike has travelled to the UK to seek medical attention,” one of the sources said.
“They said he’s got congestive heart failure, which is being managed. He refused to do the bypass surgery recommended because he doesn’t want to be gone for too long or replaced.”
The minister’s decision to seek treatment abroad comes amid growing public interest in his health and capacity to continue in office.
In April 2021, Wike, then Governor of Rivers State, declared that he would not travel abroad for medical treatment, asserting that all the necessary equipment for examinations and care was available at the Government House.
He made the statement during a courtesy visit by the accreditation team of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to the Rivers State University College of Medical Sciences at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
He said, “It is unfortunate where we are. I don’t want to comment on people who are travelling for medical check. I have not travelled 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?”
In October 2021, while inspecting construction work at the Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centre in Port Harcourt, then-Governor Wike emphasized the government’s responsibility to ensure citizens have access to quality healthcare.
He highlighted the importance of a well-equipped healthcare delivery system and adequate support for medical professionals to safeguard lives.
Wike noted that Nigerian doctors and medical experts can deliver effectively if provided with an enabling environment and proper incentives.
He stressed that the country already had the resources and facilities needed to improve the health sector, and emphasized the importance of training and retraining medical personnel.
Wike pointed to the Government House Hospital in Port Harcourt as an example, highlighting how patients continued to visit due to the availability of basic facilities and the dedication of its doctors.
According to Wike, “if you give our people the required environment and give them the facilities, the tools to work with, there is no need for us to travel overseas”.
Earlier this year, reports emerged that Wike had collapsed and was immediately flown abroad for treatment. However, the minister later dismissed the claims, describing them as false and politically motivated.
In April, during an inspection tour of some projects in the nation’s capital, Abuja, Wike said, “I don’t want to give credence to people who are only interested in spreading rumours. First of all, I’m a human being, not a ghost. If someone collapses, it is a human being that collapses, not a ghost. Unfortunately, I did not collapse.”
“There was never a time I collapsed. There was never a time anybody took me anywhere for medical attention. People who spread such remorse should focus on reality,” he stated.
Wike accused his political detractors of fabricating the story to distract the public from the country’s real issues, dismissing their claims as baseless.
“I will sign their condolences,” he said.
