Eight weeks after President Buhari departed Nigeria for medical treatment in London, the presidency has released the first recorded message from him, where he is heard felicitating with Nigerians in the Hausa language on the occasion of Eid-el-Fitr, marking the end of the Ramadan fast.
Scroll down to listen to the audio.
The recording was released to some radio stations and the BBC and was also ostensibly aimed at debunking a news report last week alleging that Buhari was suffering from speech impairment and memory loss.
It is the first public contact of any form that the president has made since he left Nigeria for the United Kingdom on May 7 to treat an undisclosed ailment.
In the recording, Buhari is heard thanking Nigerians for their prayers for his well-being and urged all and sundry, irrespective of their socio-political affiliations, to always avoid hate and divisive expressions capable of t
throwing the country into a civil crisis.
The recording also contained the president’s prayer for good harvest for farmers in the country.
On Saturday, the president’s media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, issued a statement conveying the president’s Sallah message to Nigerians.
According to the statement, the president urged citizens to live in peace and avoid
reckless stateme,the statement reads
“I am immensely grateful to God for His mercy in guiding us successfully to conclude another Ramadan fast. My greetings to all Nigerian Muslims and our brother Christians on the occasion of Eid-el-Fitr.
“May the lessons of Ramadan, namely: piety, self-denial, prayers and generosity to the poor and needy be with us for all time.
“I again, appeal to all Nigerians to avoid reckless statements or actions against our fellow countrymen. We should all resolve to live in peace and unity in our great country, which is the envy of many less endowed nations,” he said.
Listen to President Buharis recorded Hausa message:
https://twitter.com/_/status/879057753565691907
