Professor Folorunso Adewole Isaac, the former Minister of Health, has stated that despite being forced into exile by then-Military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, in the 1980s due to his unionist activities, he had a positive experience working under Buhari when he later became a civilian president and appointed him as Minister of Health several years later.
In a recent report by Tribune, Isaac, while recounting his time in exile, described the fear and uncertainty he faced. He said he fled through secret routes to safety but he later returned. He stated that when he was given a ministerial appointment under Buhari's administration, he was initially hesitant about working with the same leader who had once forced him into exile, however he discovered a different side to Buhari. He said he found Buhari to be intelligent, punctual and supportive, contrary to his previous perceptions.
In Isaac's words: "The government which Buhari headed said they would get us dead or alive, I had to run away through some routes that I will never reveal to anyone".