Buhari’s absence in office: Angry Nigerians lambast Adesina, Shehu, Presidency

http://www.gatewaymail.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Buhari-arrives..jpg

 

By Olu AJAYI (Abeokuta)

NIGERIA:  SOME Nigerians are angry with the Presidency over the justification proffered why President Muhammadu Buhari could not resume work in his office.

The President had returned to the country last Saturday after spending over 100 days in London, United Kingdom, where he travelled last May 7 for medical vacation.

Majority of those who reacted felt disappointed and described the excuse given by the Presidency as ridiculous and embarrassing to them and the country.

The angry citizens were reacting to video post on social media by the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Mr. Femi Adesina, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu, to justify the media team’s claim for the President’s failure to resume in his office.

While Adesina said that the President had fully recovered from his illness, but would be operating from home, Shehu told BBC in an interview that Buhari could not return to office because of repair work due to rodents’ invasion.

But fellow citizens who reacted on a social media chat, Penpushing, expressed displeasure and called for an overhaul of the media team and the office responsible for maintenance of the President’s office.

The Director of Communications at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr. Goke Rauf, declared: “Some Nigerians can be shameless! That we cannot maintain the nation’s number one office sounds funny.

“What is this outlandish excuse that Shehu is vomiting?  It has become so bad that we cannot rid our president’s office of rodents at a time that we are trying to curtail Lassa fever spread.”

“By the way, were they not aware of the President’s return ahead of Saturday?  What is so special about fumigation that rats would render the president an IDP?  Perhaps Aso Rocks rats should be declared ‘terrorists,” Rauf angrily said.

In a similar reaction, the Publisher of Canada-based online medium,

GatewayMail newspaper, Chief ‘Femi Shodunke, said that the explanation was untenable because the office should have been renovated in advance before the return of Buhari.

Shodunke said: “Good explanation, to an extent, from my friend and ex-Concord newspaper colleague, Femi Adesina.  But, like Charly Boy and co dey talk ‘our mumu don do,’ why is it now that renovation is just taking place?

“Does it mean those in charge of the President office didn’t realise the need to prepare the office in advance for the past over 100 days that Baba Daura was away?” Shodunke queried.

“Please, don’t ‘mumurize’ us with this flattery excuse,” the GatewayMail Publisher declared, adding: “In addition, if the President is well enough why can’t he operate from the office designated for him?”

Shodunke stressed: “In any case, before his illness, has he been operating from home, meeting service chiefs and holding FEC meetings?

“Finally, I love explanations on issues, but not the one that tries to bamboozle me as if I be ‘mumu.’  The President is still not okay to function in his official office.  But, we can excuse him, not for anyone to say we’re brainless. Period.

“Indeed ridiculous.  Highly shameful and humongously embarrassing to the Presidency and the nation.   Is this the type of excuse we, and the international world, should be reading about ‘us’ as unfathomable excuse?” Shodunke maintained.

The North American practising journalist, added: “Men…I’m not gonna allow anyone to ‘mumurize’ me.  No way!” Shodunke.”

Also contributing, the Ogun State Chairman of the Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Mr. Olayinka Folarin, said: “It is becoming crystal clear that we are in for a rodent change, who are the advisers of this government!”

“Prospective lies to a Nation like ours should at least have some reasoning contents and be dished out by personalities with retained functional psyche not like Garba Shehu, a time will come when Nigerians will no longer be taken for a fool,” Folarin further castigated.

The founder of Penpushing platform, Prince Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, submitted thus: “If the Presidency claimed that rodents forced President not to resume in office, I think in my own view, it is a total shame for the nation, and a ridiculous excuse coming from the authority.”

“There is need for overhauling of the media team and department(s) responsible for the upkeep of president office,” Kayode-Adedeji, a journalist and one-time Zonal Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, stressed.

A US based Nigerian, Engineer Titus Olowokere, declared: “It’s ridiculous excuse, and taking the populace for a ride.  They knew the president was returning.”

“Regardless, the office of the PRESIDENT, for crying out loud, must always be in pristine condition, whether the owner of the office is away or not,” Olowokere said, adding: “It is evident that PMB is still recuperating and probably mostly in bed rest.”

Similarly, a clergyman, Apostle Olusesi Obateye, said that the purveyors of the rodents invasion of Buhari’s office were “shamelessly careless” in giving out the information.

Obateye said: “Those who gave out the information of rodents chasing our president are shamelessly careless information disseminators. The whole world will have impression Nigeria is under Lassa fever terrorism.”

“This government is not a Messiah but a stop gap,” the cleric said, adding: “God will help us out.  Nigeria situation has become from frying pan to fire. God will help us. I’m afraid Nigeria is gradually becoming someone’s farm.  God will help us. Shalom.”

Also, a social critic‎, Mr. Ola Animashaun, said: “With all apologies our dear Mr. Femi Adesina, the issue here is not about the President working from home or not.  Or whether work is on-going or not.  There is nothing practically wrong with that.

“The ‘FUSS’ is about the failure to get his regular office ready before his arrival! My submission: the H.O.D Maintenance in charge should and must refund the last three (3) months salaries collected for outright negligence, and refusal to discharge his duties accordingly.  I rest my case.”

It would be recalled that two days after his arrival, the President, who was received by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and some other government officials, had addressed the nation in a live broadcast, after which he sent letter to the National Assembly informing the legislators of his return and his resumption of duties.

Following his failure to show up in office, his media aides announced that Buhari would be working from home in the meantime, the development which gave rise to speculation that the President is not well enough to resume office.

Adesina, who had ealier visited the President in London, alongside Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, Personal Assistant on Digital/Online Media, Lauretta Onochie, and Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had said that the Buhari was itching to resume work, but only awaiting the directive of his doctors.

“I feel I could go home, but the doctors are in charge. I’ve now learnt to obey orders, rather than be obeyed,” the Special Adviser quoted Buhari to have said.

According to him, the President, who said that he was still in London on the advice of his doctors, had recorded tremendous improvement in his health.

Adesina explained that Buhari while receiving the team at the Abuja House, London, commended the Nigerian media for keeping him abreast of “different conjectures about his health” at home.

He further stated that Buhari, who was full of jokes during the visit, said he was willing to return home “but I’ve learnt to obey my doctor’s orders, rather than be the one issuing the orders.  Here, the doctor is absolutely in charge.”

Adesina also said that when informed that fervent prayers were being offered for him in Nigeria, Africa and across the globe, Buhari said: “What we did in The Gambia early this year fetched us a lot of goodwill on the African continent.  It gave us a lot of latitude.  I thank all those who are praying. May God reward them.”

“President Buhari sent appreciation to all Nigerians, expressing hope that he would be with them soon,” Adesina said.

• For any reaction or to contact GatewayMail newspaper, Toronto, Canada email us at: info@gatewaymail.org, whatsapp or text message: +2348033186252 (no calls).