New Telegraph

PRESIDENCY’S UNITY CLAIM: Buhari’s body language portrays disunity ––PDP, MPF, Igbo group

Walk the talk so that people can believe you –Iba Gani Adams
Insecurity: Ortom calls for aerial surveillance in Benue

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said the body language of President Muhammadu Buhari symbolises disunity, describing as fallacy, the claim by the presidency that Buhari believes in the unity of Nigeria. Similarly, the Middle Belt Patriotic Front (MPF), also described as funny the statement credited to Shehu. And the Igbo sociocultural organisation, Igboezue International, labelled as insincere the claims of Buhari’s passion for Nigeria. Meanwhile, Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, believes the President should walk the talk if he is to be believed by Nigerians. These were some of the reactions trailing the statement credited to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who on Friday, said President Buhari is passionate about the unity of Nigeria. Shehu also said the President is poised to tackling the myriads of security challenges in the country. He stated this in Abuja during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, noting that Nigerians enjoy the freedom of speech under President Buhari’s administration. He said: “This President is focused on securing this country, he is focused on the unity of this country and he will preserve it. “People should be free to say whatever because this country is under the best democratic government that we have had since the fourth republic. “The President will not lock up people; and there is no assassination by state actors under Buhari.

“So, people can say whatever they want to say, go home and sleep very soundly.” The presidential spokesman also spoke on the banditry activities in the northwestern states, reiterating his principal’s commitment to nipping the menace in the bud. He said President Buhari has ordered the security agencies to shoot at sight anyone caught in the illegal possession of firearms, notably AK-47 rifles. On terrorism, he regretted that some media practitioners carry out reports that seem to glamorise crime by making some Boko Haram terrorists look like heroes. “We have the most vibrant media community on the continent and we expect robustness or criticism from them. “Some of the elements, I am careful to say some of the elements, in our media glamorise crime that will make Boko Haram look like heroes. It doesn’t help anybody.” When asked if President Buhari would relax the shoot-at-sight order considering reports that the bandits are demanding this in exchange for the release of some abducted students, the presidential spokesman neither confirmed nor debunked the claim. He replied saying: “I am not competent to answer this question. I believe that law enforcement agencies should answer this.”

It’s untrue, Buhari’s body language symbolises disunity –PDP

In its reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described as fallacy the claim by the presidency that President Buhari believes in the unity of Nigeria. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in an interview with Saturday Telegraph, said President Buhari’s body language symbolises disunity. Ologbondiyan stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government is not concerned about the unity of the country. He told Nigerians not to take the claim by the Presidency seriously, arguing that Nigerians were not that disunited until the APC government came on board. He said: “Their body language symbolises disunity in every aspect of Nigeria, be it ethnic, religious, economy and political. “Nigerians are praying for 2023, so that they can vote out APC, and reclaim the country that has been destroyed and torn apart by the corrupt APC government.”

President’s actions haven’t shown passion for Nigeria –MPF

Similarly, the Middle Belt Patriotic Front (MPF) has described as funny the statement credited to Shehu. Speaking through its Convener, Comrade Ibrahim Bunu, it said Buhari’s action as a President is totally biased and that he has not taken any drastic action towards addressing the insecurity in the country. Bunu said Shehu did not do justice to his own boss because equal rights are not accorded to all Nigerians. “The President’s actions are totally biased; Nigerians are calling for secession, and many said they don’t believe in Nigeria. “So, these are legitimate complaints that people have and all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria have the right to speak. “But for the Government that is saying that it has people at heart and is not ready to consider and take note of certain vital issues, it’s just a mere rhetoric. “They just said what they want to say. Anybody who listened to Garba Shehu knows he doesn’t make sense,” he added.

Buhari’s insincere about Nigeria’s unity -Igboezue

Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Igboezue International, also described as insincere the claim of Buhari’s passion for Nigeria’s unity. Speaking with one of our correspondents in Owerri, the National Secretary of the organisation, Chief Everest Ezihe, maintained that the President’s words and actions were contradictory. He said: “How can the President say he is passionate about the unity of Nigeria when he has deployed the most divisive kinds of policies in the administration of the country. “I am not sure it is the same president who has not hidden his preferences and bias for one ethnic nationality over and above our cherished ethnic diversity. “He has further deepened the fault lines of hate, bigotry and marginalisation when only his ethnic nationality is deemed qualified for almost every position in Nigeria. “He has arrogated to them the right of first refusal with the consequence that 80 per cent of the major and strategic offices in the country are occupied by his kinsmen. “Suddenly the academically disadvantaged region of Nigeria now produces the most competent professionals in Nigeria. How else would that be possible except by nepotism? “So, saying Buhari is interested in the unity of this country is blatantly insincere and being economical with the truth.” Ezihe stressed that there cannot be unity where many regions feel marginalised, saying that the brazenness of the president’s nepotistic policies makes it even provocative. “Consequently, under President Buhari, there is no part of Nigeria that is not battling with insecurity. “When any region feels unjustly emasculated by the presidency, there is bound to be reactions and the aggregation of these reactions is what has snowballed into the widespread insecurity Buhari has plunged the country into. “I think we should boldly tell the handlers and the media team of President Buhari to stop misleading and insulting the sensibility of Nigerians with false claims that are clearly divorced from reality.”

Walk the talk so people can believe -Iba Gani Adams

For Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, the President should walk the talk if he is to be believed. According to Iba Gani Adams, the first step towards this is by revisiting the 2014 Confab to implement it. Beside, President Buhari should follow the Federal Character principle as enshrined in the constitution, and do away with the glaring nepotism, which his government is now noted for. He said: “For Nigerians to believe Mr. President, he should first get the 2014 Confab, dust it and implement it to the letter. “We also expect him to come back to the Federal Character principle that he jettisoned and follow it as enshrined in the constitution. “More so, he should allow regions or if you like, states to develop at their own pace. That is what true federalism is all about and that remains the core of some regional agitations we have seen in recent times. “Above all, Mr. President should be advised to shun nepotism in his appointments, tackle insecurity, and create jobs for the over 30 million youths. “Those to me are the only way for him to engender cohesion among all sections of the country. These are not tall requests; they are achievable.”

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