Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, on Media and Publicity, has faulted those demanding that the President should address Nigerians on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Adesina said this in an article posted on his Facebook page, titled: ‘If you cannot take blows brother, do not throw blows’.
He stated that if it were former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, that was still in power, he would have insulted those calling on him to address the nation.
Adesina was reacting to the criticisms he received from a large section of Nigerians, over his outing during a programme on 95.1 Nigeria Info FM, Abuja.
Many Nigerians slammed Adesina, for saying that the fact that they voted for President Buhari, does not give them the right to order him around.
His words: “You know what? If it was former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, that had come under the ‘you must talk to us’ barrage like that, and on live television, he would have first cleared his throat noisily, adjusted himself in his seat, and then bellowed: ‘And who are you, that I must talk to you? I say who the hell are you?
“Who is your father? Who is your father’s father, that you are commanding me to talk to you? Were you born when we fought a civil war to keep this country together? Where was your father when I received the instrument of surrender from the Biafra Forces? Do not come here and tell me nonsense. Talk to us, my foot!’
“But President Buhari would not upbraid anyone like that. He rather keeps his peace. And some people have now taken liberty for license, till they begin to sound like broken records. Yes, no apologies. That is how they sound.
“The fact that you have voted a man into Office, is not carte blanche for you to lead the man around by the nose. A Leader worth his salt, would not even submit himself to such cavalier treatment. Definitely not President Buhari. I made that point clear on the programme.”
Adesina added that he received numerous calls from relatives and friends home and abroad, over his outing on the radio programme, and was told how he was attacked on the social media.
He stated that he would continue to defend the President as a Spokesman, but would not be compelled to answer questions which are not within his purview.
The President’s Spokesman, noted that his principal is not in the habit of talking too much, adding that, the three national broadcasts he had done on Covid-19 should suffice.
