5 things Buhari's aide told critics

Femi Adesina who is President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, has an uncanny way of responding to critics of the administration.

Adesina was in his elements again during an interview he granted in New York on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which came to a close recently.

Because we care, we bring you Adesina in five memorable snippets.

1. Most persons who criticized Buhari’s speech didn’t even read it

A cross section of Nigerians criticized President Buhari’s speech at the UNGA.

According to these critics, the speech didn’t dwell on Nigeria’s domestic problems.

If you were one of those, Adesina has a few words for you-- “Those that condemn the quality of the speech have a right to their views. The funny thing is that most of them may not have read, nor did they listen to the speech.”

2. Buhari’s critics will complain about God as well

Buhari has had his fair share of critics during a two-year spell as President.

However, Adesina says those who criticize his principal will criticize the infallible God as well should they make heaven.

“They are professional critics who never see anything good in anything. If such people mistakenly get into heaven, they will complain about God”.

Ouch!

3. Those who expected Buhari to mention IPOB at the UNGA missed the point, says Adesina

The Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) dominated the news cycle back home in Nigeria as Buhari addressed the world alongside other global leaders in New York.

But the president gave the separatist group short shrift in his speech.

“The IPOB situation is an internal matter, which the government is dealing firmly with,” said Adesina.

“It is not a UN matter. It is those who overrate themselves that think something like that must be brought up at a global platform like the UN”.

4. No, Biafra will not come to fruition under Buhari

According to Adesina, the fact that the president swore to uphold the nation’s constitution is enough to let people know he won’t superintend over Nigeria’s balkanization.

That entails that all talks concerning a referendum, will remain the stuff of dreams with Buhari as Aso Rock's chief occupant.

Here’s Adesina: “The president swore to uphold the Nigerian constitution, and the constitution recognises an indivisible country. It is a president who holds his own promises with flippancy that will allow the country to scatter under him.”

5. Buhari certainly won’t please everyone

Here’s the thing, Adesina doesn’t expect everyone to approve of Buhari’s work thus far because that’s practically impossible.

And he respects the divergence of opinion on his boss’ job approval.

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“There will always be naysayers around. As the saying goes, no drummer can ever please all dancers. If 98 people out of 100 praise you, there will always be the two, who will never see anything good in what you have done.

“We must learn to live with, and tolerate the views of such people. They have a right to their opinions.”

There you have it.