"Buhari is as straight as an arrow" - 8 takeways from Femi Adesina's interview
Femi Adesina, the special adviser on media and publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, has addressed some pressing national issues.
In an interview with The Guardian Adesina spoke on why his boss, cannot ask ministers named by accused judges to step aside.
The special adviser insists that the president is not interested in naming and shaming corrupt politicians but means business in recovering all the nation’s looted funds.
President Buhari with Femi Adesina
Naij.com lists top 8 takeaways from Adesina's interview. Read below:
READ ALSO: Buhari meets Nigerians in Senegal and Cote D'Iviore (photos)
Managing the image of President Muhammadu Buhari
1. Managing the media of the President has been quite challenging and fulfilling. Challenging in the sense that the President is a man of few words, preferring more that his actions speak, rather than words.
2. The fulfilling part of the assignment is that since the President is as straight as an arrow, you don’t need to spin anything on his behalf.
Presidency appearing ‘mute’ on the allegations leveled against ministers by the embattled judges
3. Allegations are not indictment. However serious allegations are, they remain allegations.But back up your allegations with unimpeachable proofs, and see whether President Buhari will not act on it, no matter who is involved.
Buhari's greatest achievement
4. The greatest is the victory against insurgency in the Northeast. By the time President Buhari came in May 2015, Boko Haram was running riot round the country.
The president's trips to neighbouring countries and other world leaders
5. The results of foreign shuttles by our President are evident. For instance, he visited all our immediate neighbors, and they joined the coalition against Boko Haram, with the result that the insurgency has been degraded.
Release of the remaining Chibok girls
6. To ask when the other Chibok girls will come, is to ask me to play God. But just as the first set of 21 are back, we believe others will come. It may happen as we speak now, tomorrow, or next week. Government is committed to get them back, and negotiations are in progress.
READ ALSO: Corrupt people fighting hard to spoil PMB's achievements - Lai
On naming and shaming corrupt persons rather than following the due process of the law
7. Cast your mind back to the broadcast of the President on May 29, this year, he said clearly that the intention was not to shame or ridicule anybody, but to retrieve ill-gotten monies. And this is a believable President. When he tells you that it is not about naming and shaming, you would do well to believe him.
On the executive pitching itself against the other arms of government.
8. The Executive is not pitching itself against any other arm of government. What the leadership is pitching itself against is corruption, and corruption should be fought to a standstill, no matter whose ox is gored.