*Says Journalists ask questions at tragedies to avoid future recurrence
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
“The question I tried to answer on BBC was: did the security sign off on the area as being free of mines and terrorists? The honest answer is, no,” he clarified, standing by his word as, according to Shehu, he was only being made to lead trends on the social media for the wrong reasons.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, has described criticisms that trailed his early Monday interview granted the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as unfortunate, saying he did nothing answering a straight question.
“The question I tried to answer on BBC was: did the security sign off on the area as being free of mines and terrorists? The honest answer is, no,” he clarified, standing by his word as, according to Shehu, he was only being made to lead trends on the social media for the wrong reasons.
When The DEFENDER sent him a text for clarifications on the reported interview he granted, the Presidential Aide simply said, “Pls check my own handles”.
On his verified Facebook handle we found what we sought, throwing more light on the statement he gave in the interview BBC interview.
He said all he did was merely explaining the mode of military operations in the war zone of the Northeast as, he continued, there wre areas still volatile and therefore requiring security clearance which is intended to put people out of harm’s way.
Mallam Garba Shehu, a former President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) did not, however, see any wrong committed by the BBC asking him the question he was asked and which answer by him led to the trending on social media by elements who, many friends of government believed, have been lying in wait for opportunity to get what to twist in any statement coming from the government, no matter how well clearly intended.
He said journalists ask questions when tragedies occur with a view to ascertaining what happened, why it happened and how it happened, in order to avoid future recurrence, insisting that informing the military of movements in area of volatility and uncertainty like the North East area still under sweep operations was intended to preserve public safety.
The Presidential Spokesman said: “Today, I found myself leading the trends in the social media for the wrong reasons.
“The State of Borno is essentially a military zone up till now that we are talking and much of what people do; much of where they go are governed by the exigencies of security.
“Routinely, traders, administration officials and even UN agencies get the green light to go to many of the areas to avoid trouble.
“Information from security agencies says that the Zabarmari marshlands are infested with land mines and movements in around those areas subject to military oversight.
No one is delighted with the massacre in Zabarmari and there is nothing anybody will gain by playing blame games.
“The question I tried to answer on BBC was: did the security sign off on the area as being free of mines and terrorists? The honest answer is, no.
“I’m human with tons of compassion and empathy, and could not have said that the victims deserved their fate for ignoring security clearance.
“I was merely explaining the mode of military operations in the war zone of the Northeast. There are areas that are still volatile that require security clearance which is intended to put people out of harm’s way.
“When tragedies occur, questions arise in terms of how something happened in order to avoid future recurrence. Informing the military of our movements in an area of volatility and uncertainty is intended to preserve public safety.
“Explaining why something happened doesn’t mean I have no sympathy for the victims. I was just explaining the military procedures on the safe movement of the people and not supporting the death of the victims.”
