What controversies around Buhari’s health issue tell about Nigerians, Says Femi Adesina, President’s SA Media & Publicity

*’Look out for Buhari government’s mid-term report’

President Muhammadu Buhari, in a recent phone call from his holiday house in London, United Kingdom, thanked his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, for holding out against mischief makers. Adesina is a presidential adviser that, despite many attempts to be painted in bad light, has managed to be on top of the game with the image of the leader he not only advises but also speaks for on media and publicity matters, as he consistently refused to be pushover.  This characteristic achievement that makes Femi Adesina stands out among his peers prompted The DEFENDER to embark on a visit to the Presidential Villa, where, on Tuesday, it engaged the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity on few questions bothering on controversies surrounding the President’s health, the state of confidence in the President by Nigerians and things Nigerians should look out for in the mid-term report as the Buhari government clocks two on May 29, even as he lampooned people trying “to create a wedge between the President and the Vice President” saying, “But they don’t know the Acting President…and will not allow them to drag him into anything.” Excerpts:

Some people were never jolted by the controversies surrounding President Muhammadu Buhari’s health issue until recently when an Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said the problem he had with the issue of President Muhammadu Buhari’s health was that Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Mr. Femi Adesina did not tell the truth. For what reason would you want to hide anything about the health of Mr. President?

I saw the report and I was not surprised.  Paba Adebanjo is somebody we respect very well as a foremost Awoist, a foremost Yoruba leader and a man of conviction and integrity.  But I am not surprised that Papa said what he was reported to have said and that is all I can say about that.

But there were other people who said that you and the Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Muhammed had not told the truth about the President’s health issue.  What is your take on that?

You see, there are some people who just want to believe the worst about this government.  So, if those people have said that the truth that we told them was not enough or opposite of what they want to hear, I am also not surprised that they too would so speak.

Meaning that the truth they actually want to hear is negative?

Yes, yes, yes.  Most of those people, whoever they are, go and watch them very well, from their antecedents about the Buhari administration, you too will not be surprised that they would be looking forward to hearing something like that.

“We know that there is a difference between what the expectations were and what was actually met on ground when this government took over.  Anybody that is discerning would know that the government stepped into a mess economically and it’s been working to build a new foundation for the Nigerian economy. Within four years they will see that foundation solidly built.”

But why do you think some Nigerians would be happy hearing bad news about a President that everybody generally acknowledged has not marginalised any section of the country, which mostly was complained about in the previous era?  There must be something the matter. Don’t you think so?

It is a matter of conviction and they have a right to it.  But all I know is that those of us who are Buharists, we have a right to our conviction and those of them who are not, they have a right to their conviction and we don’t begrudge them.

Some blame a particular tribe or the other for the wailing in the land and perpetrating ill-information about the President and his government.  Personally, do you see it as that?

I think this issue goes beyond a particular tribe wanting to hear negative or the worst about this government or about the head of the government, President Buhari.  It is about our collective humanity.  Our collective humanity demands that if we see a man going through certain challenges, we sympathise or even empathise with that person.  That is what I have not seen in most of them and which is very surprising.

Those of them who say they need to know what the truth is about the President’s health; it is not because they are sincere about it.  A lot of them just want to know what they think they should know for mischief making.  I am talking generally.  A lot of them want to know what they think is the real situation of the President’s health is just for mischief and not because of sincerity.

Now, what does the controversy surrounding the President’s health tell you about Nigerians as politicians and as people?

It shows two things: That there are very good Nigerians, who have been praying for the President and have shown genuine concern.  And on the flip side it also shows that there are some mischievous Nigerians.  All they want is to hear bad news, particularly about those in authority.

You have seen what the mischievous people have done with it.  They have said he was dead at a time.  They have said he was in a hospital.  They have said he has done this surgery and that.  They have said he has lost his voice.  There was nothing they have not concocted.  So, it shows that some people are simply mischievous and their interest in knowing the health status of the President is so that they could make mischief with it.

But then there is a large number of Nigerians, who are genuinely concerned and they are praying not just for the President alone but also for God to strengthen him to be able to successfully fix Nigeria for them.

We have seen media assessment of Osinbajo acting presidency and we have also heard Senator Ben Bruce saying the Acting President should teach his boss how to perform.  What is happening really?

It is all mischief and, fortunately, the Political Adviser to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has come out to say that there should be no attempt to draw a demarcation between President Buhari and Acting President Osinbajo.  Role in presidency is one.  It is a ticket.  There is the President, there is the Vice President and now Vice President is Acting President but the President is still the head of the team.

So, any attempt to begin to demarcate between the President and the Acting President is exercise in futility.  It is an exercise in mischief and we should just ignore anybody who says that.

In response to calls on President Buhari to change his economic team with reason that it was wrong to make a lawyer, which Osinbajo is, head the economic team of a nation, you had insisted that the economic team of the President headed by Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was fit enough to turn the economy around.  The same Osinbajo they had knocked as a misfit as head of the economic team they are now praising that he has performed well and better his boss, economically, in the absence of the President.  What does that tell you?

That tells you the kind of people they are.  It just shows that they just wanted to create a wedge between the President and the Vice President.  But they don’t know the Acting President.  He is a cerebral, sober, decent person and will not allow them to drag him into anything.  Not the Acting President.

Now moving forward, if President Buhari’s administration is to be judged today, what can the score card be?

Well, I would rather want an outsider to do the scoring.  I am an insider and so I am not the best person to do the scoring.  But by the grace of God, in May, when the administration will be two years in office, we will do a mid-term report and then you will see the successes of this administration in security, anti-corruption and economy.  Even economy that was a bit sticky is turning round.  I am sure there is going to be a lot to say about this administration when it is two years in office.

Just before we end this interview, there are Nigerians out there who queued in the sun, rain and even slept at the poll centres in ensuring that they brought this government in place.  In the wake of confusing information here and there even in the tradition media, all the people need is information  from the President to give them confidence that their efforts were not going to be in futility.  What is your message for them?

Those, who queued in the sun and in the rain to vote, knew that they were electing a President for four years.  They didn’t elect him for one year, two years or three years.  They elected him for four years.  And it is just going to be mid-term in May this year.  Those, who genuinely queued and voted, know that the person, whom they voted for, will deliver.

If some people are being very critical now, it could be people, whose loyalty was only skin-deep.  But the true loyalists know that this government will deliver and they are willing to wait because they didn’t elect the President for one year or two years, they elected him for four years and, at least, majority of the promises will be kept because government is a continuum.  So, whatever the government has said it will do, it will do.

We know that there is a difference between what the expectations were and what was actually met on ground when this government took over.  Anybody that is discerning would know that the government stepped into a mess economically and it’s been working to build a new foundation for the Nigerian economy. Within four years they will see that foundation solidly built.

“Yes.  And the President is right because, there is usually a nexus between the past and the present.  If you don’t recognise this, you are bound to commit the same mischief of the past.  The President would continue to talk about it.  The government would continue to talk about it because the consequences of the actions and inactions of the past are here with us.  So, why would some people say they don’t want to hear about it (how the past created the problem of the present for Nigeria)?  They must hear about it.  They must!  Otherwise, that same mistake would be made again in this country.”

Taking you back to your reference to the mess the government stepped into upon taking over, some people are saying this idea of blaming the past government for the economic woes of the nation should stop.  But the President said that he would continue to talk about it…?

(Cuts in) Yes.  And the President is right because, there is usually a nexus between the past and the present.  If you don’t recognise this, you are bound to commit the same mischief of the past.

The President would continue to talk about it.  The government would continue to talk about it because the consequences of the actions and inactions of the past are here with us.

So, why would some people say they don’t want to hear about it (how the past created the problem of the present for Nigeria)?  They must hear about it.  They must!  Otherwise, that same mistake would be made again in this country.

It is observed that the letter seeking confirmation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, WSN Onnoghen, came far after President Buhari had sent back to the Senate the letter re-seeking the confirmation of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).  But the CJN’s confirmation has been done while nobody is talking about that of Magu and the Presidency seems to be silent about it.  Why?

That is outside the hands of the Executive because the onus is with the Legislature, the Senate particularly.  Those they have confirmed Justice Onnoghen and he’s been sworn in, the same Senate should do the needful.  The ball is in their court, it is no longer in the court of the Presidency.

And it is not that the Presidency is considering changing the name of Magu for another person.  Is that correct?

His (Magu’s) name is the one that is there now.  So, we can only talk of what is on ground now.  So, Magu’s name is with the Senate and it is up to the upper chambers to do the needful.

“That is outside the hands of the Executive because the onus is with the Legislature, the Senate particularly.  Though they have confirmed Justice Onnoghen and he has been sworn in, the same Senate should do the needful.  The ball is in their court, it is no longer in the court of the Presidency.”