Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, in a piece titled “Soyinka Slams President Buhari, Says Nigeria Divided Like Never Before Under Him” published by SaharaReporters, Tuesday, Soyinka explains why Nigeria has never been so divided in our history like under General Muhammadu Buhari.
1. “Does anyone deny that it was this president who went to sleep while communities were consistently ravaged by cattle marauders, were raped and displaced in their thousands and turned into beggars all over the landscape?”
2. Was it a different president who, on being finally persuaded to visit a scene of carnage, had nothing more authoritative to offer than to advice the traumatised victims to learn to live peacefully with their violators.”
3. “And what happened to the police chief who had defied orders from his Commander-in-Chief to relocate finally to the troubled spot – he came, saw, and bolted, leaving the ‘natives’ to their own devices. Any disciplinary action taken against ‘countryman’?
4. “Was it spokesman for some ghost president who chortled in those early, yet controllable stages of now systematised mayhem, gleefully dismissed the mass burial of victims in Benue State as a “staged show” for international entertainment?”
5. “Did other half of the presidential megaphone system not follow up – or was it, precede? – with the wisdom that they, the brutalised citizentry, should learn to bow under the yoke and negotiate, since “only the living” can enjoy the dividends of legal rights?”
Speaking on Channels TV program yesterday, Femi Adesina, Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, debunks the testaments of truths by Soyinka: “As at 2015 when President Buhari came, Nigeria was terribly divided; divided along ethnic, religious, and political lines; divided along language; divided hopelessly and terribly,” says Adesina. What a salacious lies!
Soyinka didn’t contest the fact that Nigeria is a divided country. The whole world knows Nigeria is a divided country. What Soyinka said was Nigeria has NEVER (emphasis mine) been so divided like under General Buhari. None of the above five listed instances which further divided Nigeria and widen our differences happened on President Goodluck Jonathan’s watch. Policies, statements, action, and inaction of General Buhari are voluminous enough for a non-fiction book award. However, one or two comments about Adesina’s consistent and constant lies in defense of a brutal dictator will be in order.
Adesina is the least honest, least humble, and least professional media adviser who is overwhelmed by Buhari’s political suicide. Adesina lies so often that anything he said in defense of Buhari and his regime is greeted with derision and laughter. He constantly lies and every Nigerian can see through his lies, especially when his version of events and statements are contravened by Buhari. “To some people,” says Adesina, “Buhari … he’s the greatest crowd pulling politician the country has seen for some time, and may yet see for a long time to come. True.” Absolutely false!
Adesina praises his boss effusively, spread dubious claims about Buhari. “Nigerian Leader is venerated, and held in high esteem by the international community,” says Adesina. This is the same Buhari who President Trump described as “lifeless president.” Adesina chastised “angry youths, religious leaders, political analysts, newspaper columnists, news reviewers, so called activists” for not seeing anything positive done by Buhari. “It is all about insurgency, banditry, killings, joblessness, corruption, lack and deprivation. True? False!” Deacon Adesina, this is true. All these evils define and determine Buhari’s regime.
One more lie from Adesina. “Nigeria which other nations had mocked and ridiculed for so many things that were wrong is today progressing at a pace reflecting its size and potential.” Adesina performs for the audience of one – Buhari. Where was Adesina when Buhari’s Nigeria was declared both the world poverty capital and corruption capital? Where was Adesina when Nigeria was ranked as the saddest country to live in? As to his lies, there’s no end!
Adesina lies, exaggerates, hypes, and shaded the truth at every opportunity. He lies, punts, and disgraces himself and degrades his honesty every time he defends the evils of Buhari’s reign of terror. Adesina is vindictive, tone-deaf, and struggles between lies to defend a lie, dishonoring his post. And most importantly, his lies establish a record on which to judge Buhari’s presidency.
Adesina inflicts self detriment and damages his boss through his gratuitous attacks on Nigerians especially critics. He fails to realise that as media adviser for the executive branch, he has a nobler calling than being a pit-bull propagandist and a mindless cheerleader for a repugnant dictator.
Adesina should learn to conduct himself in a dignified manner. He should see himself not just as a champion for Buhari, but as spokesman for the Nigerian Government. He can use some sense of history
