The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has tackled those condemning President Muhammadu Buhari, saying they have probably never been a class monitor, not to talk of school prefect.
Speaking in his weekly article titled “NIGERIA AND WAR OF TONGUES”, he said the commentators can’t run their “riotous homes, with obstreperous children and wards,” yet they come out to abuse Buhari daily.
Adesina alleged that social activists and commentators, Newspaper columnists, Talk show hosts on TV, radio, influencers on social media, bloggers, politicians, and “very embarrassingly, clergymen” unleashed a war of words on Nigeria by attacking anyone in Buhari’s government.
He also said, “…ask them what they have achieved in life, compared to that of the President, and they are blank.”
According to him, all the positives done by the government are being ignored by the people intentionally, as they only focus on negatives just to engage in a war of words.
The article read: “Our country is at war today on many fronts. Nigeria battles insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, armed robbery, cult killings, ritual murders, and war of tongues.
“War of tongues. Is that a new one? No, it’s as old as man, but it is perhaps the deadliest of all the wars.
“It is fiercer than insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, armed robbery, cult killings, ritual murders, all put together.
“A war of tongues has been unleashed on Nigeria, her leadership, anyone in government, in fact, anybody serving the country in one capacity or the other. Want to become an enemy of the public? Then just take a position in government, major or minor.
“Irrespective of where you were coming from, your stature and station in life, you become an enemy. You may have served creditably in the military, rising to become a General, been a military head of state, headed the Petroleum Trust Fund exceptionally, and now a two-term civilian President, a war of tongues that is so virulent and mind-boggling, is unleashed against you.
“A vicious war of tongues is raging in the country, and from President Muhammadu Buhari, down to the least political appointee in government, no one is spared. And who are the warriors?
“So-called social activists and commentators. Newspaper columnists. Talk show hosts on TV, radio, influencers on social media, bloggers, anyone who can afford an Internet-enabled smartphone, politicians, and very embarrassingly, clergymen.
“The ones who should teach us to bridle our tongues. They say things that make the flesh tingle, with a chill running down the spine. No grace, no decorum, using words that are not seasoned with salt. Do they read another Holy Bible? Another Holy Quran? Holy Moses!
“President Buhari left these shores on March 30 for “routine” medical checkups. Mark the word: routine. Did you hear all the ululation that attended the announcement and the trip? War of tongues: oh, he’s sick again (as if there’s anyone who’s 100% healthy. If there is, let’s see the person).
“Resident doctors are going on strike, the President is traveling! Couldn’t he have built world-class hospitals in Nigeria within the six years he has been in government? He’s going on medical tourism again! How much is the trip costing us o? Are we sure he will come back anytime soon?
“To take it to very ridiculous level, some Nigerians in London organized a ‘one million man march’ (attended by a huge crowd of five people), went to the Nigeria House where they said the President was staying and attempted to “force him back home.” People in the gall of bitterness, overtaken by paroxysms of hatred.
“The executive, legislature, judiciary, military, police, indeed, all national institutions are the butt of the war of tongues. You find all sorts of commentators in the media condemning everything and everybody, but themselves. In their lives, they have probably never been a class monitor, not to talk of school prefect.
“They can’t even run their riotous homes, with obstreperous children and wards, yet they come out to abuse the President daily. A man who has ruled as military officer was brought back 30 years later because of his sterling records, and running a second term in office as a democratically elected leader, yet they call him all sorts of names on TV, radio, social media, simply because there’s freedom of speech. But ask them what they have achieved in life, compared to that of the President, and they are blank.”
