By Kemi Kasumu, General Editor
“Why will a publication of the status of Business Day embark on such shoddiness, or are we to conclude this was calculated to create a particular perception? The article also wrongly named Tunde Irukera as Executive Secretary of CPP – whatever that is – instead of Consumer Protection Council (CPC). Rather conveniently, the publication ignored mentioning that Mr Emeka Nwankpa is chairman of CPC. Not only that, the writer claimed that the Director-General of the Budget Office is Aliyu Gusau, whereas Mr. Ben Akabueze is the actual DG, Budget Office.”
The Presidency is worried that a print medium in the Nigerian Press community could deliberately condone publication of a report it described not only as an ignorant effort but as an attempt to portray the Buhari’s administration in bad light.
In a rejoinder issued by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Saturday copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER, the Presidency lampooned the writer of a report originally published in Business Day on October 29, which said 81 of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 100 appointees are Northerners, and said it was far from fact-checking it was called by the writer but a string of misleading statements put together by the writer across two pages of a newspaper.
This rejoinder came as a respondent, who spoke from Akure, said that, “Those who say the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is filled more with Northerners than Southerners should have tarried a while and told themselves the truth based on their personal conscience. Have they ever told you that Buhari is surrounded with are not just Southerners but people of Igbo race extractions? Have they ever mentioned it to you that to the extent that sensitive positions such as of pilot and cooks of the President are Igbo of the South? It appears those who are saying all these unfounded Northernisation of Buhari’s administration are not only talking nonsense but are pushing too far towards self-inflicted heart problems,” he said.
Mr. Adesina wondered how the writer of such presentation he dismissed as biased reportage could wrongly claimed that 81 of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 100 appointees are Northerners when he knew that he had done no more or less than unilateral selection of 100 appointees to drive home the distractions he presented as “facts”.
The Presidential adviser simply took whoever was behind the publication of the biased report to the cleaners saying, to insinuate that the President’s appointments are tilted in favour of a section of the country is simply untrue and certainly uncharitable.
The presidency’s statement read in full:
“The above-titled article as originally published by Business Day on Sunday, 29th October, 2017, is either an ignorant effort or a mischievous attempt by the publication to mislead the public and portray the Buhari administration in bad light.
“Although the publication claims to be a fact-checking reportage, what it did essentially is roughly putting together a string of misleading statements across two pages of a newspaper.
“To push this biased reportage, which wrongly claimed that 81 of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 100 appointees are Northerners, the writer unilaterally selected 100 appointees to drive home the distraction presented as “facts”.
“To claim, suggest or attempt to insinuate that the President’s appointments are tilted in favour of a section of the country is simply untrue and certainly uncharitable.
“First of all, the publication could not even cross the t’s and dot the i’s properly. For instance, the author wrongly named the Director-General, NISER, as Haruna Yerima, whereas the DG, NISER is actually Folarin Gbadebo-Smith. Again, the author wrongly identified the CEO, NDLEA as Muhammad Abdallah. However, Mrs. Roli Bode-George is the CEO, NDLEA.
“Why will a publication of the status of Business Day embark on such shoddiness, or are we to conclude this was calculated to create a particular perception?
“The article also wrongly named Tunde Irukera as Executive Secretary of CPP – whatever that is – instead of Consumer Protection Council (CPC). Rather conveniently, the publication ignored mentioning that Mr Emeka Nwankpa is chairman of CPC. Not only that, the writer claimed that the Director-General of the Budget Office is Aliyu Gusau, whereas Mr. Ben Akabueze is the actual DG, Budget Office.
“Besides, the publication made not just one, but several errors on names and positions, in what could be seen as a deliberate attempt to mislead the reading public, along the lines of some intended distortions of the truth.
“For example, there are several other appointments the publication failed to mention, which clearly shows the fair geopolitical spread of President Buhari’s appointees. For instance, the publication didn’t mention Sharon Ikeazor, Director-General, PTAD, who is from Anambra, South East; Folorunsho Coker, DG, NTDC; who is from Lagos, South West; Ituah Ighodalo, of the National Council of Privatisation, who is from the South South; Eze Duru Ihioma, Chairman, NPC, who is from Imo, South East, among many others.
“There are at least 50 names of the President’s appointees that the article didn’t mention that are not from the North, while there are some others that were already in place before the administration came in but reconfirmed by the Buhari administration.
“Aside from that, several names of board members/appointees from other parts of the country were deliberately left out. These include Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, NCC Chairman, Sunday Dare, NCC Executive Commissioner, Jide Zeitlin, NSIA Chairman, Anthony Ayine, Auditor General of the Federation, Anibor Kragha, COO NNPC, Chiedu Ugbo, MD NDPHC, Uche Orji, CEO NSIA, Osita Okechukwu, DG VON, Yemi Kale, DG NBS and Waziri Adio, Executive Secretary NEITI, among several others.
“The attached graph shows the breakdown of current Federal Government agency appointments per state reflecting the true picture of the spread.
“Thus, the publication’s inconsistencies and selective reportage are questionable, to say the least. And this is divisive with its many misleading statements that should be taken with a pinch of salt. What Nigerians need now are unity and constructive dialogue that would help the nation march forward on the right path not divisive, misleading reportage.
“It is, indeed, false for anyone to say that President Buhari’s appointments are lopsided. From all records, majority of the President’s appointees across different portfolios are not from the North, as the publication erroneously alleged. If the publication did not have ulterior motives, a simple enquiry from official sources in the Presidency would have prevented this unwarranted public disinformation.
“It must be stated clearly that, despite the distractions and biased reportage of this article, President Muhammadu Buhari remains committed to serving all Nigerians, no matter the tribe, ethnicity or region, and he is also determined to ensure that Nigeria remains strong and united. He has, and will continue to keep faith with one Nigeria and has shown this with the administration’s diverse projects in different parts of the country’s geopolitical zones.”
