As irrepressible social activist, Comrade Amitolu Shittu, turns 55 December 28, President Muhammadu Buhari has saluted his sense of commitment to a better society, which he resolutely advocates without playing to the gallery, or with any self-promotion and personal aggrandizement.
The President recalls Amitolu’s long and close relationship with human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, rising to become Deputy National Chairman of National Conscience Party (NCP), and lauds him for keeping the memory of his mentor evergreen.
Noting that activism is not the same thing as anarchy or fomenting insurrection, President Buhari wishes Amitolu greater years of service to fatherland, a statement by sent to The DEFENDER Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said.
Digesting the President’s commendation, however, interpretations have been made of it with some saying it is an indirect way of showing meaningful contributors of progress in the country that the only activism that pays is one which promotes collective and not personal interest for self-aggrandizement.
This is as some viewed the presidential message as a way by which President Buhari contrasted Shittu’s peaceful advocacy for a better society “without playing to the gallery or with any self-promotion and personal aggrandizement”.
In the meantime, those linking the President’s commendation of a doing well patriotic advocate for better Nigeria that Shittu represents with Omoyele Sowore have been condemned by Nigerians who said such analysis or interpretation could only be mischievous way of trying to create impossible popularity for the “trouble maker whose offence is working with enemies within and outside to destabilise a country he only 10 months ago sought to rule as President but failed.”
Sowore: An unpatriotic activist that no young Nigerian should aspire to be, displays self for personal aggrandizement looking for impossible heroism.
One of them added that, “Under the current situation in the country, there is no amount of hype in the print, online or loudness of the electronic media that can make Sowore hero of anything because, the negative treatments they got so far in Charley Boy, TuFace, Nnamdi Kanu, this same Sowore and Deji Adeyanjo, so far, should have taught them and their collaborators home and abroad commonsense about where Nigerians stand,” he said.
