On Monday, the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, absolved his principal from any blame.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Almost 24 hours after the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, bombed President Muhammadu Buhari accusing him of ruining Nigeria, a shell-shocked presidency seem to have recovered from the shock.
On Monday, the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, absolved his principal, President Buhari, from any blame.
Instead, Adesina said the unguarded utterances of Buhari’s critics should be blamed for the division in the country.
Bishop Kukah flayed Buhari in his Easter message on Sunday, titled “To mend a broken nation: The Easter metaphor,” and heavily criticised for the overwhelming spate of insecurity, corruption, and division in Nigeria.
According to Bishop Kukah, every aspect of life in Nigeria has been destroyed while corruption is enthroned.
Kukah said, “It is hard to know whether the problem is that those in power do not hear, see, feel, know, or just don’t care. Either way, from this crossroad, we must make a choice, to go forward, turn left or right or return home. None of these choices is easy, yet, guided by the light of the risen Christ, we can reclaim our country from its impending slide to anarchy.
“The challenge of fixing this broken nation is enormous and, as I have said, requires joint efforts. With everything literally broken down, our country has become one big emergency national hospital with full occupancy. Our individual hearts are broken. Our family dreams are broken. Homes are broken. Churches, Mosques, and infrastructure are broken.
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“Our educational system is broken. Our children’s lives and future are broken. Our politics is broken. Our economy is broken. Our energy system is broken. Our security system is broken. Our Roads and Rails are broken. Only corruption is alive and well,” the message read in part.
But in a tepid response to Kukah’s harsh criticism of Buhari’s regime on Monday, the presidential spokesman said it was surprising that those who are guilty of creating division in Nigeria with their mouths are the ones accusing the President of the same crime they committed.
In a tweet on his verified Twitter handle, Adesina wrote, “Those who divided Nigeria with their mouths, with evil, unguarded speaking, are the ones now accusing President Buhari. How sad! Their wicked intentions shall not come to pass.”