Connect with us

Politics

Mind what you say, Presidency cautions Nigerians

Published

on

Again, Presidency says Boko Haram has been defeated

The presidency has cautioned Nigerians, especially opinion leaders to exercise restraint in their choice of words to avoid heating up the polity and causing acrimony within the country.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu who gave the advice on Wednesday in a statement he issued, noted that some criticisms over the President’s Monday broadcast to the nation were way off the mark.

While he expressed satisfaction that a majority of the citizens welcomed the broadcast, Mr Garba explained that critics of President Muhammadu Buhari’s comments in restructuring had to understand that the president has no power to impose restructuring on the country by military diktat.

According to him, the National Assembly members are the elected representatives of the people who can handle agitations for restructuring and other constitutional changes.

He explained that the president is constitutionally bound to work with the National Assembly to deal with such complex issues, reminding critics that the president would not exercise arbitrary powers or bypass the legislature in taking such fundamental decisions.

Read also: BUHARI’S RED LINE: Military says social media monitoring now top priority, raising free speech concerns

“Changes don’t happen on a whim in a democracy,” said the statement, adding that “the ‘immediate effect’ military mentality cannot work under a democratic order” and that, “since the President has sworn to defend the constitution, he would remain faithful to that oath by working with the legislature in taking major decisions on the future of Nigeria’s federal system.”

Mr. Garba, however, noted that, while Nigerians are free to express themselves, they should exercise such liberty with restraint and a sense of responsibility.

He said calling President Buhari an enemy of Nigeria is in extreme bad taste, adding that nothing in Mr. Buhari’s service record would justify such scurrilous language.

“The country’s parliament is ready and willing to discuss all issues but the pundits are more interested in TV and newspaper headlines. Threats don’t work in a democracy. Democracy requires planning and proper process. Issues are resolved through established processes, not by abuses, insults or irresponsible statements”, he noted.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now

Click to comment

0 Comments

  1. Anita Kingsley

    August 24, 2017 at 8:31 am

    This isn’t high class madness! What has Nigerians said to Buhari that are worse than what Americans have said to Donald Trump in his less than a year in office? APC government is authoritarian not democratic.

    • JOHNSON PETER

      August 24, 2017 at 11:34 am

      You voted them in now, so stop complaining

  2. Animashaun Ayodeji

    August 24, 2017 at 8:37 am

    I can’t undeestand this government again. We have freedom of speech which we can exercise any how, if the government don’t want us to say anything about Buhari and his cabinet again, we’ll all keep shut, it’s just for two years and the next time we’ll speak about them, it will be through our votes because we’ll vote them out without mercy.

    • Abeni Adebisi

      August 24, 2017 at 8:46 am

      We won’t keep quiet for anything, this country belongs to a all and nothing g can take our fundamental human right from us, not even Buhari aorbthe APC combined together. This government I should nonsensical in nature.

  3. yanju omotodun

    August 24, 2017 at 9:22 am

    Don’t threaten Nigerians , freedom of expression is a fundamental human rights, so let’s talk but constructively

    • JOHNSON PETER

      August 24, 2017 at 4:18 pm

      Lol, so you can now see threat in your hero, it’s well with you, Biafra is nonnegotiable

  4. Balarabe musa

    August 24, 2017 at 8:12 pm

    Fayose and ffk will learn to keep mute or else they will find themselves to be blamed

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

nineteen − two =