Femi Adesina’s Insufferable Vulgarity

*Femi Adesina

 Open Letter To Femi Adesina: Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity 

By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

Dear Mr. Femi Adesina,

I bring to you this passage from the Holy Bible: “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls- 1 Corinthians 10:12”. That is my message for you today. Meanwhile, I will try as much as I can, to keep it brief but concise, lest you call me a wailing wailer.

Sir, may I remind you that your appointment into your present position came on the 31^st May 2015, and you assumed office on the 9^th June, 2105. On the 1^st July, 2015, barely a month after your assumption of office in the President Buhari’s led administration as the special adviser on media & publicity to the president, you coined the phrase— “wailing wailers”.

Sir, if you remember vividly, that tweet and the phrase— wailing wailers, was not without condemnations from all well meaning Nigerians including myself who feel every Nigerian include those that wanted the last administration to retain power for another four years deserves the right to challenge, criticize and condemn any action or inaction of the present administration.

Government owes it to the people to explain politely to them whatsoever calls for an explanation. It is called transparency and accountability; I know that isn’t difficult for anybody grown enough to be a special assistant to the president to comprehend.

We may actually live in a society where politicians are only seen to be humble and assessable during the electioneering period and immediately after the elections are over, they return to their real self and become invisible. Eating up every word they’ve said and denying every promise they have made. But even at that, it doesn’t still justify why their spokesperson like you, should go the line of insulting those that voted their boss in power.

Few weeks ago on a live television show— Sunday Politics with Mr. Seun Okinbaloye, you called out Nigerians to go and hold vandals responsible for the blackout that has befallen the country for a while now. In your words: “If some Nigerians are crying over power outage, they should hold those people who vandalized the installations responsible”. Sir, that statement was ridiculous and insensitive, least expected from a spokesperson to the “President of Change”.

*President Buhari and Femi Adesina 

As if that was not enough, just last week on “The Osasu Show”, you again descended on Nigerians for asking you why the President has not visited Agatu after the massacre. In your response, you likened Nigerians to children whose lollipops have been taken away. In your words: “Now, how will a new administration…and maybe whenever the president says something, you just start hearing noise, wah, wah, wah, wah, like a child whose lollipop has been taken away”.

Sir, with all sincerity, you sounded much more responsible and thoughtful before your appointment. How you suddenly became vulgar and chose to go the way of your predecessor— The Attack Lion, baffles me. I doubt if the president knew about your vulgarity before appointing you. And if he did, then I fault him for having you come on his team in the first place.

At this rate you’re going, there is no better way to define “the arrogance of power” but by the actions you have displayed since you became the spokesperson to the president. Your vulgarity is fast becoming unbearable, embarrassing and worrisome.

Democracy gives room for the people to ask and for the leaders to answer politely. I do not shy away from the fact that some questions may seem insensitive and purposely directed to malign you or your boss. But then, there is always a way to respond to a foolish and insensitive question without one sounding controversial and insensitive. This is the quality expected of you as a spokesperson to the president.

Lola Shoneye gave a clue on how you could have answered the question on the Agatu visit without you necessarily insulting any group of people. Check this out: “The president was greatly saddened by the conflict in Agatu. As C-in-C, he is unwavering in his commitment to rid Nigeria of the violence that’s causing hardship and disruption for so many. Naturally, president Buhari wishes he could visit and commiserate with the affected communities whenever these tragedies occur, but engagements and meetings, many of which are economy or security–related, meant he sometimes has to be represented by senior government officials”. I know you can do this and even do much more better than this.

The tragedy of history is that man hardly learns from it. But in your own case, learn from it! Do not go the way of your predecessor who chooses to be called the “Attack Lion” and then end up doing more harm than good to his boss. Learn from his trajectory!

Do think about this Sir and do not see it as an act of unnecessary wailing.

It is my wish that you succeed in your present position and endeavors. It is my wish that the President Buhari’s administration succeeds too. And it is my uttermost wish that Nigeria works for all. However, you must not fail to recognize that it is the right of the people to continuously question the government while it is the duty of the government to humbly provide suitable and responsible answers to their question as it deems fit.

This is not a voice of a wailing wailer; it is a passionate caution call for you to take heed lest you fall.

Yours sincerely,

Ogundana Michael Rotimi is a Nigerian Biochemist, Socio-economic & Political Commentator, and Public Speaker. He tweets @MickeySunny.