THE ABUJA REPORT
By Kayode Sesan
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday engaged the services of some frivolous APC youths to bridge apparently defective gaps in his government’s communication strategy.
Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, on Tuesday announced via his Twitter handle, the constitution of a group of APC youths who will be serving voluntarily without pay in President Buhari’s media office.
The development immediately drew the ire of Nigeria’s social media community with disparaging comments on some personalities reportedly drafted into the team.
For instance, Ayobami Oyalowo who tweets with the handle @Ayourb, and is a member of the newly constituted Presidential Media Team has been known for his reckless and uncontrolled outbursts on social media.
Observers fear that the use of untrained and incompetent professionals as handlers for a job as sensitive as the communication strategy of a sitting Nigerian President may end up making matters worse for a President whose media handlers have wobbled from one gaffe to another since the appointment of two spokespersons.
Rather than help manage and deflect opposition attacks at his principal, recently, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina brought unnecessary attacks and attention to President Buhari when he tweeted via his handle @FemAdesina, describing the Nigerian opposition and critics of President Buhari as “Wailing Wailers”. This sparked off an emboldened anti-Buhari social media movement of Nigerians who now pride themselves – The Wailing Wailers, ready to tear down anything coming out of the Buhari government.
READ: Wailing wailers: Nigerian twitter takes on President Buhari’s spokesman over criticism of PDP
Other comments have questioned the credibility and effectiveness of the process. Nicholas Ibekwe, a journalist with Premium Times tweeted on Tuesday describing it as dead on arrival;
Volunteers that will now be running side rackets selling state secrets and info to highest bidders and journalists. Omo this move is DOA
— Nicholas Ibekwe (@nicholasibekwe) July 28, 2015
If the @GarShehu & @FemAdesina can’t do the job fire them & hire those who can. Don’t put state secrets in the hands of faceless volunteers.
— Nicholas Ibekwe (@nicholasibekwe) July 28, 2015
Gbenga Sesan, a member of the Buhari Presidential campaign who was responsible for setting up and managing the Buhari FactCheck website, also took a veiled swipe at members of the Media Team.
At this rate, some of you will volunteer to assist Buhari from your little corner and then print cards with “Presidential Assistant”. Ìranù!
— ‘Gbénga Sèsan (@gbengasesan) July 28, 2015
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