A former presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, has said there is a secret in Aso Rock, because the excuse given for Buhari’s inability to attend the funeral of victims of the recent tragedy in Kaduna State, where the COAS to the President lost his life alongside others with him, is unjustifiable.
Abati who was aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, said, the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces who has an entire Brigade of Guards protecting him and the FCT, cannot be too fearful that he'll need 48 hours security clearance before honoring his own troops who fell while on official duty. Unless the president is being held hostage by some superior power in the Villa.
Abati made the statement in reaction to the manner in which the Buhari government handled the tragic Kaduna incident. He said Nigerians have every reason to be outraged.
He said, "Nigerians are outraged that the Federal Government did not handle the tragedy well. They expected the President to attend the funeral. He wasn’t there. They thought if the President could not make it, then the Vice President would show up. Here, the problem is that the Vice President can only represent the President if he is directed to do so.
"He cannot go on a frolic of his own without the President’s permission. The President sent the Minister of Defence, General Bashir Magashi to represent him, but this particular representative only ended up adding petrol to public anger.
"General Magashi could not deliver a written speech in a fluent manner. He expressed displeasure on behalf of the President. Displeasure that a funeral ceremony was taking place?
"He mixed up titles in a rather windy protocol list. He ruined it all by conveying “heartless felt condolences” on behalf of the President. Heartless! Magashi obviously was not prepared. He probably did not read the script.
"People find themselves in important positions in line with Peter’s principle and when they do not rehearse before engaging in the task of public communication, they stutter and descend to lower depths.
"Magashi is a lawyer and a distinguished soldier in his earlier career. But all geriatics in government who may have issues reading prepared speeches should just be allowed to speak vernacular going forward.
"General Magashi could just have spoken Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba and have someone translate it for him. Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages are officially recognized in the Nigerian 1999 Constitution in Section 55.
"Why struggle with the English language under difficult circumstances when you can just speak one of the three languages recognised by the Nigerian Constitution! As if that was not enough, it took the Federal Government till Monday, May 24 to direct that the Nigerian flag should be flown at half mast in honour of the dead.
"The gesture was so belated, it was seen as an afterthought. And then the President declared a May 24 holiday for men of the Nigerian Air Force in the middle of a war in the North East. Nigeria is probably the only country where a whole division of the Armed Forces would be directed to go on holiday for 24 hours!"
"One of the spokespersons for President Buhari has offered the explanation that the President could not attend the funeral ceremonies for the fallen officers for security reasons.
"We have been told that the President needs 48 hours’ notice before he can move from the Villa. Are we being told that the President is now being held hostage? Or what? He is Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, for crying out loud.
"He has an entire Brigade of Guards protecting him and the FCT. What 48-hour security clearance does the President require to protect his movement between the Villa and the National Cemetery to honour his own troops who fell while on official duty?
"It also took the Vice President more than 24 hours to issue a condolence message via Twitter. Was that also for security reasons? Governance is about substance, symbols and gestures. The consensus among Nigerians is that the President showing up at the funeral ceremony would have been a morale booster for the military. I think so too."
Abati also disagreed with Retired Air Commodore Abayomi Balogun, who said Soldiers do not need morale boosting because they 'know what they signed up for.'
Abati said the decision to join the Nigerian army does not mean Soldiers are no longer human beings with feelings and loved ones to care for, and who also care for them.
He said, "We had a guest on The Morning Show, Arise TV on Monday, May 24, Retired Air Commodore Abayomi Balogun, NAF pilot for more than 30 years. He was of the firm opinion that nobody should worry about the morale of the troops. Soldiers he said know what they signed up for.
"They are ever prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice. And whether or not the President attends a funeral of fallen men, the task of defending Nigeria goes on. Commodore Balogun is a very articulate man who knows his field like the back of his hands. That was how he came across.
"But upon further reflection on his views, I disagree with him. Loyalty to one’s country, serving and dying for it, is not an automatic obligation. Soldiers are human beings. They also have families.
"They expect to be appreciated for their sacrifice. That is why recently, they have been bold enough to complain about welfare, rebel against their commanders, and post uncomplimentary videos on social media about the Nigerian military. A strong morale emboldens the soldier. We need to be more sensitive to their needs, feelings and concerns."