The voice message released by President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigerians, felicitating with them on the occasion of Eid-el-Fitr has generated sharp criticisms of the Buhari-led government.
TheNewsGuru.com published yesterday that the presidency relayed the Buhari’s voice message to Nigerians to debunk reports that he is suffering from speech impairment.
There had earlier been reports in the social media claiming that the President is suffering from speech impairment and memory loss.
Some Nigerians, however, expressed mixed feelings about Buhari’ s message with some civil rights organisations and prominent individuals berating the President for speaking to Nigerians in Hausa at a time the country is in dire need of ‘unity’.
It’ s propaganda, says Junaid Mohammed
A member of the House of Representatives during the Second Republic, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, wondered what the President ’ s handlers intended to achieve with the Buhari’s voice message.
He stated, “ Other than propaganda, I wonder what they ( President ’ s handlers ) intend to achieve by putting out such an audio clip ( message) at this time . The President needs our prayers and we sincerely pray for his quick recovery and safe return . ’’
The message doesn’t address issues confronting the country – Odumakin
Yinka Odumakin , said he expected the President to have cautioned Arewa youths against their ultimatum to the Igbo , noting that instead , Buhari simply danced around the issue.
He said, “ The statement is so flat; it did not address specific issues on the ground. In view of what is going on in the country now, I would have thought he would have appealed to those, who are issuing notices to quit against some other tribes, to desist from doing such a thing.
Odumakin berated the President for voice message which was sent in Hausa in the recording, saying that was not good enough. ’’
“ Addressing the nation at this time in Hausa does not bring inclusiveness. I don’t think it’ s good enough for the President of a multi-ethnic nation to have made a national address in the language spoken by a section of the country, ” he said.
No difference between Buhari, Nnamdi Kanu –Jonathan ’ s ex -aide
Reacting to the President ’ s message, a former Special Assistant on Social Media to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Reno Omokri, on his Facebook page, condemned Buhari for addressing Muslims in Hausa.
Omokri stated, “ In a country, whose official language is English, President Muhammadu Buhari broadcasts his Sallah message in Hausa! Would Trump ( whose origin is German) address America in German? So what about all those Nigerians who can’t speak Hausa?
How would it have been if President Olusegun Obasanjo had released a Christmas broadcast to Nigerians in Yoruba or if President Goodluck Jonathan had done so in Ogbia?
“ How can a national leader address Nigerians in a sectional language? Nigeria has never had a leader as divisive as Buhari! There is no difference between President Buhari and Nnamdi Kanu.
The message is an insult to Nigerians – Fani-Kayode
Reacting to the voice message former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-kayode, said it was not President Buhari that spoke in the Sallah audio recording, and that it was an insult to Nigerians for the President to have spoken in Hausa language.
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