ASO ROCK WATCH: PMB or GMB? Forget Adesina, Presidency is angry! 2 other things that sparked debate past week

The dust raised by a section of the Nigerian media to
now address President Muhammadu Buhari as a
‘Major General,’ a ‘Dictator’ might not settle soon. But
what difference does calling President Buhari a
General or a Dictator make?
Trouble began to brew when, seemingly unable to
stomach perceived human rights abuses under
President Buhari’s government any longer, the Punch
Newspapers vowed to henceforth prefix Buhari’s name
with Major General, his rank as a military dictator in
the 80s, and refer to his administration as a regime.
This, it said, it would do until his government purged
itself of insufferable contempt for the rule of law.
According to the paper, the editorial was a symbolic
demonstration of its protest against autocracy and
military-style repression. It cited the case of Omoyele
Sowore, a journalist, in the hand of the Department of
State Security (DSS). It also frowned at other cases of
alleged contempt for the rule of law in Buhari’s
government.
Presidency is angry!
In its initial response to the decision to address the
President as a Major General, the Presidency through
Buhari’s special assistant on media and publicity, Femi
Adesina said there was nothing wrong if anybody
decided to address Buhari with his military rank.
“Nothing untoward in it (addressing Buhari as a Major
General). It is a rank the President attained by dint of
hard work before he retired from the Nigerian Army,”
Adesina said, adding that “rather than being pejorative,
addressing President Buhari by his military rank is
another testimony to free speech and freedom of the
press, which this administration (or regime, if anyone
prefers: it’s a matter of semantics) has pledged to
uphold and preserve.”
However, the Presidency showed itself in conflict
when Buhari’s senior special assistant on media and
publicity, Garba Shehu took an opposite stance.
According to him, “It is not within the power or rights
of a newspaper to unilaterally and whimsically change
the formal official title or the designation of the
country’s President as it pleases.”
He added that the “Constitution of Nigeria recognises
the President as the formal official title of the
occupant of that office,” and asked if the newspapers,
would in their “hubris” address the President as Prime
Minister as it pleases?
“Is it within the paper’s responsibility or power to
change the official title of the man who occupies the
office of the President? Does that mean any
newspaper is free to address the Comptroller General
of Customs a Colonel rather than his official title?,”
Shehu had argued.
So, what’s is in a name?
Some say there’s everything in a name. Perhaps, it
may just be trite to review it philosophically.
According to William Shakespeare in his play, “Romeo
and Juliet”, “a rose by any other name would smell as
sweet”. Juliet in the play compares Romeo to a rose
and says even if he were not named Romeo he will
still be handsome and be Juliet’s love.
Many philosophers and great thinkers hold that
external labels or titles given to a person hardly change
their true essence.
Will reference to Buhari as a General, Dictator and his
government as a regime, make any difference in his
style of governance? Only time will tell.
2 other things
Washing dirty linens the Aisha way
Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, never short on
controversies, regaled the nation with what many
believe should be her family’s private affairs. That was
not the first time she would do that.
Aisha had descended on her husband relative,
Mamman Daura and Shehu, the husband’s spokesman,
the same day the newspaper editorial threw the
presidency off balance.
In what appeared as a ventilation of frustrations, Aisha
accused Daura and Shehu of undermining her
husband’s administration.
According to her, the duo had been taking actions in
the president’s name, without the knowledge or
approval of her husband. She said, among others:
”…Mr Shehu has presented himself to these people like
a willing tool and executioner of their antics, from the
corridors of power even to the level of interfering with
the family affairs of the President. This should not be
so. The blatant meddling in the affairs of a First Lady
of a country is a continuation of the prodigal actions
of those that he serves. Mamman Daura and
Muhammadu Buhari.
“Garba Shehu as Villa Spokesperson knew the truth and
had the responsibility to set the records straight, but
because his allegiance is somewhere else and his
loyalty misplaced, he deliberately refused to clear the
air and speak for the President who appointed him in
the first place. Consequently, his action has shown a
complete breakdown of trust between the First Family
and him.”
Aisha, no doubt has won the praise and admiration of
many citizens over her outspokenness. However, many
have argued that family business should remain family
business and treated and resolved within the family
forum. It is hoped Aisha will get to hear that and save
her family from some public ridicule.
And, that Buhari advice to youths
One other story that out the presidency in the front
burner past week was his advice to youths. He urged
them to remain in Nigeria to help salvage the country.
He stated this at the 44th convocation ceremony of
the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife.
Buhari was represented at the event by the deputy
executive secretary of National Universities
Commission (NUC), Suleiman Raman-Yusuf.
“It is high time that universities took more proactive
roles in ensuring that graduands perform more
meaningfully in the world of works.
“It is in view of this that we wish to exhort our youths
to start looking inwards, stay and advance the cause
of their motherland. We have no other country than
Nigeria. We should remain here to salvage the country
together,” he said.
Buhari may have spoken the way a father would. But
he and his handlers must admit that the public pulse is
certainly sending different signals. What with his
frequent travels abroad on holidays and medical
check. This image is further sullied by general
knowledge of his family’s romance with foreign
educational institutions.