The Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu has attacked those criticizing the Presidency’s handling of information on President Buhari’s medical leave saying that they are suffering from pathological cynicism.Mr. Shehu singled out Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, who yesterday lashed out at the Presidency saying they should stop lying to Nigerians over the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari. He also said Nigerians cannot afford to have another constitutional crises due to Mr. President’s health.
According to Shehu, “Mohammed’s kind of critics is toxic to national progress because they are only primarily interested in destroying every positive effort and achievements of the government and we advise Nigerians to be wary of prejudiced and biased critics like Dr. Junaid Mohammed who are more interested in personal publicity than respecting facts and figures about their claims”.
But reacting to Shehu’s statement, Mohammed said the Presidential spokesperson should stop telling Nigerians lies about his health just as he maintained that General Sanni Abacha remains one of the healthiest President Nigeria ever had. Garba Shehu and Junaid Mohammed His words, “I believe Shenu is under pressure which is why he attacked me. However, I believe strongly they need to stop lying to Nigerians about Mr Presidents health. Can they actually tell Nigerians what this medical leave or routine check-up is?
They don’t seems to be telling us the truth”. Mohammed who maintained he has been President Buhari’s friend since when he was a second lieutenant in the Army said he cannot shy away from telling the President the truth anytime he misfires. He said, “If I am to comment on issues that concern Nigerians, I won’t shy away from telling President Buhari the home truth anywhere he is making mistakes. I criticized General Abacha as Head of State and told him some truths in private and sometimes face to face. I believe if people can challenge their friends in power, it shows they are not intimidated by the powerful”. “If Aisha Buhari can say what she said about her husband, I think the President needs to check himself and retrace his steps on some issues that concerns the country. I think the question the President needs to ask himself is that after one he has taken over the reigns of power, what has changed? Is Nigeria better off than when he took over on May 29, 2015? The truth is that Nigeria is worse off today than when Buhari took over the reigns of power. “Every Nigerian today is worse off and nothing seems to be working under this government. Some who are rich in 2015 cannot say same today due to the economic woes that Nigeria is presently experiencing and we cannot continue to close our eyes off it”. He further explained, “This administration has failed in taming the economic woes that seems to have turned everyone poor in present day Nigeria.
Even though the administration made some giant strides in the fight against Boko Haram, the country is still not safe as people still live in fear even in Kano today. And there is also political crises in the party where President won his own election. So the President seems to be at war with everyone including the National Assembly members”.
He stated that, “I believe President Buhari should engage brilliant minds and experienced technocrats in turning around the fortunes of Nigeria economically, politically and security wise. By now, his administration should have stopped blaming the Jonathan government for their woes. I believe that in Politics, you take assets and liabilities”.
Garba Shehu and the rest of Buhari’s people should stop lying to Nigerians. From, “he went on vacation”, to “it’s medical vacation”, to “he is not sick and he is not in any hospital” bla bla bla. The stories are many! They should come out with the truth!! And some of them made noise when Yar’adua was sick.
Please were is our president?