Mamman Daura needs no special permission to hold his views – Presidency 

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Presidency has reacted to Malam Mamman Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew interview to the BBC Hausa Service, saying he needs to special permission to hold his views as an adult as well as a veteran journalist. 

Recall that Daura in an interview with BBC Hausa Service had said contrary to insinuations by Nigerians, he only advises the president on issues if his opinion was asked.

Daura had said he never imposed decisions on Buhari as generally believed by Nigerians.

But in a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, blamed BBC Hausa Service for mixing up the context and introducing new meanings in the English translation in an attempt to circulate the content of the interview to a wider audience.

The statement read thus: “We have received numerous requests for comments on the interview granted by Malam Mamman Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew to the BBC Hausa Service.

“It is important that we state from the onset that as mentioned by the interviewee, the views expressed were personal to him and did not, in any way, reflect that of either the President or his administration.

“At age 80, and having served as editor and managing director of one of this country’s most influential newspapers, the New Nigerian, certainly, Malam Mamman qualifies as an elder statesman with a national duty to hold perspectives and disseminate them as guaranteed under our constitution and  laws of the land. He does not need the permission or clearance of anyone to exercise this right.

“In an attempt to circulate the content of the interview to a wider audience, the English translation clearly did no justice to the interview, which was granted in Hausa, and as a result, the context was mixed up and new meanings were introduced and/or not properly articulated.

“The issues discussed during the interview, centred around themes on how the country could birth an appropriate process of political dialogue, leading to an evaluation, assessment and a democratic outcome that would serve the best interest of the average Nigerian irrespective of where they come from.

“These issues remain at the heart of our evolving and young democracy, and as a veteran journalist, scholar and statesman, Malam Mamman has seen enough to add his voice to those of many other participants.”