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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the following men and women to serve in the Office of the President under the Media and Publicity Directorate with full respect for the tenets of Nigeria’s federal character principle and the supremacy of merit:
A statement by presidential media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, listed the new appointees as Fela Durotoye (senior special assistant to the president — National Values & Social Justice), Fredrick Nwabufo (senior special assistant to the president — Public Engagement), Linda Nwabuwa-Akhigbe (senior special assistant to the president — Strategic Communications), Aliyu Audu (special assistant to the president — Public Affairs) and Mr. Francis Abah (personal assistant to the president — Special Duties).
The statement also said Tinubu approved the secondment of Akhigbe to serve as Communications Adviser to the President of the ECOWAS Commission.
He tasked all new appointees who are serving in the Media and Publicity Directorate to uphold the highest standards of decorum and decency in their engagements with all members of the public as they advance the President’s determined bid to renew the hope of Nigerians in a restructured economy and unified society that caters sufficiently to the needs of all, regardless of any differences.
Meanwhie, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has slammed President Tinubu on the new appointments.
In a statement by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said a thousand media aides cannot save the reputation of the president.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate said the fresh appointments were a confirmation of his earlier claim that the Presidency wanted to unleash propaganda on the country.
“I warned on September 18 that the Tinubu government was getting frustrated after being exposed for their many lies and that they would set up a propaganda unit.
“Now they have established a media and publicity directorate. This brings to 20 the number of media advisers appointed by Tinubu. In fact, about three of these appointees hold exact same portfolio.
“For a government that claims to be focused on fiscal discipline, it has appointed the largest number of non-statutory appointments. Isn’t it ironic that Tinubu has more media advisers than economic aides? It is obvious that he plans to use propaganda to rule. No wonder he has held only one cabinet meeting in five months.
“Tinubu and his lackeys must, however, understand that no matter the air freshener you use in spraying excreta, the stench can never go away. No amount of image laundering can save his sinking image…
“With the latest appointment, Tinubu now has over 20 media aides, the highest in the history of Nigeria. But propaganda can only go so far. Propaganda cannot put food on the table of the poor; it cannot make their infrastructure better; it cannot solve insecurity, and it definitely cannot bring in circumspect foreign investors. They can only like the character, Squealer, in Animal Farm succeed at increasing the quantities of food available to the community only on paper.”
