By Femi Macaulay
When the message reflects reality, it is unrealistic to discredit the messenger. Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu, well known for his combativeness, missed the point by throwing wild punches at the messenger and failing to pay attention to the message.
There is no doubt that Nigeria is facing a security crisis that has exposed state incapacity. The House of Representatives recently set up an ad-hoc committee to organise a securityconference and passed a resolution asking President Buhari to declare a state of emergency in response to the country’s security crisis. In addition, difficult socio-economic conditions in the country demand urgent solutions from the authorities. This context prompted critical remarks by a controversial Catholic priest who called for effective action from President Buhari.
“By now, with what is happening, President Buhari should honourably resign… If you can’t do it, either you resign or you be changed… Either Buhari resigns by himself or he will be impeached,” said Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu.
The message was meant to wake a sleeping president. Buhari’s presidency has been characterised by inaction in the face of challenges that demand decisive action. He earned the nickname ‘Baba Go-Slow’ right from his first term from 2015 to 2019, and has continued to demonstrate the aptness of the characterisation. He remains slow to act, and slow to speak, when his office demands undelayed action and reaction.
Shehu’s reaction to Mbaka’s message was characteristically combative. His job to speak for the presidency, in his understanding, is a job to fight on behalf of the president. Shehu said, in a statement, “after supporting the President two times to win the Presidency, Father Mbaka has made a complete U-turn, preposterously asking President Buhari to resign or be impeached.” Is it true Mbaka had supported Buhari in both 2015 and 2019?
Indeed Mbaka, who was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in 1995, had controversially prophesied victory for Buhari over then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. When the prophecy happened, the prophet became the one to watch.
But in 2018 he told President Buhari to forget about reelection. Mbaka had said: “As I was waiting on the Lord, I’m asked to advise you, don’t come out for a second tenure; after this, retire peacefully. Come back to yourself or you will cry by the time you will be sent out of office. Those who are encouraging you to come out and run again want to disgrace you shamefully and publicly.” Buhari was reelected. It is unclear if there were happenings behind the scenes that amounted to Mbaka supporting Buhari’s reelection effort.
Shehu’s thinking that Mbaka’s support for Buhari’s presidential ambition, whether once or twice, should make him an uncritical supporter of the administration, is an unthinking line of thought. When Mbaka demanded active governance from the administration, Shehu didn’t understand.
The presidential mouthpiece introduced a thought-provoking narrative, attributing the priest’s position to a grudge. He said: ”Here is the point of departure: Father Mbaka asked for a meeting, and to the shock of Presidential Aides, he came accompanied by three contractors. The President graciously allowed them in, and to everyone’s surprise, Father Mbaka asked for contracts as compensation for his support.
“Anyone familiar with President Buhari knows that he doesn’t break the laid down rules in dealing with contracts or any other government business for that matter. He requested the appropriate authorities to deal with the matter in accordance with laid down rules.
“Inside the Villa, discretion prevailed, that if those pictures and requests were made public, the followers would turn against the religious leader. None of it was released. Now, this is what is eating Father.”
Shehu didn’t say when this happened. Since he decided to publicise the story, he should have supplied further clarifying details. Mbaka has not reacted. Even if he doesn’t respond, the spokesman’s story doesn’t invalidate the priest’s position that Buhari should deal with the country’s overwhelming challenges or admit he can’t and leave; or be removed because he can’t.
National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno, in a statement at the end of a security-related meeting at the Presidential Villa, last week, said President Buhari “is very prepared to take profound measures in the wider interest of the people and the Nigerian nation.” It remains to be seen what the administration means by “profound measures,” and whether the measures will solve the problems.
According to a Mass Atrocities Casualties Tracking Report by the Global Rights Nigeria Country Office, about 4,556 persons died in 2020 from insecurity-related killings, a rise of about 43 percent from 3,188 persons in 2019. Also, the US-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) said Nigeria recorded 2,860 kidnappings in 2020, up from 1,386 in 2019, an increase of over 100 percent.
These tragic figures not only show the gravity of the country’s security crisis, but also why the authorities should acknowledge the scale of insecurity, and tackle the problem, rather than attack courageous voices that call for change. There are justifiable fears that violent crimes will reach new heights this year as cases of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping escalate across the country. For instance, the Kaduna State government, last week, announced that bandits killed 323 residents and kidnapped 949 others across the state in the last three months.
Shehu notably has a record of downplaying insecurity under the Buhari administration, which may explain his inattention to Mbaka’s message. In November 2020, for instance, when Boko Haram terrorists killed 66 people, mainly farmers and fishermen at Koshobe village in Borno State, he insensitively said in a media interview that the victims didn’t get military clearance to farm.
A month later, when bandits abducted more than 300 students from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, Shehu initially contradicted the figure given by the state government and the media, insisting that only 10 students were kidnapped.
As Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to President Buhari, he can be described as a messenger who delivers the administration’s messages to the people. When he delivers a message, he expects the people to focus on the message and not the messenger. This is what he should have done concerning Mbaka’s message.
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