One of the first groups President Muhammadu Buhari met face to face when he resumed at the Presidential Villa on Monday was journalists covering the State House.
This was a sharp departure from what happened under the administration of the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan.
Apart from the fact that Jonathan and his handlers never saw the need for him to meet journalists when he assumed office as Vice President and later President, it became a taboo for Jonathan to directly meet journalists covering the Presidential Villa during the eight years he spent at the seat of power.
The only exception was when selected journalists covering the Villa, numbering about six, were invited to interview Jonathan in his office towards the end of last year.
But to date, it is still unclear whether the questions during that session freely came from the journalists or it was teleguided just to push out what the government wanted to pass out to the public.
Whatever the case may be, that was the only face to face interview or meeting Jonathan had with State House correspondents in the Villa.
Also only journalists from outside the State House were often invited to take part in the occasional Presidential Media Chat held by the immediate past President.
But the doors are often open to State House correspondents to cover some of the official functions attended by former President Jonathan in the State House.
Attempt in the ‘From the Villa’ write up of 23rd September, 2014 to encourage the last administration to change the trend and effectively engage State House correspondents in line with happenings in the developed world fell on deaf ears.
But on his very first working day in the Presidential Villa, last week Monday, Buhari met with State House correspondents.
During the meeting, Buhari defended his decision to appoint Femi Adesina as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to liaise with members of the State House Press Corps.
Jokingly, he also said that he came to thank the journalists in advance for ýthe good or ill reports they will write about him.
Buhari, who spent a total of twenty five minutes with the State House correspondents, took time to shake hands and posed for photograph with each of the over 80 journalists in the hall.
By the time each journalist approached him and introduced himself or herself and the media house represented, Buhari exhibited an excellent knowledge of most of the media houses.
When the Leadership newspaper reporter introduced himself to him, Buhari jokingly told him: “Tell your cartoonist my neck is fatter.”
For the New Telegraph newspaper reporter, Buhari told him: “Okay, Orji Kalu, you guys are quite new.”
He told the Tribune newspaper reporter: “You people have been consistent.”
To the Daily Trust newspaper reporter, he said: “You are our own.”
When one of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) reporter introduced himself, Buhari said to him: “Hope you people will be giving me good coverage now.”
To African Independent Television (AIT) reporter, he said: “AIT, Great people.”
Changing defence mode
President Muhammadu Buhari, who was a general in the Army, is bringing his professional touch to bear in the fight against the terrorists group, Boko Haram.
Like what a grand master in the game of Chess will do, Buhari is now changing the strategy against the terrorist group from defence status to massive attack.
In the game of Chess, the best strategy to conquer the enemy is by marshaling out your troops and weapons in attacks rather than sitting at home to defend.
To this end, every good Chess player will embrace the theory: ‘Attack is the best form of defence’, in order to capture the enemy.
This is exactly what Buhari aims to achieve by ordering last week Monday for immediate dismantling of non necessary military check points put in place in many points across the country under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in response to the onslaught by Boko Haram.
In attempt to take the war to the enemy, Buhari is freeing more men and weapons for massive attacks on Boko Haram’s enclave, Sambisa forest and their other strongholds within Nigeria’s territory.
Even though some Nigerians have expressed reservations on the possibility of winning the war through only military operations, the high number of soldiers and weapons freed from the many dismantled military check points across the country, in addition to the troops already fighting the war, will go a long way in subduing Boko Haram.
Sambisa forest and other stronghold of the enemy will definitely be soon flooded with Nigerian soldiers.
If this step had been taking long time ago, there might not be need for calls for help from outside the country to defeat Boko Haram.
Salary arrears drama in Villa
Despite the fact that the current inability of many states to settle their huge workers’ salary arrears has been a serious issue, the matter became a source of drama that made many state governors and President Mohammadu Buhari to smile and laugh in the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.
The drama ensued when it was time for President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to pose for photographs with the 36 state governors who attended the meeting towards resolving the cash crunch hitting the country.
The 36 state governors, who came out from the meeting venue first, left space for Buhari and Osinbajo in the middle of the front row as they prepared themselves for the photograph.
As Buhari and Osinbajo approached them and took their space for the photograph, Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, wearing his trademark long cap, cracked jokes concerning the workers’ salaries arrears.
Before the photographers could take their shots, Amosun, who was standing directly behind the President, drew the attention of Buhari, who then turned back to listen to him.
Amosun jokingly told him if it will not be better for the 36 state governors to be re- arranged for the photograph in a way that the states not owing salaries will stay in the front rows while others will be on the back rows depending on how much salaries they are owing their workers. Those owing more, he said, should stay at the back row.
Buhari and other governors smiled and laughed at the joke.
The President then tuned forward to pose for the group photograph.
