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The presidency has responded to a
trending editorial piece by a national daily, which chronicled the alleged
assaults of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on the rule of law
and press freedom.
This according to the media
outfit continues to shrink the civic space in Nigeria.
But the Special Adviser to
President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a swift
reaction said the decision of the national newspaper to refer to the president
as a “major general” is proof of press freedom.
In the editorial entitled “Buhari’s lawlessness: Our stand”, on Wednesday, the
newspaper said it will also refer to the Buhari administration as a regime
until it purges itself of “contempt for the rule of law”.
But
Adesina countered that Buhari earned the rank, adding that all over the world
retired military personnel are now “democrats”.
“A newspaper says it will henceforth address President Muhammadu Buhari by his
military rank of Major General. Nothing untoward in it. It is a rank the
President attained by dint of hard work before he retired from the Nigerian
Army. And today, constitutionally, he is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed
Forces,” Adesina said.
“All over the world, just as in
our country, a large number of retired military officers are now democrats. It
does not make those who did not pass through military service better than them.
“Rather
than being pejorative, addressing President Buhari by his military rank is
another testimony to free speech and freedom of the press, which this
administration (or regime, if anyone prefers: it is a matter of semantics) has
pledged to uphold and preserve.” ピーク ファンドリア
