The Special adviser on Media and Publicity of President Buhari, Femi Adesina, was on air earlier today to answer some questions on the present administration. Some Nigerians however sent in their questions which he answered brilliantly.

Excerpts:

(OAP stands for On Air Personality, while SA stands for Special Adviser).

OAP: We have lots of tweets and I wouldn’t be asking much questions. This is a tweet from Florence Olumodumi asking President Buhari to publish all government officials and their phone contacts in public domain.
I don’t think so… Even Barrister Ubani is shaking his head.
This is another tweet, “We voted President Buhari based on his promise, his words should be his bond, loots should be recovered. What are your thoughts on that one, Mr Adesina?

SA: Mr. President has re-committed himself to that and he would recover looted funds. He said monies are abroad in billions of dollars, and Nigeria will ask the countries to return them. But those who took out the money will be tried here in Nigeria. He made that promise last week and there is no shaking on that one.

OAP: Olarenwaju Akeem is asking what method will President Buhari’s government use to bring past corrupt leaders to book? There is too much noise in the air.

SA: I would say, this is not targeted at anybody but the President believes that anyone who has questions to answer should be ready to answer those questions. After answering the questions, if they are found quilty, they would be tried.

OAP: I want to ask this, on the appointment of Ministers, are we still looking at September? I just want you to say either Yes or No.

SA: Yes is the answer.

OAP: Good. There are issues of these corruption cases and some of us are really supportive that the government should go all out, investigate and recover our stolen monies but people are saying that there is so much in the air, in newspapers and on the social media. Some of us are saying that they would rather want security agents to go all out to find those culpable and with overwhelming evidence, charge them to court immediately. We don’t want issue of we will probe or investigate. Nigerians would rather like to see action rather than all these. I don’t know what you have to say.

SA: The President has said that it’s a matter of weeks, and anybody alleged to have stolen money will appear in court. We are almost there. And because of the caliber of those involved, it is also good to prepare the ground. So that nobody will shout of being unjustly persecuted.

OAP: Please sir, I want you to bear in mind that almost 96 or 97 per cent of Nigerians are in support of the President to fight the corruption war. And he should not at any time be pressured or distracted or intimidated by the few political elites that have looted money from our treasury all these while. We may not all be in Abuja to lend our support but I tell you that all over the country, the reaction of people on the streets and on Social media is that they are clearly behind their President on this fight. And he must not fail because failure in this regard means that he will lose the goodwill of most Nigerians that actually elected him. I just want to chip this in to encourage Mr President.

SA: I will pass that information across.

OAP: Thank you. Talking about passing information to Mr President, Gbenga Segun is on Twitter this morning , and he says Nigerians want Mr President to publicise his assets within his 100 days. And how sure are you that President Buhari will make it happen within his 100 days, which is close by?

SA: Well, that is an issue on which statements have been released. I would rather say we leave it at what has been said, what is in the public domain already. Don’t also forget from the interview in the Punch newspaper last Sunday, Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau said that assets have not been verified. The forms have been deposited but yet to be verified.

OAP :And why would it take this long to verify?

SA: Well, the Code of Conduct Bureau said it has not concluded verification yet.

OAP: We don’t want the lethargy of the process to be a hindrance to the President in declaring his assets publicly. It is important for some of us who supported him that these assets must be made public and that of the Vice President. It is very important for some of us, because a lot of people have been calling us names, saying the President made a promise and is not fulfilling it.

SA: I am sure the President would do the right thing.

OAP: There is the fixed charges issue trending online and Nigerians are not particularly happy about the response of NERC’s Dr Sam Amadi. He said that fixed charges are inevitable. You don’t give light and you still go ahead to charge. It does not make sense. The president should intervene on this.

SA: Ministry of Power was in a meeting with the President last week and I remember that I saw Dr. Amadi there. I will also pass this across.

OAP: This is from Fashina Taiwo and he says , ” Sir, will the President include the physically challenged in his cabinet?

SA: Well, I can’t say definitely, as the president has the final prerogative on who makes his cabinet. But he surely cares for the physically challenged.

OAP: I have another tweet from Oluwadare, “What exactly is the President doing about high electricity bill and that of NITEL? It is in the news today.

SA: Just yesterday, the President asked of details of the sale of NITEL when the Ministry of Communication Technology came on a briefing. The President himself said that NITEL assets have actually been thrown away, and that is to show you he is on top of it, ..

OAP: Everyone has a question for the President on Twitter on corruption , which you have answered. On our own, I think Barrister Ubani has some questions, that he may want to ask.

Ubani: The issues of forgery case in the Senate, and ICPC investigating Mike Okiro ( former IG) and coming up with an indictment. They said he should return some money, but exonerated him on administrative issues. I don’t understand that. And again, the forgery case of Senate rules, there is a report this morning that the Ministry of Justice and Police are saying we have received and not received the reports and all that.

SA: I followed the two matters closely. Yes, I know that there was a police report on the Senate rules saga, but we need to wait till charges are filed. But on the ICPC and former IG, the Ministry of Justice may need to advise on that.

OAP : There is this tweet from Akinfemiwa Segun, which says, Sir, what does it take for an ordinary Nigerian to have a one on one with Mr President.

SA: Good, good! We are working on something that will make Nigerians to be able to interact with Mr President from time to time. And when that matures, it will be unfolded and that person who asked that question will get the opportunity.

OAP: When the President comes to Lagos, will you bring him to Radio Continental?

SA: Don’t be surprised that Mr President may just show up (General laughter) .

OAP: You have worked with the President for a while now, what is it like, being there?

SA: I would say it is awesome! You know , for me, I see it as a national assignment. I came from a job that you would call a comfort zone and I had to leave that to work here. I will tell you that I am happy doing it and as I see things unfolding in the country, I am quite glad because those are the things I’d always wanted to see.

OAP: Does the President entertain your arguments, as his Special Adviser?

SA: Do you know on my first day of resumption, that was what he told me. The President said ” Please, tell me the truth always. I am a General, I may argue, but please argue with me. ”

More laughter

OAP: That is a good one.

SA: Since I have that opportunity, I have always argued with him, as necessary.

OAP ; Beautiful, beautiful. Abraham Lanre Sule is asking on Twitter, what is Mr President doing on education and teachers’ welfare.

SA: Yes, we have a timeline of September for government to be fully formed. All those will be looked into.

OAP: We will take two questions finally. This one is from Ayo Sobiye ,”Has the President started building new prisons?”

Cuts in…Adesina’s throaty laughter

SA: The President is not after keeping people in prisons rather, he is interested in keeping them out of prisons.

OAP : Owolabi Akande says, “Mr Adesina, how can someone who has valuable information to pass to the President go about it?”

SA: Oh! That is why my numbers are open, my email is there too. I have not changed my numbers because we need to interface with the public. At times, my phones ring round the clock and I do pick. But if I don’t pick, it could only mean that I am with the President or at an area in the Villa where service is poor, that is when you can’t get me. One good thing about the president is that once you pass a document to him, he reads it instantly, he does not take and keep aside. It has happened severally.

OAP : Thank you so much sir for joining us this morning.

SA: The pleasure is mine. Thank you.