ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has asked the aides of President Goodluck Jonathan, especially those in-charge of information and communication to sit up and take their responsibilities serious in order to avoid misleading the public on important national issues.
The party which had earlier expressed outrage over the claim made by the President in his independence anniversary broadcast to the nation, said the aides must understand that every speech credited to the President ought to be regarded as a fact.
In a statement issued Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the reason given for the President’s gaffe on Nigeria’s anti-corruption rating is too cheap to believe.
The party chided those engaged in communication or speech writing for the President, cautioning that they should take their job more seriously.
“The point that is lost on these indolent aides is that every presidential speech is a reference document. Therefore, packing it with lies and unverified claims is totally condemnable, in addition to being a disservice to the President,” the party said.
It advised the aides of the President to be more meticulous in their job rather than running to the press at the slightest opportunity to lambast the opposition and denigrate the media as their latest whipping boy.
By the Presidency to blame the inaccurate claim on Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts, contained in the President’s 52nd anniversary speech, on the media, saying that action is worse than the original gaffe.
“It is lazy and irresponsible for handsomely-remunerated presidential aides to lift the claim of Nigeria’s supposed progress in the anti-corruption effort from a newspaper and insert such in a presidential speech without confirmation. But then anything is possible in a rookie presidency populated by apprentice aides,” the party said.
“It is even worse that those who committed this gaffe and made their principal and the entire country to look bad are justifying their action and, instead of owning up, shifting the blame to the so-called opposition.