Vice President Kashim Shettima, last week, stressed that his principal, President Bola Tinubu meant well for Nigeria’s northern region.
Another story from the Presidency is also reviewed to entertain those of you who read it.
1. Wearing a washerwoman’s hat
On June 26, Shettima said contrary to the views of some critics, Tinubu loves the north, and is not indifferent to the challenges of insecurity, and food security, plaguing the region.
Speaking when he received a delegation from the Federal Government led by Femi Gbajabiamila, who was in Kano on a condolence visit, he said: “…The President is a good man and has a clean heart. He means well for Kano, for North Korea, and for his country.”
Three days later, on June 29, Shettima hit back at those who mocked Tinubu’s gaffe at Eagles Square, Abuja, during the June 12 democracy day celebrations.
He was quoted as saying at the PEBEC Town Hall Meeting in Abuja, “When the President stumbles… It is not only disappointing and disheartening, it is also debilitating and heartbreaking that some of our citizens celebrate him.”
The Vice President’s seemingly washerwoman-like intervention may signal a desperate attempt to repair certain gaps in reputation management observed in Tinubu’s unstable media team.
If that was not the case, then it could be that Shettima had appointed himself ‘chief laundry officer’ to impress his superiors or occupy himself further, as his office probably had few tasks to complete.
In the absence of either of these allegations, Shettima’s statement may cast the Vice President as a savvy salesman determined to convince the public of the values articulated by the government and/or the country’s underappreciated leadership.
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Whatever happened, Shettima was praised for remaining steadfast in her stance.
One other talking point
2. Ensure cohesion among state governors
On June 27, President Tinubu encouraged state governors to work together to meet the needs of Nigerians.
“Our countries must work together to implement the critical reforms required of us to meet the needs of our people. Time is human’s most valuable asset. We will never have enough. It’s too late now,” the president said in Abuja.
Tinubu’s rebuke, once again, serves as a reminder of Nigeria’s fragile federal structure which has been trapped by certain opaque relationships where the president is seen as the principal who gives instructions!
As long as the needful is not done through frank talks about the Nigerian project, the president is most likely talking to a group of greedy people whose sole aim is to plunder the country’s resources for personal gain.
However, the critical question that is often asked is whether the central government performs better than the states? The answer may be in the wind.
ASO ROCK WATCH Post: When Shettima donned a washerwoman’s cap. Another talking point first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.
