President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday spurned
reports suggesting he regretted that his age would limit the extent to which he
could perform in office as President.
The said
reports in some national dailies (LEADERSHIP not inclusive) has interpreted
what Buhari told the Nigerian community at the Nigerian Consulate in
Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday to mean the President said he would have
loved being a President when he was at a younger age.
“I wish I
became Head of State when I was a governor. Now at 72, there is a limit to what
I can do”, he had stated.
But clarifying
on what he actually meant when he made reference to his age, Buhari who said
nothing could be farther from the truth that the said reports observed that on
the contrary, as the saying goes, “old wines are tasty”.
Speaking
through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the
President noted that the Buhari Nigerians have in him today “is a man, like old
wine, that has got tastier.
“At 72, yes,
he can’t be called a youth, but he has in quantum the wisdom, the patience,
temperance and forbearance that age brings”, Adesina added.
Recalling that
the President himself had rightly told the Nigerian community that he was
speaking extempore because he wanted to “speak from the heart”, Adesina said
the Buhari was only urging them “to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, a country
he went to the warfront to keep together”.
In a statement
made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday evening, Adesina said, “Still extolling
the virtues of our country, Nigeria, the President, who had served as a
military governor of the then North-Eastern State at 33 years old, declared:
“The above
comments have been reported by some newspapers to mean that the President was
saying he was too old to cope with the demands of his office. Far from it”.
He added that
the president has brought all these virtues of wisdom, patience, temperance and
forbearance to the presidency to make a difference in the country’s national
life.
Still
recalling what Buhari said, the presidential spokesman said, “The President
assured the Nigerian community in South Africa that his Administration will
make a positive impact on the country. And that he would do.
“Insecurity as
symbolized by insurgency will be brought to an end, corruption will be fought
to a standstill, employment will be created for the teeming army of unemployed,
the economy will be revived, and the quality of life of Nigerians will take an
upward swing again.
“These will
not come by a sudden flight, but they will happen in the life of this Administration.
At 72, the Buhari persona has not changed. He remains the simple, honest,
incorruptible patriot he has always been.
“And because
Nigerians earnestly desired change, that was why they voted for him
overwhelmingly at the general elections in March, this year. All the virtues
and values of the Buhari persona will be deployed into governance in the weeks
and months ahead”.
He further
said the Nigerian community in South Africa “was enthralled as President Buhari
spoke with them on Monday”, adding that “in fact, leaving the venue was an
effort, as they swarmed round the President, who shook hands with as many of
them as he could.
“They took his
message well. That is the essence of good wine. It gets better with age. And it
is a message for all Nigerians, both at home and in the Diaspora”, he
explained.
0 comments:
Post a Comment