When a government keeps on lying to its populace, then the whole country is in trouble. For the past three years now we have been witnessing all sorts of lies from the presidency.
Let me start with the latest lie by the presidency through one of his spokesmen Reuben Abati, whom Femi Fani Kayode once referred to as amateur and cheeky. Mr Abati claimed that the security agencies are still investigating Sheriff and that the president will not interfere.
Mr Abati also claimed that the president did not travel together to Chad with Sherrif and any contact between the duos was only at the airport when Sherrif accompanied some dignitaries to the airport to receive the president.
Does Mr Abati or the office he is representing know the meaning of conflict of interest? What message is the presidency sending to the already compromised security agencies about an alleged Boko Haram sponsor? When a president that is directing an agency to investigate a suspect is now exhibiting a shocking act of indiscretion by hobnobbing with the same suspect, how do you expect the security outfit to carry out their duty without fear or favour?
Is the presidency aware of an offence called “an accessory before the fact, or accessory after the fact" which the president can also be charged for immediately if he loses his immunity?
If truly Modu Sheriff is been investigated as claimed by Reuben Abati, how was he able to found his way to Chad? Why he still in custody of his international passport or his diplomatic passport? A crime as severe as terrorism should not be treated with a kid gloves, because we were all aware of the incident of the former CBN governor Lamido Sanusi when both his international passport and his diplomatic were confiscated by the highly compromised DSS even for a lesser offence of mismanagement. Modu Sheriff has been indicted by different bodies and countries, would the presidency pretend not to be aware of this? This accused fellow should not be allowed to leave the country because a sponsor of terrorism is as dangerous as the terrorists themselves.
Reuben Abati lied that Mr Sheriff only met the president at the airport, when the indicted photographs in circulation show the suspect together with the president in a meeting with the Chadian president.
The APC spokesman threw some questions at the presidency which up until now no one has had the courage to reply except the jester known as Olisa Metuh, who is known for lousy statements with no substance.
The questions were: why would the president even allow Sheriff into the venue of his meeting with the Chadian president? Can anyone just go and be sitting with President Jonathan in a meeting with the Chadian president just because the fellow happens to be in the Chadian capital at the time? What happened to security clearance, protocol etc?
What message is the president sending to the security agencies by circulating the picture of the accused with himself? Is that subtle message to the security agencies that the accused is a friend of the president, hence he is untouchable?
The action by President Jonathan confirms that he either knows more than he is willing to admit on the issue of those who are behind the Boko Haram insurgency or he is willing to sacrifice the battle against terrorism on the altar of political expediency. Either way, this action by the president is the height of indiscretion at best or a palpable exhibition of callowness at worst. Whichever way we look at it, President Jonathan can be charged for both accessory and conspiracy after his tenure. Just as Mr Fani Kayode said in one of his write-ups “Abati should shut up and let his boss speak for himself on this one."
Another latest lie by this government is the issue of the controversial hashtag designed for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan. The #BringBackJonathan hashtag which has blanketed different parts of the country with banners and billboards has provoked outrage within Nigeria and abroad because it mimics the hashtag of for the abducted girls who have been taken into captivity for more than 150 days.
This annoying hashtag has-been in circulation for more than two weeks, started by the presidency through one of his overzealous spokesmen, Doyin Okupe.
Surprisingly Mr. Abati claimed that the presidency was not aware of the offensive hashtag. Who is Reuben Abati fooling? He should please respect the doctorate degree is parading even if he does not care about his reputation and his family’s name.
In 2013, when SaharaReporters reported about the 600-man delegation President Jonathan took to the UN General Assembly, Mr. Abati denounced the story as lacking in substance. Lies may travel a thousand miles, but truth will always catch up with them.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Wali, had just corroborated the story, that President Jonathan did lead a 600-man delegation to the United Nations General Assembly last year. This disclosure was made while he was addressing heads of ministries, departments and agencies.
Reuben Abati where is your conscience?
During one of the media chats of President Jonathan, he claimed that Transparency International noted that Nigeria was the second most improved country in the effort to curb corruption. The group immediately replied by disowning Mr. President's claim.
The president claimed that Nigeria is generating 5000 MW of electricity; the Transmission Company of Nigeria debunked that claim and said that at no time has the country electricity generation capacity reached a peak of 5000MW.
A road project (known as five junctions) which was executed by Edo State government under Adams Oshiomhole, the federal government was trying to be clever by halve by showcasing as one being undertaking by them.
The government always telling us that they are on top of the situation in curbing the menace of Boko Haram, only to be hearing the killing of innocent students in Mubi, marathon of bombing in Abuja and the abduction of the Chibok girls.
Only last year the government was telling us he has created 1.3 millions jobs. When the minister of finance was asked where the ghost jobs are, she could not lay her hands on any.
This PDP-led federal government lives on lies, feeds on lies, and operates on lies.