ADAPHAI Chides Presidency Over President Buharis’s Sallah Message

A Non-governmental organisation, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative(ADAPHAI) has chided the presidency over President Muhammadu  Buharis’s sallah message in Hausa, saying   it was a direct assault on the sensibility of Nigerians.

The organisation made this known in a press statement on Monday, adding that the message which supposed to be a special message for the whole of Nigerians on the occasion of the celebration must not be communicated in a language of a particular ethnic group, considering the plurality of the Nigerian nation-state.

The statement, which was signed by the Executive Director of the group, Mr Olaniyi Ajibola insisted that the said message was a clear-cut affront on the patience and perseverance of Nigerians in the face of absence of the president for months.

It added that such an affront in this critical period of Nigerian National life could be too dangerous for a country with multiple ethnic nationalities and “embedded ethnic suspicion and tension”.

According to the statement, Nigeria urgently needs more of cohesive actions and not developments that tend to divide the corporate entity.

” The presidency has again missed another opportunity to instill hope in the Nigerian populace in view of the challenges facing the country over the health of the president.

“Nigerians were  disappointed to have listened to their president speaking in a language that is intelligible to millions of Nigeria, in what supposes to be a National message.

” This error of the presidency to us is not only embarrassing but dangerously decisive and uncalled for, in a multi-ethnic composition like Nigeria.

“Sincerely, we continued to wonder what could be the thinking of the presidency for it to have released such sectional audio tape to Nigerians, except the temerity to take the people for a ride.

” The presidency should retrace its steps and be more conscious of the survival and continuity of Nigerian  corporate entity, rather than actions that suggest otherwise, ” the statement reads in part.