TheCable

Nigerians on Twitter are reacting to the comment of Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, on Punch newspaper’s adoption of “major general” title for President Muhammadu Buhari.

In an editorial entitled ‘Buhari’s lawlessness: Our stand’, on Wednesday, the newspaper said it will also refer to the Buhari administration as a regime until it purges itself of ”contempt for the rule of law”.

But responding to the editorial, Adesina said Buhari earned the title of major general, and that the newspaper was not out of order.

“If you decide to call him Major General, he wasn’t dashed the rank, he earned it. So, you are not completely out of order. The fact that you can do so is even another testimony to press freedom in Nigeria,” he tweeted.

If you decide to call him Major General, he wasn’t dashed the rank, he earned it. So, you are not completely out of order. The fact that you can do so is even another testimony to press freedom in Nigeria.

— Femi Adesina (@FemAdesina) December 11, 2019

Reacting to the tweet, some Nigerians accused Adesina of deliberately avoiding the focus of the editorial in order to do his job of protecting Buhari’s image at the expense of the country.

Wale Bernard, a Twitter user, sarcastically tweeted that Adesina is correct to defend the president since the media aide is now a ”major” in the government.

“You are very correct, Major Femi Adesina,” he tweeted.

Don Obinna, a commenter, said the appointment of Adesina, a former president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, as a presidential media aide revealed his true colours.

“Thank God for your appointment, we would have stupidly been referring to you as a journalist of repute. It’s a shame that a former MD of a national newspaper has no balls to advise the president properly or resign to save his face. I wonder what you will tell us after 2023,” the tweet read.

You are very correct, Major Femi Adesina.

— Wale Bernard (@waleBernard1) December 11, 2019

Thank God for your appointment, we would have stupidly been referring to you as a journalist of repute. It's a shame that a former MD of a national newspaper has no balls to advise the president properly or resign to save his face. I wonder what you will tell us after 2023

— Don Norman Obinna (@NormanObinna) December 11, 2019

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Looking for the sense in this tweet pic.twitter.com/Q7okpUFW5l

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— ιgвσ вσү тσ ∂α яσσт (@Zuchradio) December 11, 2019

See how salary is controlling human life. Salary will end one day… but what you did will be remembered forever

— Torra (@TomiwaSoughtout) December 11, 2019

Major General?? Earned it?? Remember 1983? Remember the bloody coup that ousted Shagari?? Remember??

— FSJ! (@AlayeFolorunso) December 11, 2019

Once one starts down the dark path, forever will it dominate their destiny. Consume them it will.

— A Wise Yoda Bot (@yodaism) December 11, 2019

How can they @FemAdesina + @BashirAhmaad be missing the point here even a blind deaf man can identify. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

— Dat Ijaw Boii (@Dat_Ijaw_Boii) December 11, 2019

Confirmed one.

Imagine the thought of a grown man.

Grown man. Tueh

— PO #1688PLUG 📰 (@PhilipCKO) December 11, 2019

Chai! This man has no conscience again! A whole guild! Things we do for money! Smh

— Tolexandre (@tolex_andre) December 11, 2019

@aishambuhari will soon come on you…she just gave @GarShehu his own dose…Yours is coming

— Omotayo (@Sthabbey) December 11, 2019

E dey pain you o gaga🎶🤣😂😂🤡🤡

— Dann_essy (@Dann_10) December 11, 2019

He totally missed the point, he is (or the Govt.) supposed to respond to the issues raised by punch that resulted in the name shaming. But as usual, they only read to respond. The government is becoming an assembly of hopeless case.

— Umar Ismail | اسماعيل عمر (@iswampa) December 11, 2019

🤣…
Pre 2015….this account would be praising PUNCH

This life eh

— Der Führer (@IamEkeminiEsn) December 11, 2019

Uncle Femi! Eyin na? You should contradict the narrative in that article. The image depicted in that article is horrible and this is a very pedestrian way to deal with it. Silence would have been better.

— Tolu 🇳🇬 (@TTAdetomiwa) December 11, 2019

🤡🤡 pic.twitter.com/NIRKS2p1s1

— Femi❗ (@DJPhemzydee) December 11, 2019