Presidency Berates Chieftain of CNM over Claim of Sallah Day Bombing

• Nigeria has become an abbatoir under Buhari, Osuntokun replies

Jonathan Eze

The Presidency thursday berated a chieftain of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), Chief Akin Osuntokun, for allegedly claiming on Tuesday that a bomb blast occurred on Eid-el-Kabir day in Maiduguri, Borno State, killing 88 people.

But in a swift response, Osuntokun came down heavily on presidency for describing him as an enemy of the people over his comment, adding that Nigeria has become an abbatoir under Buhari.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement, said telling lies of that kind betrayed a mind taken over by ill wishes against his own country.

Adesina urged Osuntokun and others to realise that Nigeria is the only country they have and they cannot swallow poison and expect it to kill the next person.

He said till the Sallah holidays ended, no bomb blast was recorded in any part of the country.
This, he said, was contrary to what used to happen before the advent of the present administration, when insurgents turned such festivals to an orgy of killings in many parts of the country.

The presidential spokesman said the administration was making strides in securing the country, fighting corruption, and reviving the economy.

The statement read, “On Tuesday, August 21, 2018, Akin Osuntokun, a chieftain of the stillborn Coalition for Nigeria Movement, appeared on Politics Today programme of Channels Television, and made the false claim that a bomb blast had gone off earlier in the day, killing about 88 people in Maiduguri, Borno State.

“Osuntokun, a newspaper columnist and public affairs commentator, has never hidden his antipathy towards the Muhammadu Buhari administration, but to go on national television and tell lies of the most heinous kind betrays a mind taken completely over by ill wishes against his own country.

“Sallah Day had passed quietly and peacefully, without even a firecracker going off, let alone bomb blast. That was contrary to what used to happen before the advent of the Buhari administration, when such festivals were turned to orgy of killings in many parts of the country by insurgents.

Responding, Osuntokun berated presidency for describing him as an enemy of the people over his comment, adding that Nigeria has become an abbatoir under Buhari.

He noted that no serious and humane government quibbles with figures when lives are being lost on daily basis.
The statement read in parts: “Further to what I have said, the two incidents happened the same day-and they occur with such frequency that it is difficult to keep pace with the orgy of bloodletting all over the country almost on a daily basis.

“Take note that the presidential spokesman made no mention of the one reported by Reuters on the same day-that 68 people died. If I am the enemy of the people by highlighting the failure of the government, what then do you call a government under whose dispensation Nigeria has become an abbatoir?

“Whether it is 68 or 88 people that were killed, should a serious and humane government be quibbling about figures? This is yet another confirmation of the cruel and blundering insensitivity of this government-ignoring leprosy while chasing after guinea worm-as the Yoruba would say. And remember this is a government that claimed it had defeated Boko Haram since two years ago.”