Posted by By LUCKY NWANKWERE, Abuja on
Presidency has reacted to Wednesday's press conference by Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka in which he took some of its aides to the cleaners, saying it has little or no time for someone who does not believe in God.
Presidency has reacted to Wednesday's press conference by Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka in which he took some of its aides to the cleaners, saying it has little or no time for someone who does not believe in God.
Asked for the Presidency's view on Soyinka's comments, the Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode said he did not bother to personally read the comment as the Presidency had given Soyinka far more attention than he deserved.
He said the Presidency had since come to a conclusion that it was meaningless entering into any form of discussion or dialogue with someone who does not believe in God.
"In any case, it is always very difficult to reason, debate or have any form of meaningful discussion or dialogue with any person that does not believe in God. The truth is that regardless of what people like Soyinka would have you believe, God is blessing Nigeria and our belief is that He will continue to do so," he averred.
Recalling that the Presidency had had cause recently to react to Soyinka's comments, Fani-Kayode said they were too busy trying to move the country forward and set the economy on a right footing than bother about what Soyinka had to say.
"Whoever he spends his time insulting for his own personal and self serving reasons, is his own business. It makes absolutely no difference to us at all and we are far too busy working on moving the nation
forward and building up the economy to be concerned about his comments," he further stated.
He contended that given where Nigerians as a people are coming from, what the country desired was constructive criticisms and meaningful contributions from well meaning Nigerians and not bitter and self-serving commentaries like Soyinka's.
Fani-Kayode absolved the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Frank Nweke of the accusation of non performance, saying other than President Olusegun Obasanjo who appointed him into that office, no one could tell him or any of the aides how to operate.
"Frank Nweke is doing an excellent job for this government and it is not for anybody to tell him or indeed any of us how to do our job other than the person that has employed us.
"We all work very closely together and I assure you we will always keep our channels open for anybody that wants to find out about the great work that this government under the leadership of Mr. President is doing", he pointed out.
Here is the full text of Fani-Kayode's statement:
I did not read it myself. My special assistant read it and briefed me on his comments. I think we have already given Prof. Soyinka far more attention than he deserves. We have absolutely no further comment about him and we have nothing more to say to him.
Whoever he spends his time insulting for his own personal and self serving reasons, is his own business.
It makes absolutely no difference to us at all and we are far too busy working on moving the nation forward and building up the economy to be concerned about his comments.
At this stage in the life of our nation, constructive criticisms and meaningful contributions is what is needed and not the expression of bitter, retrograde and self serving commentaries.
In any case, it is always very difficult to reason, debate or have any form of meaningful discussion or dialogue with any person that does not believe in God. The truth is that regardless of what people like Soyinka would have you believe, God is blessing Nigeria and our belief is that He will continue to do.
On the dismissal of the Information and National Orientation Minister, Mr. Frank Nweke's as a non-performer: He says:
No, Frank Nweke is doing an excellent job for this government and it is not for anybody to tell him or indeed any of us how to do our job other than the person that has employed us.
We all work very closely together and I assure you we will always keep our channels open for anybody that wants to find out about the great work that this government under the leadership of Mr. President is doing.