3rd July, 2023
The Speaker of House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas has emphatically has disowned his media aide, Godfrey Gaiya, over his criticism of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Gaiya had in the interview accused Buhari of failure to fight corruption in his eight years in office, contrary to his promise before his election.
He also accused the former President of deceiving Nigerians to believe that he is righteous, while many became billionaire under his watch with corrupt practices.
Gaiya spoke while responding to questions of what he will tell the former President if he meets him face to face.
“I will bluntly tell him that he failed. I will tell him: ‘Buhari, you have failed.’ He deceived Nigerians into believing that he is all righteous, but behind his so-called righteousness was hellish corruption.
“We have seen and we will still see the number of people that became multi-billionaires under Buhari. If you don’t fight corruption or turn the other side when you see evils, allowing the evils to continue, when you are supposed to be in charge and call them to order, you have failed.
“So, Buhari failed Nigeria in many areas. We are the highest indebted nation in Africa under eight years of Buhari’s administration.”
However, the Speaker Abbas, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Kirshi, said Gaiya’s views were not endorsed by him
Abbas said: “It has come to the attention of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (PhD), that one of his aides granted an interview to a national daily in which he made some unsuitable comments.
“For the record, the said aide, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, did not have the imprimatur of the Speaker to grant such an interview. Therefore, the comments were those of Godfrey Gaiya and not those of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Speaker Abbas has a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, who serves as his spokesman. All official statements from the Speaker come from his spokesman.
“It is pertinent to mention that the Speaker has tremendous respect for and enjoys same from former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, and will not say or do anything that will negatively affect his good relationship with them.
“The public should take note.”