25th March, 2024
Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said he will apologize to newspapers for denying them the opportunity of making money through congratulatory advertorials on his birthday.
The President said this while further explaining he decreed that there should not be any elaborate event or congralatory message to celebrate his 72nd birthday coming up on 29 March, according to a statement posted on the X handle of his Special Adviser on Information, Bayo Onanuga.
While further restating the reason for the decision not to mark his birthday with any elaborate ceremony, Tinubu said
such ceremony will be out of tune with the national mood.
“Besides, he didn’t want government agencies to use public money to place congratulatory adverts for him.
“He restated that he would rather want well wishers give the money to orphanages or old people’s homes.
“He acknowledged that newspapers who were expecting to make money may have been hurt. “I know they will be angry with me. But I will apologize to them later”, Tinubu was quoted as saying.
Tinubu had in a statement issued by Onanuga on Sunday said in deference to the challenging times, he will not host any birthday event and does not want any of his associates and numerous well-wishers across the country to organise any celebratory event on his behalf or in his name.
“President Tinubu appreciates the honour of being the leader of Africa’s leading nation at this time and he is working very hard to make life better for the generality of our people”
According to him, because of the present mood of the nation and recent killing of the officers and men of our Army and Police in Delta State and recent spate of security breaches by criminal elements in different parts of Nigeria, there should be no form of birthday event and placing of birthday goodwill advertorial messages in newspapers.
The President said goodwill messages should not be placed on radio and television stations too.
“President Tinubu enjoins friends and associates who may wish to place goodwill advertorials to kindly donate the money to charity organisations of their choice in his name.
“Although the President appreciates the gallantry of our armed forces in freeing our children kidnapped in Kuriga, Kaduna State and in Sokoto State, he will use the opportunity of his birthday to reflect and re-dedicate himself to the task of building a more stable, more secure, virile, prosperous and united Nigeria,” Onanuga said.