Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar
has lamented that his social media
engagement has, of late, been marred
by barrage of criticisms.
In a blog and Facebook post, he said he
had been made an object of vituperative
utterances; but added that the
criticisms were “understandable” due to
the “crushing weight of our challenges
as a country.”
Atiku argued that his social media
followers who are university students,
for instance, have a reason to direct
their anger and frustration at him
because it’s difficult for them to have a
subsisting hope in the Nigerian Project
after having been forced to sit at home
for months.
He said, “When you’re a university
student forced to sit at home for
months, due to no fault of yours, I
realise that it is difficult to understand
why you should have any hope in your
country. What you want to do is lash out
at a system that keeps conspiring to let
you down. That is understandable.
“Understandably, there are a lot of
complaining voices. And I’m speaking
from experience, as a former political
office holder now active on Facebook
and Twitter, and often the object of a
lot of anger and frustration.”
The former number two citizen who
enjoined his online followers never to
allow their “frustrations to blind” them,
explained that he had been working
round the clock with a view to
“generating and highlighting solutions to
the pressing problems” bedeviling the
nation.
He stated that an essay competition he
introduced, focusing on the solutions to
the challenges bedeviling the education
sector, in which the winner will be
awarded a scholarship; and his
“impressive ‘American University’
concept,” which he “transplanted” to
Nigeria, were some of his efforts aimed
at “creatively solving our problems.”
“Thus was the American University of
Nigeria born. Change is possible in
Nigeria. Ideas can survive and thrive
here. But we must start by paying
attention to them. Let us discuss them,
tweet them, Facebook them, blog
them,” Atiku enjoined.
However, Atiku’s sermons did not
placate the anger of many of his online
followers, as they further disagreed with
him on his discourse on national issues
and gave him more knocks.
Many of those who commented on his
Facebook page said they were at a loss
as to how Atiku, who served as Vice-
President for eight years, could turn
around and become a “saint overnight.”
They accused the Turaki Adamawa of
merely seeking public sympathy through
his social media engagement. “It’s only
in Nigeria that past political leaders turn
around and become saints overnight.
Sir, let me correct this impression of
yours: we know vividly that you are part
of our problem. What was your
antecedent while in power?”
Aderinboye George wrote.
Some of his followers also argued that
the American University of Nigeria,
which he was referring to as one of his
achievements, was not set up to benefit
the masses.
“Oga Atiku, how much is the tuition fee
of your university? You started that
school with around N900, 000 as tuition
fee! Only God knows how much it is
now. How have you helped us?” one
Akila Joshua asked.
Corroborating Joshua’s argument, one
Obafemi Adesina-Salami wrote, “Please
sir, how affordable is the American
University of Nigeria, which we heard
you built with the interest of Nigerian
parents at heart? Why should you leave
qualitative education in Nigeria for the
super rich?”
A particular Facebook friend, Michael
Amos, said, “Atiku, you are not better in
anyway; believe me, you are a notice
seeker. If Nigeria is as bad as you are
painting it, it means you contributed to
it. You were in an administration that
pioneered this democracy, which you
now criticise as being in a state of
collapse.
“By saying you understand our
complaints with the system, it shows
you did not lay a lasting foundation.
With regard to this obvious wrong
foundation, it is wrong to have you
blame the state of the nation on
anybody; unless you live in perpetual
irresponsibility.”
The Presidency has also reacted to
Atiku’s blog post, saying he was merely
“politicising” on the social media the
strike embarked upon by university
teachers.
Special Assistant to the President on
New Media, Reno Omokri, in a Twitter
post said, “Atiku sir, Please, understand
that governments face strikes all the
time. Under your tenure, even the
Nigeria Police went on strike. Let’s not
politicise this.”
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