Special Adviser to President Goodluck
Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr.
Reuben Abati; and a former Minister of
Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, over the
weekend engaged each other in a war of
words.
Fani-Kayode had, in an article which
widely circulated online last week,
described Jonathan as a “President
without balls.” He alleged in the article
that “Nigeria has become an abattoir of
human flesh and blood under the tenure
of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan;
and all those who support him
(Jonathan) should bury their heads in
shame.”
He added that the “greatest error, the
worst tragedy and misfortune” that
Nigerians ever made is the fact that “a
meek lamb ended up taking a throne
that was designed and prepared for a
lion.”
A particular friend of Abati on Twitter,
Femi Adeoya, had sought to know his
(Abati’s) view on the article, which
became a trending topic on the social
media.
In a tweet to Abati, Adeoya asked, “Sir,
Fani-Kayode did raise some issues about
the President in the article. Can you
explain and address a few of them?”
Abati, in his response, dismissed both
the article and its writer and described
Fani-Kayode as someone whose views
should not be taken seriously.
“Femi Fani-Kayode is a commentator
without sense,” Abati stated in a Twitter
post.
But Fani-Kayode, who many regard as
one of the most controversial Nigerians
on social media, won’t let go without a
fight. He responded almost immediately
on the micro-blogging service,
disparaging Abati as a “peasant.”
“Reuben Abati is a peasant without
breeding,” he wrote on his Twitter page.
The bitter exchange of words by the duo
has divided the ranks of Nigerians on
social media. While some lauded Fani-
Kayode for putting together the piece,
which they described as well-
researched, insightful and fact-laden,
others scolded him for heating up the
polity.
Supporters of Fani-Kayode argued that
though he appeared largely
confrontational and audacious, the
issues raised in his article were, “sadly,
true.”
A Twitter user, Godwin Adukwu,
commended Fani-Kayode for his piece,
praising him for being bold enough to
always put the government of the day
on check through his constant criticisms.
“Every king worth his salt must have the
spirit of the lion and the warrior in him
to a certain extent. Whether you are a
king or a subject, courage is the greatest
of all the virtues. Would someone
please tell our President?” Adukwu
wrote.
Some agreed that there were some
issues in the article that demanded
clarification from the Presidency. One
Lanre Ankinwumi, in a tweet to Abati
wrote, “What Fani-Kayode said is the
thought of many Nigerians. Even the
blind knows when he is hungry. Almost
all units of the education sector, some in
the health sector, the Corporate Affairs
Commission, etc., are all on strike, and
President Jonathan and his cohorts still
think they are right? Boko Haram forces
1,000 teachers to flee, 50 schools burnt,
60 schools forced to close and we say
Boko Haram is not winning.”
Justifying his support for Fani-Kayode
over the article which stirred up a
hornet’s nest, another Twitter user,
Shina Abdulfatah, said Abati would have
put pen to paper and write a scathing
article of such magnitude if he hadn’t
taken up an appointment in the
Presidency.
Abdulfatah stated, “When people trade
money for honour, we have a case of a
man who was on the side of the truth
before he got a job at Aso Rock. The rest
is history. I’m sure if Abati hasn’t gotten
any appointment by now, he would be
at the forefront of people writing articles
on Jonathan’s failures.
“Fani-Kayode’s article finished Jonathan
and his cocoons. Jonathan doesn’t have
balls indeed! Instead of Abati to call his
boss and advise him, he is subbing Fani-
Kayode here on Twitter. Is that your
job?”
But, those who pitched their tent with
Abati said he shouldn’t have dignified
Fani-Kayode with a response, as doing
so amounted to dignifying “nonsense.”
One of Abati’s social media admirers,
Boatman Eldy, wrote on Twitter that
Abati should not allow name-calling to
be his forte, as such could have a dent
on his credentials.
Commenting on Twitter, Eldy said, “Sir, I
will appreciate it that you concentrate
on important national assignments and
leave that man described as Femi Fani-
Kayode alone.
“It is only people who are sick in the
head that see reason with what he
(Fani-Kayode) says. Fani-Kayode should
know for sure that Abati is above his
standards. Fani-Kayode should tell us
what he has actually accomplished in life
rather than controversy?”
A Facebook user, John Mathew-Edekin,
accused Fani-Kayode of taking pride in
bringing people down.
He wrote, “You (Fani-Kayode) will be
more confused than he (Jonathan)
appears if you are in his position. You
seem to take pleasure in bringing
people down for selfish purposes rather
than engage in constructive criticism
that can move the nation forward. It’s
high time we started placing national
interest before personal, ethnic,
religious and political interest.”
Yet, some Nigerians on social media
appear to be neither here nor there.
Those who belonged to this category
were of the opinion that the war of
words between the two was needless.
They argued that adult conversations
needed to be more productive, such
that people of their social standing
respond to issues with intelligence and
mature clarification, especially on the
social media space.
“See what governance has become!
Jokes and foolishness in high places.
How unfortunate!” Omolara Olusaiye
lamented on Twitter.
Kunle Afolayan said, “To think we are
still mourning the tragic plane crash and
71 murdered students, yet the best
coming out of these men is emptiness,
instead of setting a better example.
“You will rather fight in the mud
shamelessly. You are visionless men.
This Twitter fight showcases the exact
state of mind of our leaders.”
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