Rejoinder: The Phones No Longer Ring

Jeff Okoroafor

Yesterday, precisely the 25th of July 2015, I read an article authored by Reuben Abati, the Media Manager (as he puts it) to former President Goodluck Jonathan, on the above subject. Mr Abati’s conclusion in that article was that his life as a Media Manager under Goodluck Jonathan was hell and no thanks to Nigerians especially those on social media. Consequently, he opined that despite his realistic approach and forthrightness to Nigeria and Nigerians issues, he was seen as an evil that needed to have been cleared from the Jonathan’s team.

Mr Abati spoke on many issues while giving a ‘rehearsed’ personal account of his role in the State House, his article can be found here.

I agree, without doubt, that life as a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity in a country and democracy such as ours, is unimaginably tough, especially where you have to repeatedly lie to the general public without feeling strange about it, especially when the player is a man of flexible integrity and principles. Mr Abati conveyed the “intrusion” to his personal life but kept hidden, the uncountable misdeeds he orchestrated while doing a job he now pretentiously tend to abhor. I need not spell out to him or anyone, the role that both him and his colleague, Doyin Okupe, who I still await his own article, played during their time in office under the leadership of Goodluck Jonathan. It was a marathon of lies and deceit on hourly basis.

I don’t for a second buy Mr Abati’s submission that he loves the so-called Peace in his life right now as a private citizen, the truth anyone who have read his article will deduce is that he hates where he is today and wants to get back on the field. He loved the role, the negative roles he played while in power, he wants to continue, he’s very unpleased to see Nigeria traveling to a much safer path under the new leadership. He hates to imagine the sort of comparison that will surge up as Nigeria continues on this sailing boat of positive change.

Nigerians can deal with you telling them the real truth now that you are out and not under the obligation to please any pay master, than for you to continue on the path of feeding them with senseless lies and trying to curry sympathy or whatever it is your intents were.

Mr Abati, quite a lot happened in your time as Special Adviser to Jonathan, you lied to Nigerians, deceived so many persons including the international community and as a result, caused many deaths, you owe Nigerians the truth and nothing but the truth, they deserve to know why you did the things you did even when it was clear to you that you were doing the wrong thing. I need to know, they need to know, we all need to know why, Mr Abati.

Haven said that, I’d like to point out to you that your phones not ringing anymore shouldn’t come to you as a surprise, because a new boss is in town and you are no longer the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity or in your case, Media Manager.

Do the right thing Abati, forget the advise of Okupe, tell Nigerians the truth.

God bless Nigeria.