By Chesa Chesa
President Bola Tinubu’s newly appointed Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Anjuri Ngelale, on Tuesday declared that the administration would break from the past tradition and refrain from talking down on Nigerians, while giving freer access to the press.
He spoke in his first interaction since his appointment on Monday, with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He stated that the position of the Tinubu government is borne out of he conviction that the Presidency belongs to all Nigerians and not just to any political parties or any public officials.
“It belongs to over 200 million citizens of this country both at home and abroad. And it is with that understanding that we will be engaging the world. We believe it is the right, not a privilege, of every Nigerian to have full access into the affairs of the Presidential Villa, into the affairs of the office of the President and the office of the Vice president.
“We will be more open in terms of providing access to information to radio networks, television networks, newspapers and online news media than ever before.
“We are committed to ensuring that there is a zero tolerance policy on every spokesperson and every media functionary that works here in the government in terms of how we relate with Nigerians through the press.
“Gone forever, by the grace of God, are the days when government spokesmen and women will speak down to Nigerians or would use condescending language on Nigerians and would display some form of institutional arrogance on Nigerians. That would not happen under my leadership.
“I want to be very clear, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a man of empathy. He is committed to the cause of opening the Presidency to Nigerians for the benefit of not just Nigerians but for the benefit of all public office holders, because it in the interest of all public office holders to know that they are being watched so that they can be held accountable to deliver on the promises of the President in terms of the execution of government policies.
“We are going to, very shortly, announce a series of very tangible measures that have to do with the opening up of this institution on a daily basis in a deeper and more comprehensive way than has ever been seen before”, Ngelale, a broadcast journalist, declared.
He disclosed that he had spoken to his predecessors and would rely on their wisdom experience to make the job easier for him and the press.
His words: “I have had the privilege of speaking with my predecessors. I believe in institutional memory, I believe in the importance of relying on the wisdom of those who have come before us. I have spoken with Dr. Reuben Abati, I have spoken with Mr. Femi Adesina, I have spoken with Mr. Segun Adeniyi, and I will continue to deepen those engagements.
“Irrespective of political affiliations, all of us love this country and we’re going to do our best to ensure that the Nigerian media feels that it has its rightful place in the affairs of government, in the affairs of public life and that institutions are open for them to deliver right, accurate and factual information to Nigerians.”
