Atiku rejects Onanuga’s dismissal of hunger; accuses presidency of shifting responsibility for insecurity, economic failures
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Tinubu administration over comments suggesting that media reporting and citizens’ actions contribute to perceptions of insecurity, arguing that the government should take responsibility for protecting lives and property.
The former vice-president was reacting to remarks made by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, during an appearance on Arise Television on Tuesday.
“The problem is that the media in Nigeria are even creating the problem. The way they’re reporting security is as if the entire country is consumed,” he said.
He also suggested that many security incidents occur at night despite longstanding warnings from security agencies against night travel.
“Any time I read about either kidnapping or an attack somewhere, sometimes I look at the time. I say, wow, it happened at 8 p.m, it happened at 9 p.m, sometimes 1 a.m. A long time ago, the police told people to stop travelling at night.”
Atiku questions government’s approach to insecurity
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, Atiku said the comments raised concerns about the government’s understanding of its responsibility to guarantee public safety.
“Is the presidency admitting that Nigerians can only be safe for a few hours of the day?” Atiku asked.
“Is this an official declaration that Africa’s largest economy has been reduced to an eight-hour economy where citizens must shut down their businesses, abandon legitimate travel, and retreat indoors once the sun sets?”
The former vice-president argued that citizens should not bear responsibility when criminals attack them.
“The primary duty of any government is the protection of lives and property. Citizens do not surrender their freedoms in exchange for curfews imposed by fear,” he said.
According to Atiku, insecurity across the country cannot be dismissed as media exaggeration because it reflects the experiences of many Nigerians.
“A trader travelling from Kano to Lagos, a businessman returning from Abuja to Kaduna, a farmer transporting produce to market, or a family embarking on a legitimate journey should not be blamed when criminals attack them.”
“The blame belongs squarely where it should — on those charged with securing the country.”
Atiku says insecurity and hardship require solutions
Atiku warned that normalising insecurity by advising people to avoid travelling at certain times could have serious economic consequences.
“A nation cannot prosper when its people are told that safety ends at sunset. Economies grow because people can move freely, trade freely, and conduct lawful activities without fear.”
The former vice-president also accused the administration of being disconnected from the economic realities facing many Nigerians.
He cited rising food prices, inflation, unemployment, and declining purchasing power as evidence of the hardship being experienced across the country.
“The father who goes to bed wondering how to provide the next meal for his family does not need a newspaper report to confirm hardship,” he said.
Atiku further criticised attempts to blame the media for reporting on insecurity and economic challenges.
“Blaming journalists for reporting insecurity and hardship is like blaming a thermometer for a fever,” he said.
“Nigeria does not need explanations for suffering. Nigeria needs solutions. Nigeria does not need lectures about perception. Nigeria needs results.”
The exchange follows an ongoing debate between the government and opposition figures over the state of the economy, security, and the impact of President Tinubu’s reforms on Nigerians.
