Coronavirus: Buhari Accused of Dereliction of Duty

Pat Stevens/

Governance expert and Country Director, Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI), Dr. Joe Abah, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of dereliction of duty for his failure to personally address Nigerians on the efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Abah stated this while reacting to the claim by Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, that the President’s lack of regular briefings on Covid-19 is a matter of style.

Adesina, who was speaking on a programme on Channels TV, Politics Today, said there was no lack of communication from the President on the Coronavirus pandemic because he speaks regularly to Nigerians through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

“If it becomes imperative for the President to speak, he will speak. But the President’s style is that if he gives you an assignment, he lets you do it,” Adesina added.

But Abah, in his reaction, disagreed with Adesina, stressing that it was the duty of the President to reassure the citizens at a time such as this.

Abah wrote, “No, Mr @FemAdesina. The President has a DUTY to address the nation, reassure citizens and set out clear plans for addressing the #CoronaVirusInNigeria crisis. Not doing your duty is not a matter of style. It is dereliction of duty.”