For Criticising Buhari, Ganduje Suspends Media Adviser |The Source

By Akinwale Kasali

As expected, Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Sunday, suspended his Special Adviser on Media, Salihu Yakasai, with immediate effect, for criticising  President Muhammadu Buhari.

Yakassai had on Sunday, criticised Buhari for not having any empathy for Nigerians  over #EndSars campaign.

He said it was unfortunate that Buhari  had not addressed Nigerians amid nationwide protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force.

In a tweet on his handle, @dawisu, Yakassai said the President has no empathy for Nigerians by his inaction.

Later on Sunday, too, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, announced the dissolution of SARS.

Yakasai tweeted, “I have never seen a government with zero empathy like that of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“So many times when his people are going through a difficult time and expect some sort of tap on shoulder to reassure them that he is in charge, but he failed to do so.

“The ‘I don’t care attitude’ is on another level.

“To speak to your own people over issues that are bedevilling them has become something like a favour you are doing to them.

“Over and over again, you cannot spare five minutes to address the nation to calm them down, the same people you went to the 36 states to beg for their votes, it is heartbreaking.”

Shocked at Yakassai’s tweet,    the Kano State Government, in a statement, described Yakasai’s comments as “unguarded utterances”

His suspension the Government said, is with immediate effect.

Titled ‘Ganduje Suspends Media Aide Over Attack On Buhari’ and signed by the Commissioner for Information, Muhammed Garba, the  statement released  Sunday afternoon read in  part:

“Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has suspended his Special Adviser on Media, Salihu Tanko Yakasai over some unguarded utterances on the person of President Muhammadu Buhari on the social media platform.

“The state Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, who conveyed the governor’s directive in a statement this afternoon, said the suspension is with immediate effect.

“He said that though the media aide has owned up the indiscreet comment as his personal opinion, but that as a public figure, it will be difficult to differentiate between personal opinion and official stand on matters of public concern.

“The Governor, therefore, warned political appointees and public servants to guard against making statements capable of drawing unnecessary controversy and heating up the polity.”

Yakassai is the second aide Ganduje would suspend from office over criticisms against Buhari. The first was his former Commissioner for Works.