The new Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, has vowed that there will be no more use of condescending language by government spokespersons on Nigerians.
“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”, Ngelale declared at a brief engagement with the State House Press Corps, Tuesday.
He earlier announced that he has “humbly accepted the appointment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to serve as his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and as the official spokesperson of the President.
“The first and most important point I would want to make is that this institution belongs to Nigerians. It does not belong to any political party. It does not belong to any public official. 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 but the right of every Nigerian to have full access to the affairs of the Presidential Villa, 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.
“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 is 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 and we are going to, in very short order, announce a series of very tangible measures that have to do with the opening up of this institution daily more deeply and comprehensively than has ever been seen before.
“The last point I want to make is that 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. And irrespective of political affiliations, all of us love this country. And we’re going to do our bit 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.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the appointment of Ngelale as Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Monday.
