Evil people trying to twist Buhari’s comments in Imo – Presidency

The Presidency has expressed concern that the comments made by President Muhammadu Buhari at the meeting with South East leaders during his one-day visit to Imo State are being “twisted out of context.”

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, said in a statement on Sunday that “purveyors of disinformation want Nigerians to believe that the President bluntly told Governor Uzodinma, ‘I’ll be careful with your future invitations’.”

Adesina alleged that these purveyors of disinformation have adduced different meanings to the phrase, contrary to the context wherein the president spoke during his dialogue with the Igbo leaders.

According to him, when the president arrived at the banquet hall of Imo State Government House for his last assignment in Owerri, he was welcomed by over 50 leaders from the South East who had waited patiently for him for a Town Hall engagement, after commissioning strategic projects in the state.

Adesina said the sheer calibre and number of these Igbo leaders of thought made the president make the comment in his extempore speech.

The array of Igbo leaders include the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor; former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd); former Senate President Ken Nnamani; former military governor in old Imo State, Senator Ike Nwachukwu; the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe; Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, and deputy governors of Abia, Anambra and the SSG of Enugu State, who represented the governor

Others were the Anglican Archbishop of Owerri Province, Most Rev David Onouha and his brother Bishop of Enugu, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo, among others.

“An elated President Buhari made it clear that he was expressly overwhelmed by the reception and galaxy of personalities that travelled from the five South Eastern states to have a heart-to-heart discussion with him in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

“His words were clear: ‘’I am overwhelmed by this reception, overwhelmed in the sense that when I accepted the invitation by the Imo State Governor, who wants to justify investments the government has done to the people of Imo State, I thought I would see the bridges, the  roads and a few renovations.

“‘He didn’t tell me he was going to get the whole Igbo leadership here. So, in the future when he invites me, I’ll know what to do. But I think he has done what the military didn’t like. He has achieved surprise. He has surprised me beyond description.’,” Adesina said.

According to him, later, in his concluding statement, the president made reference to his earlier remarks on the ‘surprise’ action pulled by the governor and quipped on a lighter note: “Governor of Imo State, I cannot thank you enough, but I will be careful with your future invitations.’’

These he said purveyors of disinformation we’re attempting to twist out of context.