by Alexander O. Onukwue

Being a Presidential aide is a duty that comes with much responsibility and popularity. It is something of a poisoned chalice, especially in situations when the President would be in need of constant defence against barrage of inquiries from the media and the people in general.

The best of aides navigate such tricky circumstances by leveraging on their experience as great communicators. Apparently, Ms Lauretta Onochie does not know what that means.

As Personal Assistant on Social Media, Ms Onochie has taken it to be her duty to trash and tarnish any person who tries to lay any criticism or bad word against her boss. To her, she takes no prisoners, fighting everyone from celebrities like 2Face Idibia and Charles Oputa, to every politician who as much as coughs and does not say “Bless Buhari”.

In her recent interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels TV, the spokeswoman dropped another ‘L’ by insisting Nigerians had no business asking for details of the President’s health status. She said he is a “private citizen” and that the people were being “disrespectful” and “intrusive”. Buttressing her point on social media, she has written that Buhari will return when his doctors say he will, and “not because Deji Adeyanju and Charles Oputa are earning their keep”.

Ms Onochie’s remarks bear a semblance to the Facebook post written by Femi Adesina, another Presidential aide, some weeks ago, though that particular one was more a response to a piece by Femi Fani-Kayode. However, the common theme is that the media team of the President seems firm in their stance with their boss that he deserves to be left alone in London and Nigerians should stay off his health.

If that is what they mean, that must appear disrespectful to all Nigerians, and not just the 15 million who made Buhari President in 2015. The media aides and Ms Onochie, in particular, should not tell Nigerians that they are being disrespectful for inquiring about the health of the President whose health bills they foot. Indeed anybody can get sick but President Buhari is not “anybody”; he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who has sworn to bear TRUE ALLEGIANCE to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

While it was not the complete truth, President Yar’Adua told Nigerians he suffered from Acute Pericarditis; in fact, it was announced by a media aide, Olusegun Adeniyi. Why should it be disrespectful to want to just a little something about what Buhari is going through right now?

Editor