The Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Bayo Onanuga has clarified his intentions following the backlash from his earlier post.

Recall that Nigerian blasted the NAN MD for posting on his Facebook wall that the suffering of Nigerians was mere political propaganda.

Addressing te post and clarifying his intent, Onanuga took to his Facebook wall to write:

“I need to make myself crystal clear to all those who have responded, some with vulgar abuse, some with disparaging remarks, to my statement on Facebook on the situation in my country.



First is that many people demonstrated in their reactions that they did not understand what I wrote. They simply read my statement upside down or ill-digested it. Several points I raised were mere hypotheses, mere suppositions, not conclusions. I asked: is it true? Have we been exaggerating our economic conditions? Can the media conduct some reality check?

In saying so, I remember a photograph of kwashiorkored kids published recently by one of our respected newspapers to illustrate ‘the hardship’ in the land. Of course, the photograph does not reflect any true reality about Nigeria, it was lifted from a foreign publication.

I thank all those who responded by countering my hypothesis with their own propositions about our condition.

I agree we all live in different parts of the country and I fully accept we see things in different light.

Second, no where in my statement did I suggest that our country is not going through a difficult time and that our people are not going through some hardship. The President himself has admitted this on several occasions.

As the economic crisis rages on, everyone has been affected one way or the other, including those in government at all levels. Even Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote has had his wealth vastly reduced by the economic crisis.

As Nigerians we need to understand very quickly that we are going through the worst economic crisis in our history. Wailing, apportioning blames are not, in my view, the appropriate reactions to the crisis. We need to begin to change the way we live. If you are used to consuming imported things such as Thailand Rice, American Long Grain rice, the times dictate we jettison the idea and go for local Abakaliki or Ofada rice. If you like foreign dresses, it’s time to switch to the locally made fabrics. If you have a vehicle that guzzles petrol, it’s time to switch to fuel efficient ones.

And the latter reminds me of the American reaction when crude was trading at $140 a few years ago. Many Americans dumped their SUVs. Many of the rejected vehicles were shipped to Nigeria. Now that petrol price is high in our country, as a result of the Avengers crisis and the unfavourable forex regime, is it not time also we copied the Americans, dumped the SUVs and jumped on public transport or shared transport?

My takeaway from my experience today is that Nigerians seldom read critically any post. We read superficially and make comments, most often trivialising serious issues.

And finally, I have spent the past 36 years post-graduation defending the cause of the Nigerian people. Contrary to some opinions, my view is not influenced by my official position. Those who peddle such lies do not know me. I pray God to forgive them.”


http://www.herald.ng/nigerians-misinterpreted-me-nan-md-bayo-onanuga-reacts-to-backlash/#fJVyzjeMdPHokTRk.99

Spoken like a true man.

Truth is, people hear what they want to hear, and read what they want to read without even seeing the sense or bigger picture of the statement.

Wailers will continue to wail.

Ok, extremely useless explanation

Onanuga, relax your mind and let wailers wail as usual.

A failed attempt at damage control

After angry and hungry Nigerians has drilled 88inches bolt into your unguarded brain for dancing on their dead corpse..

Next time you spray holy water on your gadgets before typing poo with them..

Good you retraced your leap..

Flogging a dead horse.

The damage control is dead on arrival (DOA).

He ended up making another useless and provocative trash.

Thunder fire......

Wen i give u slap then Misinterpreted go u first name

Normally he was supposed to expect that kind of reaction. In that his article his opinion was very clear. He should have taken his time to address all these things he is addressing now. When I read the part of him buying food for 700 I was just laughing at his stupidity. Not everyone can afford to spend 700 a day on only feeding. Not to talk of just a meal.

This man deserves a humongous slap just like hungerbad

I'm sure this are the kind of men or advisers in PMB administration, they tell him things are going well inside, while things are really worse outside.

I think we'll need interpreter for our leaders.
Adeosun will also come and tell us we misinterpreted her.

Op, when you say "nigerians reacted the the former statement of NAN" do you mean nairalanders? Cos many nairalanders supported his initial statement without even thinking twice.

For those that didn't bother reading this post: he said he was referring to a newspaper report showing kwashiokor victims that weren't even nigerians used in reporting hunger in nigeria.

w

Nonsense.

Only in Nigeria where someone who wrote in simply, plain and easy comprehensive English will come back to say "people are misinterpreting me" after a long backlash.


This man should just shut his guts and recess like the economy is


Is his story written in oxymoron, metaphor, or proverbs of Solomon?


See warn any public office holder that the comprehending skill of Nigerians are sharper when they are on Formula 001 or 100!!!!

What do we expect. Onanuga is working for APC, naturally lying is their traits and habit.
How do we reconcile this rebuttal with his daughter that was going to UK and a meal of 700 with a 1400 to make soup.
This guy thinks we are all zombies but thank God he mentioned wailing I am happy about that and that is how his extended family are wailing from the pangs of his paymaster - Buhari

They keep retracting their comments instead of standing by their words. Bunch of shameless fools

The STOOPID IDIOT wan explain! God punish him and those that supported his posts!

The explanation is even worst than the original post...

He's yoruba, what do you expect?

This is the sort of statements that make people say Nigeria is irretrievably doomed.
This guy talks about scientific research! He must be living in the Space Station. Doesn't he partake in a day to day living? Like buying newspapers. I bet if someone enters his kitchen he/she will be 100% certain to see Thai or American long grain rice. Such lunatic indifference in reasoning.

HungerBAD:
Spoken like a true man.

Truth is, people hear what they want to hear, and read what they want to read without even seeing the sense or bigger picture of the statement.

Wailers will continue to wail.

who are you? Are you a robot? Always first to comment, earlier there was a topic about the man claiming that the hardship in Nigeria is a mere propaganda, you quickly supported him, now the man is claiming to have been misinterpreted and here you are supporting him again, don't you have a stand? indeed hunger bad, there are ways to go about paid reviews if not the audience the review is meant to convince will eventually know it's paid review.

Hypocrisy is everywhere. U guys shld be bold to defend whatever u say and not changing like weather.

Typical Naija public official who believes that evrything is good because he's corruptly enriching himself. If Naija is so good, why did he have to vacation in the UK? Why did he have to use Virgin Atlantic?
It's a fact that 80m Nigerians are poor according to a UN report.
Close to 5m have lost their jobs under PMB
2 m IDPs are getting malnourished in their camp.

Now less than 1% of Nigerians are like this guy and means that over 80% are suffering.
The reason why most wretched Nigerians support him is because that they are hopeful that one day ( God go answer their prayer) to get a political appointment in order to loot.
Did he buy £pounds at govt rate or black market rate??

All dis big big English wey u dey blow 4 here now no make sence zombi na zombi abeg park well ediot

Nigerians can see these liars for who they are-daily insulting our sensibility as if they are schooling us on the English Language. Bayo's poor attempt at damage control is not only belated but grossly annoying.There is no statement ever issued by this government,it agents or followers that is ever true as common iota of integrity they don't have. Do one wonder why they are now been referred to as All Promises Cancelled? Nigerian own themselves a responsibility to vote out these retards.God-damned humanity!

I was happy when I saw that his critics cut across the whole country not from 'a particular section of the country' as they say.