15 December 2018
Nigerian journalists should watch Al Jazeera’s Mehdi Hasan and always do so with pen and paper ready for note-taking.

Hasan was at his best again on the Upfront programme titled: “Who will be Nigeria’s next president?”, and trying to hold Nigerian politicians to account – something Nigerian chequebook journalists consistently fail to do.

This time, Hasan had within his crosshairs Festus Keyamo, the spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari, who is seeking reelection, and Buhari’s main challenger Atiku Abubakar’s spokesman Segun Sowunmi. Hasan spared neither man from scrutiny.

Watch the programme below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bye1gLBTwNw

The inquisitioner went straight for the jugular, asking Keyamo about Buhari’s statement as a candidate that no official should have medical treatment abroad at public expense.As president, Buhari has since spent several months abroad on medical leave.Hasan asked whether he was not “hypocritical”

Keyamo tried to put the blame on previous administrations running down the healthcare system. He seemed to have forgotten that Buhari has been in power now for nearly four years and still hasn’t revamped Nigerian hospitals.

Hasan, in typical combative mode, was having none of Keyamo’s excuses. He asked the spokesman what “secret illness” the president had.Keyamo refused to disclose.Hasan said the public had a right to know in a democracy especially as they were funding the treatment.

Next in the line of fire was Atiku via his spokesman Sowunmi, who was asked about “questions marks” over his boss on corruption.These included about $40m worth of transfers to the US.Sowunmi robustly defended his man, shouting on a few occasions.

Hasan moved on to Buhari’s claims of defeating Boko Haram and Keyamo kept saying the terrorists had been weakened.And Hasan reminded him that the president’s New Year message claiming victory was clearly not true.

The questioner also raised human rights violations by the Nigerian army, including shooting Shia civilians, as highlighted by groups such as Amnesty International.

All Keyamo could say in response was that he believed the military’s denials.He was not forthcoming on bringing perpetrators to book.Sowunmi replied that an Atiku government will demonstrate that every Nigerian life mattered and will investigate the killings “asking serious questions”.

Hasan questioned why two men in their 70s were still tussling for the leadership of the country and both men came up with similar answers about experience, the challenges requiring somebody that could unite and so on.

Buhari is a retired general and a former military dictator.His bungling rule since 2015 has shown that his experience doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. Scottish journalist Hugh McIlvanney once wrote: “No one respects experience more than I do, but experience is relevant only in relation to the intelligence exposed to the experience. If you send a turnip around the world it still comes back a turnip – not an expert in geography.”

CilicMarin:
Biased Reportage. ... therefore FAKE NEWS...

CilicMarin:
Biased Reportage. ... therefore FAKE NEWS...

CilicMarin:
Biased Reportage. ... therefore FAKE NEWS...

CilicMarin:
Biased Reportage. ... therefore FAKE NEWS...

FarahAideed:
I can't wait to see festus Keyamo locked up and the keys thrown away ...Very irritating thing

CilicMarin:
Biased Reportage. ... therefore FAKE NEWS...

CilicMarin:
Biased Reportage. ... therefore FAKE NEWS...

persius555:
Medhi Hassan is a brute when it comes to political grilling. Sowunmi and Keyamo probably thought the interview would be beans.

That guy knows his job.

helinues:
Honestly both Buhari and Atiku have nothing to offer but it is just a pity one of them will win for sure.

Leaders of tomorrow are busy playing with sand

allthingsgood:


The so called leaders of tomorrow are even worse. The average Nigerian youth is greedy, selfish and only focussed on get rich quick!

helinues:


Our educational systems do not help the Nigerian youth situation. How about our teachers, lecturers, tutors. Everything, I mean everything is wrong about Nigeria

allthingsgood:


Its not even a matter of education. Today's nigerian is born with zero morals, no conscience, no sense of right or wrong. We all have d same problem, whether young or old. Infact d elders appear to even be better. Youngest governor is bello of kogi state. Kogi is also the worst place to be in Nigeria!

otipoju:
Festus Keyamo is just no match for Showumi. Keyamo is a product of quota system. Showunmi is way smarter than him and actually believes in his candidate (or appears to be). But i swear if them pay me good money to defend Buhari ( and if my conscience was dead), I would do a better job than Keyamo.

Some questions can be better handled by admitting the simple truth, telling half truths, using your imagination and humour to make light of a serious situation. In attack mode you poison the well, use red herrings, destroy the credibility of your opponent while appearing to praise him.

But the only weapon in the APC arsenal is lies. Big lies, small lies, white lies and blatant lies...foolish set of people.
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FOR EXAMPLE
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Buharis sickness could be defended by this story line :

Yes Buhari made that statement and he really meant it. Nevertheless when he made that statement he was not sick but as life happens to anyone, he fell sick and when he noticed some symptoms like any reasonable person, the first thing he did was to go to a Nigerian hospital.

After about 3 months of running various tests the cause of the illness could not be diagnosed.But the Doctors kept saying it might be related to after effects of exposure to harmful chemicals during his military service to the country in his youth. They recommended that he goes to a particular hospital in London.

Buhari vehemently refused ,citing his earlier promise to Nigerians and his desire to lead by example. When the symptoms worsened and after much pressure from family, friends , party leaders and even one or two opposition party governors he accepted in the interest of the greater good.

Their argument was that he had the vision , charisma and will power to fight corruption so as to lay a solid foundation for the return to greatness of the country. They said the country cannot afford to loose him or else the vandals and yam eaters will take over. Moreover only a living person can lead Nigeria to greatness.

So in the interest of the country and patriotism, Buhari agreed to go for test and treatment in three phases.

1. Diagnose and contain the spread of the illness.
2. Treat an destroy it completely.
3. Recuperate and rejuvenate to youthful vigor

And even the blind can see that the treatment has worked to the extent that people are saying " this cannot be Buhari but Jibrin " because to the glory of God he is now looking fresher, healthier and even moves like a 50 year old man.

Therefore after experiencing first hand what a good healthcare system is, Buhari strongly believes that all Nigerians deserve first class health care services.

Therefore Buhari has decided to make Health Care Services a priority by:

1. Waiving and removing import duties for any Hospitals or Clinic bringing in medical equipment from abroad...just buy from manufacturer and ship thats all.

2. Full scholarship plus stipends for any young Nigerian below the age of 25 who wants to study in any medical field in the " Catch Them Young" initiative.

With this sort of defense, you have diffused a negative situation and turned it into a positive campaign weapon for APC

..but na lie , APC spokespeople and their BMC crew on social media have no strategy except to lie, blame PDP and insult people.
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As for me, I have an active conscience and can never support mediocrity, incompetence and wickedness.

allthingsgood:


Its not even a matter of education. Today's nigerian is born with zero morals, no conscience, no sense of right or wrong. We all have d same problem, whether young or old. Infact d elders appear to even be better. Youngest governor is bello of kogi state. Kogi is also the worst place to be in Nigeria!