Reno Omokri, a former media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has called out a propaganda group which he called Buhari Media Center following the group’s alleged reason for President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence at the funeral of the chief of army staff Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other military officers on Saturday.
Buhari, who recently returned from France following a four-day trip, was represented by the minister of defence at the funeral.
Mr Omokri on Saturday began criticising the president and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for not attending the funeral in person.
He shared on social media a picture from 2012 in which his former principal Mr Jonathan attended the funeral of the late General Andrew Azazi, who died in a helicopter crash on December 15, 2012, after serving as national security adviser.
“General @MuhammaduBuhari called his late Chief of Army Staff, General Ibrahim Attahiru, a ‘hero’, but Buhari did not attend his 30 minute funeral, which was just 15 miles from Aso Rock. Yet, the same Buhari travelled 4000 miles to Paris for 4 days. Even his deputy, Professor Yemi @profosinbajo did not attend, yet Osinbajo last week traveled 2500 miles to Kampala. At this rate, why will anyone then want to die for Nigeria?” Omokri asked in a post across social media platforms.
On Sunday, he continued, “This propaganda from the Buhari Media Center, that @MuhammaduBuhari did not attend General Attahiru’s funeral because the Presidency needs 48 hours to prepare his security is idiotic. When Buhari’s son, Yusuf, was involved in an accident, Buhari was there within 30 minutes!
“Also, when the late Emir of Borgu, Alhaji Haliru Dantoro Kitoro, died, both General Buhari and Tinubu were at his funeral. They went, because Emir Kitoro is the Emir who gave Tinubu the Jagaban title. This was 250 miles from Aso Rock. So, why did he fail to drive 15 miles to attend the 30 minute funeral of General Attahiru?”
The former presidential aide, who has been vocal in criticising the Buhari administration since 2015, also knocked state governors and ministers who attended the wedding of the son of the attorney general of the federation Abubakar Malami in Kano on the same day the military officers were being buried.
“General Buhari ought to have declared at least three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half mast. It is very sad to see these Governors and ministers partying in Kano…,” he said.
