Henceforth, anyone who describes President Goodluck Jonathan with ridiculous and unprintable names such as “idiot” and “drunkard” will not be spared, the Presidency has warned. Stating that the decay in societal norms in Nigeria was assuming an alarming dimension, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said his office would take it as a responsibility to correct the trend.
Okupe threatened to “forcefully train” those whose parents failed to take out time to train while growing up with a view to correcting the alleged decay. Writing on Twitter, Okupe argued that although he is a grandfather, the “rascality” being displayed by Jonathan’s critics “is not restricted to any particular age group.”
The presidential aide insisted that being a social critic does not give those always lampooning Jonathan the leeway to abuse and malign the President’s character.
“Being a critic is no licence to insult and abuse government officials; most especially the President of the nation. Criticism is different. “But when you say the President is an idiot, a drunkard and so forth, you no longer deserve any respect. Yorubas say children that are not trained at home must be forcefully trained by outsiders. It is our cultural obligation. “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is an anointed leader, an active, focused performer favoured by God and loved by the genuine silent Nigerian majority,” Okupe argued on Twitter.
Noting that he wished that the critics of the Jonathan-led Federal Government could communicate their resentments about his administration without insults, the presidential aide added that some parents had failed to bring up their children responsibly.
Okupe boasted having nine children and raising them to become responsible adults. “I have never hustled for bread all my life. I was born into wealth and I have always lived in comfort from successful enterprises. I also have nine children. Many of them are better educated and cultured and are moving on successfully in life,” he added.
Meanwhile, many online commentators have accused Okupe of double standard with the way and manner he was preaching mannerism and basic home training via social media.
The respondents, many of who are youths, stated that the presidential aide had been a bad example for the younger generation. Lagos based online commentator, Rama Yakubu, accused Okupe of representing mediocrity, arguing that he would never pray to grow up to be like him. According to Yakubu, the hallmark of Okupe as the President’s spokesman, which must never be emulated by young Nigerians, is his use of gutter language and insults in public communications. “I reject growing up to be like Okupe. I’ll be a disgrace to my generation if I do that,” Yakubu said A Lagos-based engineer, Murphy Ayodeji, argued that rather than take to social media to educate the youth, Okupe should look inwards and turn away from his bad ways.
Ayodeji said the presidential aide did not possess any of such qualities a forward looking young Nigerian could take after to move the country to greater heights. “I just don’t know what people expect from Okupe. He needs to satisfy his pay master. His share of national cake is at stake. The Yorubas call the likes of Okupe ‘onijekuje’- meaning shameless gluttons. “He is not one of the respectable Yorubas. Okupe is nothing but a confused soul. He simply has no political future after what he currently enjoys,” he wrote on Twitter.
For Olaniyan Ismail, Okupe should extend mutual respect to fellow Nigerians from whose taxes his salaries and allowances are being paid.
Describing the presidential aide as one of the sycophants telling Jonathan he’s the best President Nigeria ever had, Ismail added, “Okupe is a proselytise who frequently makes noise to cover up the failure of the government he is serving. He has since lost my respect. ”
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