The Senior Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has made an attempt to defend the president’s absence at the burial of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 other senior military officers.
Recall that the military officers died in a plane crash in Kaduna last Friday, and were buried in Abuja on Saturday.
But neither Buhari nor the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, attended the funeral.
This sparked outrage from Nigerians, especially on social media, with many circulating pictures of past Nigerian presidents and even some world leaders, who attended the burials of those who died in the line of duty.
Speaking in Buhari’s defense when he featured on ARISE TV, Garba Shehu said although he had not discussed the issue with the president, he knew the president hated causing traffic or closure of roads.
He said “I was in Europe myself on assignment and I have not spoken to the president on this but let me give you just one example: the president is somebody who is so concerned about the safety and wellbeing of ordinary Nigerians on the streets.
“Do you know why he now prays his Juma’at in the state house and doesn’t go to the national mosque? Because he doesn’t like this idea of closing roads, security men molesting people on the road for the president to have the right of way.
“These are small things for many people but they are important for President Muhammadu Buhari. So, it is a mourning situation and the president didn’t want to take away attention from that.”