The Presidency yesterday condemned Wole Soyinka’s recent acerbic analysis of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, claiming that the Nobel Laureate’s bias against the President is because of the close ties that exist between him and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.
However in a swift response via a message forwarded to reporters, the Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, who linked Soyinka’s vituperation to his affinity with Governor Amaechi, whom he described as the “national champion of impunity,” wondered why Soyinka had refused to call him to order.
“The close relationship between Amaechi and our eminent professor has affected his usually-cerebral contributions to national discourse.
“He also sadly plays the ostrich as he failed to reprimand Governor Amaechi, who is the national champion of impunity and official recklessness.”
The presidential aide, who upheld Jonathan as “a respecter of the rule of law,” equally disagreed with Soyinka’s criticism of the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba. He argued that Abba was only doing his duty regarding the face-off at the National Assembly and accused Soyinka of justifying unlawful conduct.
He stated that “the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan prides itself as the most liberal, keeping faith with adherence to rule of law and tolerance,” adding that “it is interesting that he (Soyinka) has chosen to ignore immoral, indefensible and unlawful attitude of the speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, after his defection.”
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