Nigeria’s First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, on Thursday, December 5, said she cannot be stopped from speaking out on issues regarding the country. The First Lady reinstated that she has the constitutional right to freedom of speech.
Aisha disclosed this in a telephone interview on Television Continental (TVC)’s ‘Journalists Hangout’ programme while clarifying her comment on the need to regulate social media, the state of insecurity and poverty, governors and ministers for not doing enough for the masses.
Mrs Buhari claimed that she did not specifically blame the governors when she spoke last week at the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs General Assembly and National Executive Council Meeting held at the National Mosque in Abuja, because she is aware of the problems in the country.
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When asked whether she has been cautioned about speaking out, she retorted: “Who will stop me? Everybody is talking in the country. Everybody should talk. It is freedom of speech.”
She was also asked whether she engaged in pillow talk with her husband, President Buhari, about the state of the nation, she joked: “There is no pillow in the Villa”, including the “other room”.
According to her, “We are all suffering from it. Whether you are an executive or ordinary citizen. We can’t go to our villages and sleep with two eyes closed. It cuts across”.
Earlier, The Herald reported that Mrs Buhari cried out that “bad people” have taken over Nigeria from people who are “supposed to be in charge”. Aisha said it is unacceptable that those who should be in control of the government have remained silent.
According to her, “Whenever they (presidential aides) are supposed to take action against the offenders, or to take action or to take charge or be in control, or caution people, they keep mute. But when it comes to unnecessary things, people will start talking of the presidency.
“A typical example is what happened after the election in Bayelsa state. When the PDP came out and said they would suspend His Excellency, Goodluck Jonathan, the former president, for doing wrong or something like that.
“I have seen no reason why (the) presidency should come out and say that they were shocked to hear that. Is it their business? Are they PDP members? Is president Jonathan a member of our party? What does that have to do with the presidency?”
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