Buhari will step on big toes, says Shehu

Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, says President Muhammadu Buhari “will step on big toes” in his anti-corruption campaign.

Shehu said this in Kaduna at the opening of a three-day retreat for state house correspondents.

Describing the media as “one of government’s most lethal weapons” in the battle against corruption, Shehu appealed for support in the anti-corruption campaign.

“President Buhari has embarked on an anti-corruption campaign that is bound to offend many. Big toes will be stepped on,” he said.

“As the popular saying goes, when you fight corruption, corruption fights back. Anti-corruption is a war. And the press can help President Muhammadu Buhari to win that war. You are one of the government’s most lethal weapons in this battle against the forces that aim to pull down Nigeria.

“The power of the media lies in their ability to expose wrongdoing. This power of exposure is a far more effective deterrent in many countries, including our own, than the court systems that deliver judgment and not necessarily justice.

“This government requires the assistance of the media. President Buhari has embarked on the building of a new Nigeria, and we need all hands on deck. We can’t do it without the media. The government needs you, the press, to keep the public informed on its many activities and policies that are geared towards improving the lives of the Nigerian people. Use your power to expose wrong-doing.”