Dasuki and Kanu WILL go to jail and three other lessons from Buhari’s first media chat

Finally, the president has spoken. For two hours, President Muhammadu Buhari sat down with four Nigerian journalists on Wednesday in his first presidential media chat. Traditionally, media chats have a way of defining Nigerians’ perception of their presidents, even after the expiration of their tenure. Ask Goodluck Jonathan and he would have wished he never said “stealing is not corruption” at one of his chats.

So what impressions has Buhari left us with? What about him did we not know, that we now do? Four of them below:

DASUKI, KANU WILL GO TO PRISON

Of course, Buhari did not expressly state this, but did anyone notice how he nearly jumped off his seat and how he raised his voice when asked why his government was disrespecting the bails granted by courts to Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser, and Nnamdi Kanu, the Biafra campaigner?

And in his response, the president did not hide his opposition to releasing the accused persons on bail.

“Technically, if you see the type of atrocities those people committed against the country, if they jump bail…..,” he answered.

“The former president just wrote to the governor of central bank and said give N40 billion – 40 billion to so so so, and you give him bail to go and see a doctor in London, when you have 2 million people in IDP camps. Half of them don’t even know their parents. What kind of country do you want us to run?

“And the one you’re calling Kanu, do you know he has two passports. One Nigeria, one British and he came to this country without using any passport.

“Do you know that he brought equipment into this country, sophisticated equipment, and was broadcasting for Radio Biafra. What kind of government do you want to have? He has been charged with treasonable felony, and I hope the court will listen to the case.”

If Dasuki and Kanu have heard the president’s comments and they’re still hoping on freedom, they surely know by now that avoiding hefty prison terms will be the miracle of the century!

BUHARI NEEDS HELP TO RESCUE CHIBOK GIRLS

It is very possible that Buhari is Nigeria’s most honest president ever. He may have branded himself “a converted democrat” in the buildup to March’s presidential election, but that say-it-as-it-is military style hasn’t left him just yet.

Asked if he had credible intelligence on whereabouts of the abducted Chibok girls, he said: “I have no credible evidence.

“I am working with Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and I assure you that the questions on Chibok girls are in our minds. “There is no firm intelligence where those girls are physically, and what condition they are in.They keep pushing them around, they are not keeping them in one place.

“We are still keeping our options open, that if a credible leadership of Boko Haram can be established and they tell us where those girls are, we are ready to negotiate with no preconditions. “We are looking for credible Boko Haram leadership that would convince us that the girls are still alive.”

It’s not only “credible Boko Haram” leadership that the president needs, he needs external help as well; as his mien while answering that question suggested that he and the Nigerian military may have their reached their wits’ end.

BAN ON NAIRA CARDS HAS COME TO STAY – FOR NOW

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s ban on the use of naira-denominated credit and debit cards outside the country was a sure topic for the president, and when a journalist asked him how soon the ban would be reversed, the president minced no words in saying there was no hope.

“The banks don’t even have the forex to settle those transactions,” he said, adding that it was not a CBN action but one from the commercial banks themselves.

It’s a shame that lots of Nigerians abroad are stranded already, but they know now that they have a crisis on heir hands and not a mere passing phase.

BUHARI MAY BAN ANYTHING, INCLUDING THE HIJAB…

The president was asked if he could toe the line of countries that had banned the wearing of hijab in public places, to enhance their fight against terrorism. The president bypassed the question, choosing instead to explain how his government was improving security by deploying security personnel with detectors at public places, including markets and motor parks.

But the journalist, as though bent on luring the president into a ditch, persisted, saying: “So banning Hijab is not an option?”

Then the president answered: “No, banning hijab is not enough. But hijab will be banned if these [suicide bombings] continue.

“It just has to be done because it’s for the safety of people generally, because the indoctrination they go through to kill themselves causes the aftermath. ”If people don’t mind losing their lives, then it’s extremely serious.”

Well, the matter of banning or not banning hijab is actually “extremely serious”. Buhari himself may have known by now, especially if one of his media aides has already directed his attention to the raging debate here.