It’s ‘offensive’ that Buhari prefers to open up to the foreign media, says Odinkalu

Chidi Odinkalu, a professor and chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), believes it is offensive to Nigerians for President Muhammadu Buhari to be unveiling his policies first to the foreign media.

Odinkalu said this on Wednesday while speaking at a conference on the role of integrity and accountability in national development.

The human rights lawyer said that for change to be achieved in Nigeria, the president needs to continually speak to his people and carry the nation along.

“Change from where we are and where we have to get to evolve a discussing process of leaders talking to Nigerians,” he said.

“The idea of always hearing things from our president when he is outside the country is offensive. Change is important; we got to confront it. We need change in order to achieve integrity, we need change for accountability. We need change for a developed country.

“We need a leadership that would not take Nigerians for granted. We need a leadership that would trust our people, speak to our people like we are matured. Speak to us like we own this country.”

In July, Buhari first revealed to the world that he would appoint his ministers in September via an Op-ed for the Washington Post while visiting the US president, Barack Obama.

The president also revealed to France 24, a Paris-based media, that he the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under his administration, will no longer devalue the naira.

The president also had his very first interview after his election with CNN on April 1. He another with BBC the following day.