A spokesperson to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, is set to present his latest publication to the public. The memoir is titled ‘According to the President: Lessons From A Presidential Spokesman’s Experience.’
Mr Buhari and other dignitaries are expected to attend the book presentation, which is slated for 9 July at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
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At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Shehu said the book contains “lessons” he learnt during his “many years” of presidential communications.
He said the book provides rich information for students of communication, journalism practitioners, and researchers.
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Mr Shehu has previously served as a spokesman to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during the second term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, 2003-2007. “That was a testy yet remarkable period in my professional growth,” Mr Shehu said, recalling the frosty relationship between Atiku and the former president.
“The fact is that I was in office only for six months before the president fired me through television statements. Throughout that period and the years that followed, we were fighting others for the political life of the vice president.”
He noted that the new publication documents those “rough and tough moments” not only for the former vice president but also for those who were around him.
“I was arrested and detained several times by the DSS, and by an order of a judge, I was thrown into the Kuje prison. My trial spanning over two years and the eventual acquittal, the how and why it happened should provide a heads up to journalism practitioners,” he said.
When he won the APC presidential primaries in 2014, Mr Buhari appointed Mr Shehu as the media director of the campaign.
Mr Shehu said his book brings former President Buhari up close: how did he govern? What did he eat? And the clothes he wears for some occasions.”
He added that he tries to build on what his colleague Femi Adesina and several others have done, which is to “authoritatively document the achievements and some of the historic decisions of the Buhari administration in eight years.”
Last year, Mr Adesina published a book chronicling the experiences, stories, and facts revolving around Mr Buhari’s eight years as a civilian president.
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“Given his unique personal style, President Buhari wasn’t a leader who merely cut ribbons and took pictures. He wanted his work to speak for him, as he tried to reach the doorstep of the poor through a first-of-its-kind Social Investment Program, SIP,” Mr Shehu said.
“His government made sincere efforts to improve the quality of life of the poor, farmers, youths, and women, as well as small businesses and traders. Under him, Nigeria witnessed an unprecedented transformation of infrastructure, poverty alleviation, and public welfare, which deserves to be etched in golden letters.
“Along with strengthening the country’s security, President Buhari also enhanced the nation’s stature abroad.
“His government brought a new culture into government- a culture of personal integrity and set new benchmarks in transparency with the institution of the Treasury Single Account, Tax Identification Number, TIN; BVN; IPPS; Whistle Blower; the usage of NIN number and the various other transparency-enhancing schemes.”
Mr Shehu said the 260-page book tries to explain policies and programmes undertaken by the administration in its eight years.
