Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, Femi Adesina has come out to say that if the country dies, then hatred killed her.
Femi believes hatred has eaten deep into our politics and all he sees is politicians hating each other for no legit reason.
According to him, he has decided to never inherit anybody’s enemy because our political system is simply filled with people who hate Nigeria, its leadership and even themselves.
He added that politicians must learn to stay away from those who want them to hate people they hate, because they will only be killing themselves.
His words, “If Nigeria should die (which we don’t pray for), then hatred killed her. Done in by hateful hearts and lying tongues. People who hate others for no just cause, and they want to recruit you into the hatred binge.
However, I've news for them: I won’t inherit anybody’s enemy. Never! These people, filled with bile and malevolence, in the gall of bitterness and bondage of iniquity, are everywhere; worship houses, homes, offices, in the media (social media particularly), on talkshows, phone-in programs, the academia, anywhere and everywhere. They hate their country, its leadership, anything good, and I dare say, they even hate themselves.”
“The previous week, on this platform, I wrote on how the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) mixed bias with sympathy in its handling of the sad execution through decapitation of Rev Lawan Andimi, of Michika, Adamawa State, by Boko Haram. I stand by every word written in that piece.
No apologies. The column last Friday generated tons of ruckus from some quarters, and it was very revealing. Some of those that we call ‘men of God’ are nothing however, ordinary men, subject to the frailties of the next man. However, the standard of God remains sure, having this seal: God knows those who are His own.”
“So, what am I really writing about? Haters, who want you to inherit their hatred. Those who have antipathy and animosity towards others, and who want to recruit you into their ranks. And when you don’t budge, the accusations are legion: he has sold his soul to the Devil. His god is now his belly (and what corpulent belly mine is!). What he would eat has rendered him blind to reason. And so on, and so forth. After all that, what? I simply tell them. No, I won’t inherit your enemies. I even join Timaya to sing: I cant kill myself o.
Yes, if I begin to hate anyone at this point of my life, I'm killing myself. I'm swallowing poison. Hatred is poison. And you can’t swallow poison, and expect it to kill your neighbor. On Sunday this week, one female Christian leader tried to reach me. She didn’t get through. She then called my friend, Emmanuel Bello, a Christian from Taraba State, also serving in this government. What was her message, as conveyed to me afterwards by Bello: “All you Christians, serving in this Muslim government…”
Really? Muslim government. What a hateful heart! Sinister mind. Because the President is a Muslim, the government is a Muslim one. Is it a crime for a man to be devoted to his religion? In the first cabinet assembled by President Buhari in 2015, Christians outnumbered Muslims by one, until James Ocholi sadly died, and he was replaced by a Muslim, which I believe was not a deliberate design. The number then became even. Yet, it is a “Muslim government.”
I've always said it. God has placed Christians and Muslims in nearly equal numbers in the country, and one faith can't wish the other away. We must stay here and salvage it together. In nearly five years of working closely with President Buhari, I've not seen the slightest hint of religious bias. I remember that first Christmas season in 2015. I had approached the President, telling him I wanted some days off, to be with my family at the Yuletide season. He told me:
“The Vice President is a church person. You are also a church person. All of you Christians, go, we Muslims will stay behind. When you come back, I too will go for a few days.”
We laughed. And that is the way it's been every year. Yet, it is a “Muslim government,” and the President doesn’t want to hear about Christianity at all. So I must inherit the enemies of those who lack understanding.”