The
Presidency has frowned at the media report on unceremonious departure of some
service chiefs from the venue of the launch of “Next Level 2019’’, describing it
as “absolutely unnecessary”.
Malam Garba
Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,
made this position known in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
The launch
of the Campaign Manual/Next Level Document took place at the Banquet Hall of
the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The
presidential aide, who was reacting to a report by one of the national dailies,
explained that the service chiefs had wanted to witness the event only to leave
before it got underway after discovering the nature of the event.
The
statement read: “the media should have asked what brought the Service Chiefs to
the “Next Level 2019” event at the State House, only to leave before it got
underway.
“They were
mistaken in their assumption that this was a non-political event, to showcase
the achievements of the administration, the success of which they are part.
“Hardly were
they seated than did the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali ask them
to leave as this was a political gathering.
“They
quickly left, even before the arrival of the President and for the event to get
under way. The fuss over this is therefore absolutely unnecessary.’’
President
Buhari had on Sunday inaugurated campaign manual for his re-election in 2019
with a call on politicians to be peaceful and decent in their campaigns and
avoid any act capable of setting the nation ablaze.
“I’m not
unmindful that the National Assembly and the Presidential campaign starts
today, I will implore candidates to go about the campaigns peacefully and
decently.
“We have no
other country, let us not set it ablaze because of politics,’’ President Buhari
said at the event, which was witnessed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and wife
of the president, Aisha Buhari.
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