Buhari To Uzodimma: I Will Be Careful With Your Future Invitations – Presidency Gives New Meaning

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One thing about public speaking; most especailly as a government or a public official is that words are interpreted based on their original meaning not what you think but what you say.

Femi Adesina, a media expert and the spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity tries to interprete what was the original meaning or intention of President Muhammadu Buhari when he said to his host, Governor Hope Uzodimma “I will be careful with your future invitations” during the president closing remark at the just concluded one day working visit to Imo State.

Presidency confirmed President Muhammadu Buhari made the statement but Femi Adesina described the media outfits that reported the statement in some manner as purveyors of disinformation that want Nigerians to believe that the President bluntly told Governor Uzodinma, ‘‘I’ll be careful with your future invitations”.

Excerpts of Femi Adesina press release issued yesterday; trying hard to tell the general public the real intention of President Muhammadu Buhari meant by those words are presented thus:

WHAT PRESIDENT BUHARI SAID (DIDN’T SAY) IN IMO STATE

We have observed that President Buhari’s concluding remarks at the meeting with South East Leaders during his one day visit to Imo State is being deliberately contorted and twisted out of context.

The purveyors of disinformation want Nigerians to believe that the President bluntly told Governor Uzodinma, ‘‘I’ll be careful with your future invitations.’’

They have adduced different meanings to the phrase, contrary to the context wherein the President spoke during his successful dialogue with leaders of thought from Igbo land.

When he arrived at the banquet hall of Imo State Government House for his last assignment in Owerri, the President was welcomed by over 50 leaders from the South East who had waited patiently for him for a Town Hall engagement, after commissioning strategic projects in the State.

The President began his extempore speech by acknowledging the caliber of personalities present at the dialogue including the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor, former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (Retired), former Senate President Ken Nnamani, former Military Governor in old Imo State, Senator Ike Nwachukwu, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, Chairman of the South East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, Deputy Governors of Abia, Anambra and the SSG of Enugu State, who represented the Governor, the Anglican Archbishop of Owerri Province, Most Reverend David Onouha and his brother Bishop of Enugu, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo, just to mention but a few.

An elated President Buhari made it clear that he was expressly overwhelmed by the reception and galaxy of personalities that travelled from the five South Eastern States to have a heart-to-heart discussion with him in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

His words were clear:

‘‘I am overwhelmed by this reception, overwhelmed in the sense that when I accepted the invitation by the Imo State Governor, who wants to justify investments the government has done to the people of Imo State, I thought I would see the bridges, the roads and a few renovations.

‘‘He didn’t tell me he was going to get the whole Igbo leadership here. So in the future when he invites me, I’ll know what to do. But I think he has done what the military didn’t like. He has achieved surprise. He has surprised me beyond description.’’

Later, in his concluding statement at the same event, the President made reference to his earlier remarks on the ‘‘surprise’’ action pulled by the Governor. On a lighter note, he quipped:

‘‘Governor of Imo State, I cannot thank you enough, but I will be careful with your future invitations.’’

The President’s historic visit to Imo State was very successful and the Igbo leaders who met him shared the same enthusiasm that his coming to the Eastern heartland would bring peace, foster unity, encourage good and better understanding among the citizenry.