Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against taking his family members, particularly his son Seyi Tinubu, on official foreign trips. While acknowledging that there is no legal impediment to the President’s actions, Omokri argues that it is ill-advised given the country’s current state of division stemming from the 2023 presidential election and the removal of fuel subsidies.
Omokri contends that if he were the President of Nigeria during these tumultuous times, he would refrain from taking his children on official business trips abroad. His rationale is twofold: firstly, the optics of such actions could be perceived negatively by political opponents and a hostile media, who have already made a strategic decision to oppose the administration in preparation for the next election. Secondly, the country’s deep divisions and the sensitive issues surrounding fuel subsidies and currency devaluation make it prudent to avoid any actions that could be construed as inflammatory or tone-deaf.
While acknowledging the legality of the President’s actions, Omokri cites historical precedents of leaders taking their children on official trips, such as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with her son Mark, former U.S. President George W. Bush with his son Gbenga, and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden with his son Hunter. He also notes that former President Trump even appointed his daughter and son-in-law as advisers, who frequently accompanied him on business and political summits.
Ultimately, Omokri’s advice to President Tinubu is rooted in the belief that, while not inherently wrong, the act of taking family members on official trips could be perceived as insensitive or provocative in the current climate of national division and economic uncertainty. He urges caution, likening the situation to being “covered in petrol,” where any spark could ignite a more significant conflagration
Source NEWS‘Avoid fire, you’re covered with petrol’ – Omokri cautions Tinubu over foreign trips with family members. Published in Daily post by John Owen Nwachukwu