Presidency to start townhall meetings with Nigerians

The Presidency has disclosed that it plans to begin townhall meetings with Nigerians across the geopolitical zones in the nearest future.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu told newsmen in Abuja on Sunday that the meetings would avail government of the opportunity to interact with the grassroots.

“I know that there is a plan that the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo would start town hall meetings in zones.

“It would then be broken down to the states and so on.

“Government realises that there is a need to take information to the people and there are steps that are being taken in order to ensure that is done,” he said.

He hinted that the failure of the National Orientation Agency, NOA to embrace the change mantra of the present administration may have informed government's decision to hold townhall meetings.

“We have an agency like NOA with 773 offices nationwide.

“Each has not less than 5 to 7 staff and well-equipped, but you know also, sometimes democracy has its own dark side.

“The President came and he wanted to really be fair to every Chief Executive. If he wanted to fire people on assumption (of office), he would have done it and he would not have violated any rule.

“He decided to give everyone a chance to see whether they would imbibe the change mantra, to see whether they were prepared to go along (with him).

“I will say with all sincerity that NOA was a source of worry for us in government; the people and the leadership never believed in what we are doing.

“They never believed in change. They just folded their arms and watched us for the period of 8 to 9 months that they were there.

“I believe the new leadership would begin to formulate things for agencies like that,” he said.

NAN