A recent media chat with President Tinubu has drawn criticism for lacking robust questioning despite several opportunities for meaningful dialogue.
While the setting demanded appropriate decorum, observers note that journalists failed to capitalize on key moments to probe critical governance issues.
The President’s assertion about ministerial effectiveness went largely unchallenged. Particularly notable was his praise of Health Minister Prof Pate’s “excellent” work, though specifics weren’t requested. Similarly, his defense of maintaining numerous ministries, including Livestock Development and Police Affairs, faced minimal scrutiny despite their overlapping functions with existing departments.
Questions about the N1 Trillion Police Affairs Ministry budget and the status of the Oronsaye Report implementation remained unasked. The President’s claim about local government financial autonomy also escaped deeper examination, particularly regarding federal compliance with Supreme Court rulings.
A prominent observer noted that the interaction suffered from having “too many interviewers, with everyone having to be allowed to ask a question to represent their media house.” This format “meant that there was little interactiveness, even when the President offered opportunities for robust exchange.”
The session also overlooked pressing concerns about various ministries’ performance, including Marine and Blue Economy’s achievements and the rationale behind retaining certain ministers during recent reshuffles. When Tinubu acknowledged deficiencies in internet provision, journalists didn’t follow up about the Communications Ministry’s plans to address this.
The general consensus suggests future media chats need more focused questioning and deeper engagement with policy issues, rather than surface-level exchanges.
