We enjoy unfettered freedom of speech in Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, September 27, informed the international community that Nigeria currently enjoys unfettered freedom of expression and strong political discourse.
President Buhari said this while receiving credentials from Ambassadors and High Commissioners from six countries at the Presidential Villa yesterday in Abuja.
A statement from his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, said President Buhari told diplomats that Nigeria’s strength lay in its diversity, while the continued differences in positions further signaled a strong democratic culture.
”As you settle into your diplomatic responsibilities, you will realize how diverse Nigeria is. We are not only multiethnic and religious but also multicultural.
“We enjoy unfettered freedom of expression and engage in strong political discourse. Sometimes the nature of these talks tends to give the impression that we are constantly pitted against each other.
“The reality is that there is so much that unites us than the few areas of our divergence. I have no doubt in my mind that you will soon appreciate our uniqueness and indeed our resilience as a people, as well as our diversity which is our strength,” he said.
The Ambassadors and High Commissioners who received their credentials are: Mr. Gangadharan Balasubramanian (India), Mrs. Annett Gunther (Germany), Mr. Mohamed Yousif Ibrahim Abdelmannan (Sudan), Mrs. Gerengbo Yakivu Pascaline (Democratic Republic of Congo), Abdullah MA Abu Shawesh (State of Palestine) and Mr. Willem Wouter Plomp (Kingdom of the Netherlands) presented their credentials to President Buhari.
