Former Presidential spokesperson, Garba Sheu on Tuesday revealed that he would launch his new book titled, “According to the President: Lessons from a presidential spokesman’s experience” next Wednesday in Abuja.
Sheu, who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari said the book seeks to achieve two things: One, to provide reading material to students of communication, journalism practitioners, and researchers on the lessons learned in many years of presidential communications.
Recall that Femi Adesina, who was also a presidential spokesman under Buhari was the first to write a book on his principal.
He noted that his new book tries to build on what Adesina and several others have done, which is to authoritatively document the achievements of the Buhari administration.
The former spokesperson while addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja recalled that he served as a spokesman to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during the second term of President Olusegun Obasanjo 2003-2007.
He noted: “The fact notwithstanding was that I was in office for only six months before the president fired me through television statements. This was a testy yet remarkable period in my professional growth.
“Throughout that period and the years that followed, we were fighting others for the political life of the vice president.
“The book documents those rough and tough moments, not only for the vice president but also for those who were around him.
“I was arrested and detained several times by the DSS, and by an order of a judge, I was thrown into the Kuje prison.
“My trial spanning over a two-year period and the eventual acquittal; the how and why it happened should provide a heads up to journalism practitioners.”
Sheu stressed that when Buhari won the Presidential primary, he asked him to be the media director of the campaign.
He added: “From then onwards, all through the eight years in Villa, we had a contrasting experience because we were the ones that were being fought. A Hausa proverb says if you are eating mangoes, flies will come.
“This book tries to build on what Femi Adesina and several others have done, which is to authoritatively document the achievements and some of the historic decisions of the Buhari administration in eight years.
“It brings President Buhari up close: how did he govern? What did he eat? And the clothes he wears for some occasions?
“Given his unique personal styles, President Buhari wasn’t a leader who merely cut ribbons and took pictures. He wanted his work to speak for him, as he tried to reach the doorstep of the poor through a first-of-its-kind Social Investment Program, SIP.
“His government made sincere efforts to improve the quality of life of the poor, farmers, youths, and women, as well as small businesses and traders.
“Under him, Nigeria witnessed an unprecedented transformation of infrastructure, poverty alleviation, and public welfare, which deserves to be etched in golden letters.
“Along with strengthening the country’s security, President Buhari also enhanced the nation’s stature abroad.”
She stressed that his government brought a new culture into government — a culture of personal integrity and set new benchmarks in transparency with the institution of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Tax Identification Number (TIN); BVN; IPPS; Whistle Blower; the usage of NIN number and the various other transparency -enhancing schemes.
“While it is not possible in a 260-book to explain the significant work, policies and programs undertaken by the administration in its eight years, it is not in doubt that President Buhari brought the nation to a new pinnacle in the efforts to lay the foundation for a self-reliant Nigeria,” Sheu said.