The person who leaked the wrong copy of the President’s speech hours before the broadcast, has been found.
This was made known by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. He told TVC’s This Morning Programme, that the version released on social media, especially WhatsApp was full of errors.
According to him, it was a draft and drafts go through several processes before it gets to the president who makes the final adjustment.
Femi Adesina regretted that even some main stream media carried the draft copy instead of waiting for the official release from the president’s media office.
In his words, “There is just one authentic copy of the broadcast which is the one released from the media office. But then, I recognise that a couple of hours before the broadcast itself, a copy of the purported speech had been circulating particularly on WhatsApp.
“If you compare the two, yes that are some similarities but there are also wide differences.
“If you know the processes that a broadcast goes through before it gets recorded – the script will originate from the relevant government agency, department, parastatal of ministry. Whoever heads that agency, ministry or parastatal signs up on it and then they send it to the presidential office.
“When it gets to the presidential office, it goes through a number of hands again, because the president’s thoughts must be infused and injected into the draft.
“Finally, it comes to the media office and I sign on it which I also did before the broadcast was recorded.
“Some hours before the recording was played back, I saw something circulating on social media. I knew that was not the copy I signed off on. Then we began to investigate. It has been found out that the original script from inception was what somebody laid hands on and released to the social media.
Speaking about the person who leaked the wrong copy, Femi Adesina said that “if the person that leaked the unedited draft of the broadcast had access to more sensitive national documents, he would do the same thing. If he comes in contact with information that could sell Nigeria to the enemy, he would gladly do the same thing.
He regretted that “thou art in the midst of foes, watch and pray.
Adesina concluded by saying that the culprit “forgot that in these days of technology, almost everything leaves a trail.
“Before the end of that evening, computer evidence had narrowed down the suspect, and he was already answering for his eviction action.
Related stories:
President Buhari’s 3rd Address on Covid-19 Pandemic
Full text of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Address on the Covid-19 Pandemic