Angry Nigerians Blast MD, News Agency Of Nigeria Over This Post

​Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has angered Nigerians over a post he made on his Facebook profile this afternoon.

The post which was ostensibly made to help launder the image of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had carpeted the media and bloggers for misleading the masses and international communities about the correct situation in the country.

In the post, Onanuga relayed how he had told his daughter on the Virgin Atlantic Flight to London “to find out whether the plane was filled up or going to London near empty judging by the noisy campaign from a section of the country about the ‘hardship’ in our country “, to which his daughter had replied: “daddy, the flight was filled up o”

He then related “how food was cheap everywhere” on his trip to Jos and Bauchi over the weekend.

Onanuga ended the post by charging the media to objectively conduct a reality check about their reports, which he described as “over sensationalising so-called hardship” the country is passing through.

The post immediately sparked anger with Nigerians taking to Facebook to attack the journalism giant for being insensitive to the plight of the masses. Many Nigerians who commented on the matter expressed strong views while practically calling him a failure as Managing Director and Editior-in-Chief of TheNews/PMNews.

Onanuga was the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of TheNEWS/PMNews before he was appointed MD of NAN in May this year.

Bayo Onanuga’s post

My daughter was on the Virgin Atlantic Flight that took off from Lagos to London today. I asked her to find out whether the plane was filled up or going to London near empty judging by the noisy campaign from a section of the country about the ‘hardship’ in our country.

My daughter sent back this one-line text, after boarding: “daddy, the flight was filled up o”.

This makes me to wonder whether all the seeming orchestrated campaign in the media was not mere propaganda to make the Buhari regime look really bad.

I was in Bauchi and Jos at the weekend, I also found that food was cheap everywhere. In our hotel, we paid about N700 for a plate of semovita, or eba with a choice of cat fish or chicken. On the roadside, I found to my surprise that with just N1000, I bought over 50 oranges, two giant water melon and 10 pieces of sweet potato. I had experienced a similar thing in the market at Abuja, where I found that with N1,400, I could make a big vegetable soup, with tomato, pepper and roasted Titus fish.

Are the media and bloggers really painting a correct image of our country. It’s time for the media to objectively conduct a reality check about our reports, whether we are not over sensationalising so-called hardship that we talked about.

Below are replies from angry Nigerians

Wanawana Essienette

Bros, you are not living in the country, some people cannot boost of N1000. a lot of people have lost their jobs, so how do you buy anything without money. Have you not heard that people are committing suicide as a result of hardship. You are among the few who is not feeling the heat, just thank your God. But this hardship is a reality and no one is trying to paint any negative image. That you can still afford to send your daughter abroad with the dollar rate. again just thank God. my friends who were laid off from my office since last year have not gotten any job yet, some of them are family men, to even feed their children is a problem, it was not like this before. Go to the market, prices of things have triple.

Patrick Oluseyi Ige

The average monthly salary is N10,000.00k and what is the population of the working people who earn higher salaries. Most companies can’t pay a higher wage. The difficulties in raising cash is more compounded with 6 months to one year debt wages by State Government.

Lateef Taiwo Bamgbose

At a time like this some people are forced to stand with the people or abandon them because of what they are gaining or the opportunity to be in place. If the likes of Onunuga, had remain in journalism , managing The News and P M news he would have seen the reality. What he has done here is just to make mockery of Nigerians,God dey

Aniebo Nwamu

Just leave d salary-paying job at NAN and go back to The News. Then, go to d market once more. U’ll discover the true situation of things.

Osagie Christian Aburime

Because you are part of those gaining from this government. If you are bold come to Lagos and say this trash in the streets. You will live to regret it

Ọláwálé Ọláyanjú

In a country where minimum wage of N18,000 can not buy a 50kg of rice at N20,000…

Victor Oladimeji Ojelabi

His account has been hacked. Someone should please inform him. Chai! Nigerians don suffer!

Odolaye Aremu

I think this is the same mindset that killed the nation’s affection for the last govt. This is pretty insensitive coming from a very thoughtful, a once amiable and highly cerebral journalist! Quite a pedestrian point of view!

Jaiyeola Ajasa

I wrote an article years ago about Oga Bayo Onanuga. It was titled THE MAN DIED. I wrote it after reading a statement by Oga Bayo Onanuga, that all Yorubas should follow Asiwaju Bola Tinubu because he is the best for our tribe. NO QUESTION ASKED. Then I said to myself “It is finished.” This is a man that made me go into journalism. After Dele Giwa , Oga Bayo Onanuga was the model of integrity. I was in the news room of AFRICAN CONCORD after he left. It was an honour to be there. Now you are an appologist of all that is wrong because you are now part of all that is wrong. Oma she oooo. THE MAN DIED!!

Lateef Taiwo Bamgbose

Check the mast head of The News, Bayo Onanuga, former Editor – in – Chief now Managing Director, NAN, Babafemi Ojudu, former managing Editor turned Senator and later political Adviser to Buhari,Idowu Obasa, left to become Local government Chairmanin Lagos, all other staff that brought The News have been left in the labour market. Slave Drivers.

Oyedeji Kayode

Hello Sir, in a country of 175m, it may not be good to look at the economy from whether a Virgin Atlantic plane is filled up or not. That won’t be a good way to access the economy. The problem of Nigeria has always been income inequality. The fact that 1m Nigerians can still fly abroad does not indicate that the economy is in a good shape.

Biodun Shonubi

Please take this off your wall as it may be considered insensitive considering your present affiliation

Femi Anjorin

It’s unfortunate that my oga, who I respect so much, has lost touch with reality. Can this be as a result of …..? I campaigned against PDP because the party had no plan for Nigeria and Nigerians, so I voted for change. However, this government has forgotten that “to whom much is giving, much is expected.” It’s better if the big guns in this govt (my able pastor inclusive) can put on their thinking caps and steer the ship of this country aright

Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu

Kai…So, that the plane was filled is a sign that things are all fine in Nigeria? God forbid this level of ‘saiko’.

Anastacia Ngozi Levi

Akure weed is really working

Olufemi Akindele Lawson

I doubt if this Onanuga lives in Nigeria. A tuber of yam sells for N700 in a market as Big as Ikotun few distance away from my hood here in Lagos, yet someone says you could cook soup with Titus at N1400 Naira in Abuja. A Kilogram of Titus Fish is N900 here. I stand to be challenged. No doubt, we are in such a time when the government unleashes its paid propagandists to confuse the populace.

Lateef Taiwo Bamgbose

This is a man who could not manage The News/PM , pay his staff, closed its corporate offices all over Nigeria, because he has been invited to “come and chop” saying all this. As Editor-in-Chief, he did not tell the world his daughter was flying even Chaicangi Airline.

Segun Olugbemi

I thought as much. I knew Bayo’s songs and dance would change as soon as he gets an appointment. Just acting true to human nature and justifying his pay. You will soon recover when you are out of office. Go on.

Oscar Nwogu

Oga Bayo, this type of post will not help the name and credibility you laboured so hard to build over the years. But for the respect I have for you, I wont comment further.

Edward Dibiana

Oga Bayo Onanuga is now speaking in tongue. God dey.

Patrick A. Okohue

I am in shock sir that you will reason the way you do, with due respect I say there is more to life than politics, you may try comparing prices now to what it was a year ago, in a country where a minimum wage can no longer buy a bag of rice you are asking whether things are really hard?

Iyobosa Uwugiaren

Bayo is my Teacher, Life EDITOR and mentor in journalism. If your present position will make you lower your professional integrity, please resign now.

Emmanuel Malagu

I have from this moment lost respect for you! I hope you are not living in the moon? Please pull out of your comfort zone and face the reality!

Deji Bolusemihi

Uncle Bayo Onanuga, I stand to be corrected but judging by ur post, we have lost u to them. What is it that take reality away from govt appointees in Nigeria? To a man that earns a minimum wage salary of 28k, who will transport himself to work for a month, pay house rent, school fees, buy food stuff etc, u are calling 1400 pot of soup that will finish next day just!!! Abeg make I face work ojare

Darlington Ojy Onwukwe

Bayo, I knew you dont reason intelligently always but I never knew that it has got to this extent. Because your daughter went to London in a filled up airplane it means that the price of a bag of rice is no longer N22K? Does it then mean that 4 seeds of tomatoes no longer sell for N500 ? Today a bag of cement is 2k and a liter of kerosene is N200. So all these things are lies because Bayo Onanuga’s daughter flew to UK and the plane was filled up? Honestly, my illiterate grandmother can NEVER reason this way. Oga, Bayo, please apply for Stand Up Nigeria Comedy Show. you have the charisma to make people laugh.

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