Buhari will be one of Nigeria’s best presidents – Presidency

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu

The Senior Special Assistant to President
Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity,
Garba Shehu, on Sunday said President
would be one of Nigeria’s best presidents
even as he described the last couple of
weeks as those the president witnessed the
heaviest public criticism since he assumed
office on May 29, 2015.
Shehu said much of the criticism which he
(Shehu) described as unfair had been on
account of the unresolved social and
economic problems facing the country.
Shehu said this in an opinion article he
made available to journalists.

He said, “The currency liberalisation and the
deregulation of the petroleum products sale
will make President Buhari one of the best
presidents till date. “The removal of
subsidies on the petrol products has saved
the government more than N2tn annual
expenditure in this respect.
“President Buhari’s foreign trips have
brought many things to the country. He has
energised our foreign policy. Beyond the
enormous goodwill reaped from “resetting”
age-old but damaged relations with
neighbours and distant partners and
friends, the President has attracted foreign
development assistance and direct
investments. It is generally accepted that
good foreign relations bring foreign direct
investment. So much is currently being done
one year into the administration. This is in
spite of the world economy being sluggish
and recession-stricken.”
He said the criticism, especially on the
increase in prices of foodstuff, needed to be
challenged before it overshadowed the
President’s achievement in the anti-
terrorism and anti-corruption wars.
Shehu said contrary to what obtained in the
local media, Buhari got lavish praise abroad
for his efforts at repositioning the country.
He said the Boko Haram leader, Shekau, or
the pipeline vandal from the Niger Delta
region was more likely to get newspaper
front pages today than the Minister of
Labour, Senator Chris Ngige, or the Finance
Minister, Kemi Adeosun, talking about jobs
creation or the economy.
He said, “I don’t say that media criticism is
not reflective of the feeling of the citizens.
President Buhari has himself on numerous
occasions admitted that the change mantra
has brought with it pain and suffering
which he likened to the pains of labour. It is
a passing phase.
“When they ask the question, is this the
change we voted for, the critic forgets how
far we have come from the scam-tainted
years of the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party)
rule. How many people have given a thought
to the possibility of Nigeria doing something
that the combined strength of Europe and
America have failed to do?
“There are many today who take for
granted the declared victory over the Boko
Haram terrorists, forgetting the reign of the
bomber who made it almost impossible for
regular attendance in churches and
mosques in many of our cities, including the
Federal Capital City, Abuja.
“Victory over Boko Haram has brought
peace not only to Nigeria but to the
countries in the Lake Chad region.
“The world leaders are still at work trying to
contain the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq,
ISIS, which threat sadly continues to become
more potent.
“Everyone living in Nigeria knows that there
is a major movement against corruption as
part of the ongoing change. This war has
forced the return to the treasury of billions
of Naira and millions of Dollars stolen by
past officials.”