The Federal Government is not worried about the storm of criticisms trailing the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration since it came into office on May 29, 2015, Special Adviser to the President on Media, Mr. Femi Adesina, has said.
Adesina, who spoke to our correspondent in Abuja, said it was practically impossible for the government to satisfy more than 170 million people without anyone, group or section complaining about any of its actions.
He, however, scored the Buhari government high, saying that it had performed well, when judged by the promises it made before it came into power.
The presidential aide admitted that in spite of the performance of the administration, some people were not satisfied with the achievements of government.
“But in a country of 170 or 180 people, there will always be people who don’t agree with what you are doing. The government doesn’t allow that to bother it,” he said.
Adesina stressed that the Buhari government had been proactive in tackling the various challenges confronting the Nigerian nation with a view to addressing them.
He said, “If you want to judge this administration, you judge it on the main promises made. What were the promises made before coming in? The administration promised to fight corruption, ensure security and the economy. Look at those three areas; if you consider insurgency, it is like comparing heaven and earth.
“By May 2015, guns went on like fire crackers in this country. Boko Haram was in the North East, North West, North Central and it was in Abuja. They were almost taking over the entire country. Today, they have been pushed out from the North West, North East and they are limited to Sambisa forest. Even last December, they were pushed out of that place. The difference is clear. If you look at other areas of security such as armed robbery, kidnapping and all that, government has been pro-active in those areas.”
Adesina further said that objective observers would agree that the Buhari government had recorded a lot of success in the fight against cor ruption.
“We know that this government is fighting corruption to a standstill and the war is being fought without fear or favour. When government came, the economy virtually collapsed. Today, there is hope of recovery. The economy is like a plane with its nose in the air now. Better days are here for the Nigerian economy,” he said.
The presidential aide reiterated that corrupt politicians defecting to the APC would have nowhere to hide and nobody to shield them from the ongoing anti-corruption war.
Adesina said, “The President, the party chairman and others have said that the fact that you join APC does not mean that you have come under an umbrella. We all know the party that has an umbrella and anybody that runs under that umbrella gets a cover.
“If you join APC and you have a question to answer, you will have to answer. But you don’t just grab people on the street and haul them for trial. There must be a prima facie case. If there is no prima facie case against anybody, you don’t play to the gallery and haul them for trial.”
