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.
PUNCH