Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant
to the President on Media and Publicity,
has responded to growing criticisms of
President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling
of the nation’s economy, saying people
were just being unfair to the president.

Mr. Shehu, in an opinion articled sent to
PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, said the last
few weeks had witnessed the heaviest
public criticism of the Muhammadu
Buhari administration since he came to
power.

Mr. Shehu said much of the criticisms
against the president were based on
unresolved social and economic problems
facing the country.

“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 rule,” Mr. Shehu
said in the article titled ‘In Defence of
President Buhari: Is This The Change We
Voted For? Yes, It Is!’

Mr. Shehu said, “Unfair criticism of the
Buhari administration especially on
account of escalating prices of foodstuff
and the liberalization of the currency
exchange needs to be challenged before it
overshadows the commendable job the
President has done in fighting terrorism
as part of overall effort to secure the
country, reducing corruption and yes,
arresting the economic slide before it
sinks the nation.”

The presidential spokesperson mentioned
the achievement of Mr. Buhari to include
the “victory” over Boko Haram and the
ongoing war against corruption in
Nigeria, which he said has earned the
country international respect.

“It is a proud moment for many citizens
that the country is being perceived
differently now that it has a different kind
of leader creating a positive buss abroad,
the kind of sentiment that can lead to
foreign investments when properly
capitalized upon.

“Wherever they go these days, in London,
Dubai, Beijing, Washington, New York or
Tokyo, Nigerians get the good feeling of
being asked the question, how is
President Muhammadu Buhari?”

Mr. Shehu said the removal of subsidies
on petrol products had saved the
government more than N2 trillion
annually, adding that “The currency
liberalization and the deregulation of the
petroleum products sale will make
President Buhari one of the best
presidents till date.”

Comparing the fight against Boko Haram
with the war against the global terror
group, ISIS, Mr. Shehu said, “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.”

On the economic front, Mr. Shehu said
the president has been affected by ill-
luck in the drastic drop in oil prices.

“In addition to hard work, all leaders
need luck on their side to create what is
sometimes seen as economic miracles. As
leader, President Buhari never had the
luxury of high oil prices as did his
predecessors in office.

“When he first emerged as the military
Head of State, General Muhammadu
Buhari saw oil price, the mainstay of the
nation’s economy sank to as low eight
Dollars a barrel.

“He rolled up his sleeves, worked on
diversification strategy of the economy
only to be eased out of power just as they
began to take hold. Thereafter, his
successors abandoned these efforts.

“On his second coming, this time as a
democratically elected leader, the
collapse of oil prices has challenged
President Buhari to quicken efforts
towards the diversification of the
economy with emphasis given to
agriculture and solid minerals mining.

“Every crisis, it is said, is an opportunity.
Not so in Nigeria. This is a county that
inherited massive technological
inventions from Biafra, yet failed to take
it forward. We must not lose this
opportunity to diversify the economy and
our foreign earnings presented by the
present oil crisis.

“As the country hopes for a bumper
harvest this year, government is taking
steps to ensure that no farmer will sell at
a loss or fail to find markets for their
harvests. Grain silos are being readied
nationwide to receive excess produce for
warehousing to ensure food security,
avert market glut and price collapse. By
this, government will ensure a minimum
guaranteed price.”

www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/208581-why-buhari-will-become-nigerias-best-president-ever-garba-shehu.html

The miitary did more damage for 40years of their rule than the PDP's 16years,but the PDP went to work to grow the economy without much excuse. It was never this bad.
APC should stop using this excuse of PDP did this or that for 16years. If they don't have any thing to offer,they should give way. We all know buhari and his team lacks what it takes to drive our economy forward.
Never in the history of this nation has merit been sacrificed on the altar of nepotism and tribalism. How will the nation advance under such incompetence

Hahaha that's future impossible tense

Arrested the economic slide and inflation has hit the sky? Saved 2 trillion from subsidy removal and you cry that there is no money to fund the budget? Please don't tempt me; I don't abuse leaders. Father deliver me from this temptation in JESUS' name. Amen.

This spokesman needs to wake up!

Buhari is not fighting corruption rather his enemies and political opponents there by creating economic hardship on the entire country with his selective justice.
His kind of war against corruption will not yield any good result rather it will destroy the marriage because it is a wrong discission and once bomb begin to fail it will turn this country apart no region will like to be slave again unlike 1967

OKDnigeria:

On the economic front, Mr. Shehu said
the president has been affected by ill-
luck in the drastic drop in oil prices.

“In addition to hard work, all leaders
need luck on their side to create what is
sometimes seen as economic miracles..

“When he first emerged as the military
Head of State, General Muhammadu
Buhari saw oil price, the mainstay of the
nation’s economy sank to as low eight
Dollars a barrel.

So sir, what u're saying is dat Buhari carries bad luck around? Any time he becomes president ill luck befalls Nigeria?
If that is d case why not advice him to resign, for the sake of Nigeria, let's see if we will have some good luck.

So until the economy gets worst than this then they will work to revive it.
Then we need to brace up for more hard times. God help us.

There is no sign to backup your claim.

Buhari if by 29th September things no Change well na to go buy WW form oooo.

Mr Garba Shehu, with all due respect, this nation at this point will appreciate "more work and less talk". Thank you.

Here we go again!

Yayampoo talk.

I believe you sir!

the more APC blame PDP the more I hate them.

Nigeria already knows of the problem at hand before they voted for APC. their is no excuse OE whatsoever. if you can't do the job give space for others its not by force. meanwhile metuh raised a valid points during the last election but you APC never think about it for once. below is the report.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as unrealistic, saying it is meant to deceive and misdirect the electorates.

According to the ruling party, the opposition’s promise to pay N5, 000 monthly stipend each to 25 million poor Nigerians would amount to N125 billion monthly and N1.5 trillion every year. At a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said this cannot be achieved, given the poor state of the nation’s economy and dwindling oil revenue.“What is baffling is that the APC knows fully well that this is not only unrealistic but also impracticable in a nation with an estimated budget of N4.69 trillion comprising recurrent and capital expenditures yet they continue to dish it out to unsuspecting citizens in a clear bid to mislead.

“Since its formation about two years ago, the APC has introduced and sustained an unfortunate political streak sustained majorly by lies, character assassination, false alarm, wild allegations, and lately visual simulation, all in the desperation to deceive and misdirect the judgment of the electorates.

“We have with us an opposition party, which has been deploying all manner of schemes to derail and compromise the electoral process. Today, if the APC is not instigating violence or threatening democracy and our very existence as a nation, the party is busy procuring criminal hi-tech to hack into INEC’s data-base or clone the Permanent Voters Card (PVC).

“The next day, the same party would connive with some unscrupulous electoral officers to deny non-indigenes in some selected States their PVCs while busy making bogus promises to the electorates,” Metuh said.The PDP also faulted what it described as the opposition’s promise to create 740, 000 direct jobs in each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory within one year, with one million jobs for Igbo youths within the same period.

Continuing, Metuh said: “The APC has also promised to provide free education, daily free meals for millions of Nigerian school children, free tertiary education, free health care and free houses to Nigerians. The opposition knows too well that this is unrealistic yet they prefer to brandish falsehood.
.
“The APC should explain to Nigerians how they would fulfill their promises with the prevailing 40 per cent drop in national income and dwindling oil price in the international market. “
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/apcs-

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

before you read any further, pay attention to the boldened.

dude is doing is job so i'll save my insult for his dull empty headed cow brained fulani herdsman and president of northern Nigeria

this is not time to be telling us story.

According to Buhari's spokesperson, Buhari and Badluck always go together.
That means the remaining 2 years is going to be hardship except ofcourse the Senators to the needful and send Badluck Buhari packing like IBB helped us do in 1985.

If the president is able to lift Nigeria from the current political woes affecting it like LKY did Singapore, then he may be the best president ever.