By Femi Adesina


Diverse developments in our country often bring to mind lyrics of the song ‘God Moves in a Mysterious Way,’ by William Cowper. The lines go thus: “Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour.”

If we are not discerning enough, the tendency is quite strong to think that all that is happening in Nigeria is evil, evil and more evil. Killings by insurgents, bandits, and assassins. Violent protests leading to loss of lives and wanton destruction. Kidnappings for ransom. Mayhems and murders. Sorrow, tears and blood (dem regular trademark, as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti sang).

Yes, all these negative things happen, and you would think all that God does now is to frown at us as Nigerians. He frowns, quite alright, but “behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.” His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour.

Last week and this week, two developments occurred that lend credence to the fact that Nigeria is not just what the poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, calls “a thoroughfare of woes.” Good things are happening in the country, and if we are not discerning enough, they will pass us by, and we will just sit at the complaint counter, bemoaning our woes.

Let me make it clear at this point. It is the duty of government to secure lives and property of the citizenry. Even our Constitution says so. But challenges do come, as we currently have in the country. And every honest effort is being made to tackle the challenges. But does governance stop? No.

Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the 5,000 barrels per day Waltersmith modular refinery in Ibigwe, Imo State. The refinery will expand to 50,000 barrels per day in due course.

This week, precisely on Tuesday, the President unveiled the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), which is to launch the country into usage of compressed natural gas (CNG) to power automobiles, and reduce dependence on petrol. CNG is by far a cheaper option, and to start off, at least one million vehicle users will be assisted to convert.

The two developments have not gained much traction on social media, because they are almost crowded out by sad news of slaughter of rice farmers in Borno State, whose only crime was that they sought honest living through agriculture. Dolorous and despicable. May their souls Rest In Peace. Amen.

President Buhari must perhaps have the most unenviable job in the country, if not in the world. He must secure the country, and also manage it efficiently. Whether oil prices collapse or not in the international market, salaries must be paid, and infrastructure works must continue. If COVID-19 pushes the economy into recession or not, life must continue merrily. Whether the man sleeps at night or not for worry, the country must run, and run well. He asked for the job, didn’t he? And he ran for office four times, before he got the coveted position.

Amidst the ravening clouds which seem to hang over Nigeria, President Buhari is making conquests. And it pays us to see our cups as half-filled, rather than half-empty. Despite all the challenges, good things are still happening in our country. The modular refinery is one, the gas expansion program is another.

Have you seen the piece making the rounds in recent days on digital media? It is credited to Mr Babs Omotowa, former CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), now a Vice President with Shell International. The title is Glass Half Empty or Half Full-Nigeria.

Omotowa posits that many Nigerians discuss issues that pertain to the country with a non-positive disposition (glass half empty), as if the country is veering towards doomsday.

He takes cursory looks at seemingly negative developments in the country, brings out the silver lining in them, and what government is doing to reverse the position. Importing fuel from Niger Republic. Rail line from Nigeria to the same Niger Republic. Lack of 24 hours electricity. Corruption in government. Insecurity everywhere. Unemployment and poverty. Nigeria going through another recession. He then submits that we should begin to look at things from the positive, rather than negative perspectives.

He charges Nigerians to focus their minds on positive things like telephony, where we have moved from 0.5% population phone penetration in the 1990s to 90% today.

Electronic banking, he says, has now become a norm, fuel queues have disappeared, accountability has improved in government, and many others.

Omotowa concludes: “Make no mistake. I am not saying Nigeria is where it needs to be. Far from it. However, considering where we are coming from, we should put in context progress made and ongoing in our discourse.

“There is no magic wand that can be waved and progress will be step by step. We must remember that the life span of a country is different from the life span of an individual.

“The glass half empty bias drives negative energy and distracts from the important discussions.”

What a piece, intended to generate positive energy in Nigerians. Today, you hear negative energy from everywhere: churches, mosques, offices, media, homes, in markets, indeed, in all traffic lanes of life. If only we can see our cups as half-filled, instead of half-empty.

Licenses were first given for modular refineries in the country in 2005. For 15 years, none came on stream, till the Buhari Administration enunciated new policy directions in 2018. Today, the result is evident. The first modular refinery has taken off, with many more lined up to join the fray. With that, importation of petrol will soon become a thing of the past. Who made it happen? The man from Daura, a Fulani.

The autogas scheme will create a minimum of two million jobs, according to Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, who added that it was the beginning of a new era in the oil and gas industry. We will now have gas based industrialization for economic diversification, as there’s now global shift from crude oil to gas. Gas is now the new fuel.

Nigeria now joins other countries using gas to power vehicles and other engines. The energy is cleaner, friendlier to the environment. Such countries include Egypt, India, Morocco, France, Australia, USA, and others, who have been using CNG for years. And we got there under the man from Daura, a Fulani.

Lest we forget. Roads and bridges are being built. Rails and airports too. Trains are running, and more will still run. Many sectors are receiving positive attention, all from a Fulani man. The man is sure making conquests for Nigeria, steadily, steadfastly, surely.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

Mr Femi Adesina, many people according to the write up see Nigeria from a position of a cup half empty instead of half full because the country has failed them repeatedly on so many occasions. The country like many other African countries was built on extractive institutions by the colonial Lords and handed over to us on that platter, the leaders we have had over time instead of dismantling these structures and make the country more pluralistic, took advantage of the extractive structure handed to them and further impoverish Nigeria worst than even the colonial masters.

Right from independence we as citizens have had doubt in Nigeria because of how our leaders have manage to steer the affairs of this blessed nation. The heat of our dissatisfaction, outrage and doubts in the entity called Nigeria is just felt more now because of the advent of social media and some mass communication outlets.

Buhari came with lofty promises without blueprints, probably thinking economics is just input and outputs without factoring other economic indices that are imperative for an efficient and blooming economy. He placed himself on a very high pedestal, at-least it swung lots of 'vote' in his favor. After such promises, I'm sure you can rate his performance 5 years from ascending the throne now, woeful. Even his most ardent supporter has lost trust in him. By all economic indices, human development index, unemployment index, security index etc Nigeria has fared below bar. Yes, there are some positive strides by the government like the modular refineries you mentioned and railways etc, does that reflect in the economy of the market woman selling tomatoes or vegetable.How sustainable is the development you are even mentioning. The same train that has been breaking down in the middle of thick buses while on transit from on state to another?

Bb

After wasting billions on maintenance of non functional refineries??

Which yeye conquests? What of all the money pumped(albeit siphoned) into the dead refineries? Make una dey deceive una papa. Na Ogun go kill all of una shameless mofos.


Na me talk am!

I guess progress has its own Nigerian definition.

C

Defending and propping up Mr President is really a hard job


Mehn...You have to seriously search for even the remotest straw to grasp and then convert that straw to the biggest iroko tree in the forest( By words only of course)

This nigga want to call a snail an elephant for us sha.


We Omolùabi suppose disown this nigga sharply, he's a foolish traitorous nunchuck.

He has no dignity at all, he's sells out his dignity everytime he create a fictitious achievement for the @no1dullard

See how desperately they cling to any thing that looks like an achievement.. I dey shame on behalf of Oga Femi, his family, village people and Nigeria as a whole since shame no dey catch una again.

Na sitdown look we dy so.

Nothing defines failure better than this current government.

The people who supposedly had all the ideas on how to turn the fortunes of the country around, but on assuming office suddenly became clueless.

How some people still defend this government is nothing but the 12th Wonder of the World.

Tueeh!!!

Which progress?

[color=#550000][/color]After 6 yrs , stupid pigs

Adeshina again!

A man who never write about his master's inefficiencies

Femi himself isn't even convinced that Buhari is doing anything meaningfull but man must chop nah. ..that's what his job entails- defending failure

Femi Adesina. Special Adviser to President Buhari on propaganda

honestly eh....i no go lie but this thing too long nah, how does he expect us to finish reading it..

Femi Adeshina must chop.So expect any

Walai Na curse go still kill this Femi Adeshina.

Lawalemi:
Adeshina again!

A man who never write about his master's inefficiencies

Never bite the hand that feed you.

Suffering and smiling country..............

Nawa o

They are surely running out of ideas of how to defend this clueless man in Aso villa. They can continue to praise their inglorious achievement but common man on the street knows what's up. This government will surely destroy themselves at the end.

Fam . This man and Lai Mohammed ... I don't know who is more annoying

Living death knows nothing on what Adesina is dishing out,not an easy job to be an aids to a deaf.

People like Adeshina must know that power is transient and he will always be made to remember this Dance Of Shame that he is engaging in because the internet never forgets.
He is doing his job no doubt, but u need to sell ur soul to the Devil in order to do this kind of job very well under this govt.

When a govt rides on the intelligence of its citizens on a daily basis and easily gets away with it, it starts seeing them as idiots.

Modular refinery that was financed and built by private investors (which included Indigenes from a region that this same heartless govt swore never to extend its presence to because they are supposedly 5% out of Nigeria's 102% population-----Ref PMB's 97% + 5% comment).
Look at the railway tracks built with monies borrowed from China and sundry places which will still be repaid with oil money from the SS and SE? Did any important railway pass thru the SE? Name them..if any?
So PMB should be given credit for coming to commission a project whose financing and sighting he had no choice or power to influence ? Because had he had the choice it would have been in Niger Rep or Chad if not in Arewa?

Femi is supposed to be a pastor or something close to that, but because they don't even respect the God they preach about, people like Femi have no single regard about breaking God's commandments with barefaced lies.

Femi also believes that the unprecedented body counts across the country courtesy of the ongoing subtle genocide is also a feat worth celebrating.

We watch.....

Yeye Fowl!

Someone was CEO of the NLNG and is now vice president of shell international.

And you expect such a fellow to see the glass as half empty?

You are mad.

He has enjoyed the Nigerian dream. A top 1‰ of the population.

If Nnamdi KANU enjoys half of what that man has gotten from NIgeria, he would hate Biafra.

Crazy people with crazy logic.

This USELESS And EVIL ADMINISTRATION KEEP FOOLING THEMSELVES










SEE WHAT THIS BRAINLESS AND HEARTLESS MAN IS SAYING,





As if they are not seeing The Way Nigerians Are Sinking Into HARDSHIP Day by Day.