By Isa Isawade
Femi Adesina, who served as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has described him as a friend of the masses who cared a lot about Nigerians throughout his term in office.
Adesina attributed this to Buhari’s decision not to remove fuel subsidies as Nigeria’s president.
In a tribute to celebrate Buhari who clocked 82 on Tuesday, Adesina described his former master as ‘Ore Mekunu’, a Yoruba phrase for a friend of the poor.
He added that Buhari “still draws the people like magnets even in retirement”.
The Big Elephant in the room (was the) removal of fuel subsidy. Did you think the Government didn’t know that the money-guzzling monster had to be slain? It knew.
“But who ensured that subsidies remained as long as they did? Buhari. And why? The people, the ordinary people. His argument was always simple.
“When oil sold for at least $100 per barrel in the international market, rising even to as high as $140 per barrel, what did the ordinary people gain? Nothing! So why should they be the ones to bear the brunt when oil prices fall?”, Adesina maintained.
He said though Buhari might believe in fuel subsidy removal, as president he didn’t want to aggravate the people’s poverty.
Source: Daily Sun
