Femi Adesina: Many of Buhari’s Campaign Promises Didn’t Come Directly From Him

Special adviser, media and publicity to the president, Femi Adesina, said so many of the promises made during President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign didn’t directly come from him.

Adesina who was a guest on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, said this in response to the promise of about three million job creation per annum by President Buhari when he was campaigning for the votes of Nigerians in 2015.

“You see, so many of the things that are ascribed to the then candidate Buhari, really didn’t come from him. Many of those things. I wouldn’t say he put a figure. 

“What I recall is that President Buhari gave a percentage of joblessness in the country. I wouldn’t recall that he gave a specific figure to say this is the amount of jobs we are creating. For all you know, that may have come from anywhere. But I stand to be corrected if President Buhari Himself gave that figure. 

“But then, be that as it may, it is the job of the government to create an enabling environment for jobs in the country. It is not the government that creates jobs. All it does is create an enabling environment. Most of the jobs you need in a country will come from the private sectors. As long as you have an enabling environment, it is the private sector that now creates the job”. He said.

Also, responding to the seamen’s electricity deal and structural defects of the Lagos airport, Adesina said the fact that one government cannot achieve something does not mean it has failed. He also said he is not aware of the structural defects of the Lagos airport and the minister of aviation will be the best person to respond to it.

About the just celebrated workers day, the President’s special adviser, media and publicity, said this administration has done a lot for civil servants in the country but there will always be complaints from workers in Nigeria. 

“Salaries were increased even when it wasn’t convenient. This administration has done a lot for workers in the country. Their leadership know it but if they keep saying the same thing, it is typical of Nigerians and typical of labor. Go ad check may day messages since 1977 when we began observing it, the rhetoric has been the same”. He spoke

Responding to the of subsidy removal, he said the position of the government is that the subsidy will not be removed in the life of the present administration.

“The explanation as at last week after the NEC meeting was that it wanted to give the incoming administration the opportunity to further consult on the matter and that is where we are on fuel subsidy. Since 2015, president Buhari had always been very reluctant to do a whole sub removal of fuel subsidy. He would tell us that it makes economic sense but is a social nonsense” 

Chioma Kalu

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