Femi Adesina’s submission on Buhari’s unwillingness to remove fuel subsidy: hypocrisy at highest level
While paying tribute to his boss-ex President Muhmmadu Buhari during his 82nd Birthday Anniversary Ceremony a couple of days ago, renowned Journalist and former Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the president, Femi Adesina exuberantly submitted that the retired general opted to continue with the regime of oil-subsidy, justifying this claim essentially on his boss love for the “poor and underprivileged” Nigerians.
Unfortunately, the renowned Journalist suddenly forgot that he recently vacated Aso Villa where he was deeply involved at the highest level of authority, the privileged position that ordinarily should necessitates caution, profound moderation and absolute restraint in his comments on political issues and governance in general, even after his exit from the Villa.
Femi Adesina ought to have known better. He ought to have acknowledged that his comment on any issues is weighty, sensitive and could be subject of misinterpretation particularly by less-discerning minds, political foes and disgruntled Nigerians.
Of course, his submission in this respect is unbecoming, unwarranted, childish, and exuberant, as its smacks sycophancy at its highest level.
This writer is also at a loss why this unnecessary and undesirable comment hasn’t attracted harsh responses from the presidential spokesmen.
For emphasis, there is no other perspective to the submission other than to view it from the angle of deliberate attempt of former Special Adviser to get at the incumbent president on his resolve to carry out extensive reform in oil sector, with fuel subsidy removal at the heart of it all.
And, what could have emboldened Adesina to attempt to upbraid the president for the removal of fuel subsidy, amongst other reforms on-going?
With all intents and purposes, he has no locus standi to render such statement.
May be, it’s not to the knowledge of Adesina that the present administration inherited rot in terms of prostrate economy, infrastructural decay, messy political sphere, rot in oil sector etc, from immediate past government; a cacophony of challenges that occasioned the on-going reforms!
May be, he’s oblivious of the fact that it’s the fuel subsidy regime that plunged Nigeria into mess and calamity it presently enmeshed, as many unscrupulous Nigerians capitalized on the undesirable policy to scam nation treasury of several hundreds of billions of Naira, until President Tinubu boldly and courageously drew curtains on it.
This writer is shocked that the Journalist was unaware that the ex-president who he served, was on the threshold of removing the subsidy when he suddenly realized that the removal could cause colossal damage and halt APC bid to retain power at the federal level.
It’s also instructive to emphasis to Adesina that the significant increase in FAAC allocations to the three levels of government in the last 12 months is majorly occasioned by the huge savings accrued from the fuel subsidy removal.
And, the impact of this increased allocations is the surge in infrastructural developments across the country, particularly road networks across the country, rail rehabilitation and reconstruction in all the nooks & crannies by the federal government, as well as state authorities, medical infrastructures and other developmental strides.
Femi Adesina ought to have known that, the onus is on him to hold jealously the cordial relationship between two leaders before making the reckless submissions capable of creating rift and rupturing the relationship.
More importantly, the ace Journalist ought to have known that ex-president remains a much respected figure and resounding voice in APC.
The retired general is still repository of ideas and knowledge within the family of ruling party.
This is the relationship that Femi Adesina has made spirited attempts to disrupt.
At this juncture, this writer would advise the former Special Adviser to completely stay off Nigerian politics, as he’s not a politician.
If he hasn’t made a return to his profession, he should consider doing so and very urgently too, in order to save him from temptation of henceforth making provocative and reckless political statements capable of inciting public against the government, as well as causing disaffection in the polity .
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)
Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,
09077509348.
