FG HAS AN ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT, AND IT IS BEING FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER-ADESINA

Special Adviser on Media & Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina, was recently a guest of Radio Continental,Lagos, where he responded to some germane national issues. Excerpts:

Q: Why has the Federal Government decided to shut out the private sector from economic recovery plans?

Ans: I won’t agree with you that the private sector was shut out. If you look at the presentation of the President to the National Assembly when budget 2016 was handed to them, working with the private sector was one of the goals. People keep saying, we don’t know the economic direction, maybe it was because they were not listening. When the budget was presented last year, the economic direction was also unfolded and part of it was that the country would curb importation, we would work with the private sector, and we would stimulate the economy through capital projects by releasing funds. These last five months, do you know how much has been released for capital projects? About N800 billion. That is more than the entire budget of some previous years. That shows you that the direction unfolded when the budget was presented to the National Assembly is being followed. There is an economic blueprint and the government is following it to the letter.

COUNT PRESIDENT BUHARI OUT OF N'ASSEMBLY CRISIS - Adesina

Since the appointment of Femi Adesina as Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, he has applied himself to the job, making frantic efforts to defend the administrative policies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government. In this exclusive interview with Independent correspondent in the Aso Villa, INNOCENT OWEH, he dismissed allegations by the national assembly leadership that the Presidency was behind its many travails. He also spoke on why the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan abandoned several Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) signed with foreign allies, which could have translated to more development for the country.

With the gloomy economy, workers are becoming tensed, and recently staff of the Federal Ministry of Finance protested over poor welfare issues, are you aware of their grievances?

I read the explanation from the finance ministry that what they are agitating for had been stopped by the previous government, that explains it. If there would be further explanations, I think its the ministry of finance that would do it, but I think what they have said satisfies me, it suffices for now

You Can Now interact with Presidential Villa On BBM - SEE THE PIN!

The Presidential Villa is now on BBM, as 'The Aso Villa'
Channel PIN: C00189354
The Aso Villa BBM Channels let you post messages, share pictures, spark discussions, and chat directly with Presidential Villa.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan & Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi Finally Meets Again ?

Even as their supporters are mindlessly attacking one another we are likely to see similar pictures soon of GEJ at the Emir’s Palace in Kano or, more likely, of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in Aso Villa, laughing and letting bygones be bygones.

Like all traditional rulers, an Emir needs government patronage (especially the President’s) in order to keep up the impression of associative power and potent prestige. And like all politicians a President needs to be seen as friendly with traditional rulers (especially with Emirs in hierarchical Nigerian North) to keep up the impression of being a man of the people in all corners of Nigeria.