TheCable

Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, says President Muhammadu Buhari will “get it right”.

Adesina, who posted the excerpt of an interview on Radio Continental on Facebook, appealed to Nigerians to put sentiments aside and join the current administration to turn the country around for the better.

He expressed optimism that the Buhari-led government would tackle the economic challenges confronting the country and restore Nigeria on the path of greatness.

“Nigeria is in good hands. The times are rough, it could get rougher in the nearest future, but it would then get better,” he said.

“Don’t forget that in 1983, times were really very rough with Nigeria also. Then, there came a head of state who began to reset the buttons, began to relay the foundations. And 20 months after, things were getting better, before a spanner was thrown in the works.

“That person, who is now the president, can do it again, I will just tell people to be patient. Rough times would come, but we will survive it .Tough times may be here but it will be over. There may be some turbulence, but after some time, we would begin to cruise. This president would get it right. We need to be patient and lend support. A number of people have decided to be critical, even when criticisms are not necessary.

“We are not in pre-election mode again. I would like to tell them that elections are over. In other parts of the world, when elections are over, they all team up and move the country forward. Let’s do the same with Nigeria.”

Adesina justified the recent increase in electricity tariff, recalling an encounter he had with Babatunde Fashola, minister of works, power and housing.

“When we went to Iran about five weeks ago with the president, on the return trip home, I and Mr Raji Fashola, the minister for power, works and housing, sat together in the plane and we had the opportunity to discuss over the seven hours trip,” he said.

“And one of my concerns was this increased tariff. Why should tariff be increased when services have not also increased concomitantly.

“Shouldn’t we increase services first and then increase tariff, and Nigerians would gladly pay? Then he told me that it is the same dilemma of the chicken and the egg, which comes first? Is it the chicken or the egg?

“We anchored that discussion on the fact that unless tariff was increased, there is no hope for better electricity supply in the country. He was emphatic on that. He added that Nigerians would have to trust and believe the administration, believe in him as a minister, and if tariff went up, things would get better. It has become inevitable that if things are going to get better, then tariff would have to increase. I would like to join Mr Fashola to say, can we then trust the government, trust the minister and believe that with higher tariff, things would get better.”