Former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, has described the former leader as a true friend of the masses, whose policies were aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians.
In a tribute to Buhari, who turned 82 on Tuesday, Adesina lauded the former President’s commitment to shielding ordinary Nigerians from hardship during his tenure.
He highlighted Buhari’s refusal to remove fuel subsidies as a defining example of his pro-people stance.
Adesina referred to Buhari as “Ore Mekunu,” a Yoruba term meaning “friend of the poor.” According to him, the former President’s decisions were guided by a deep concern for the welfare of the masses, even when those decisions were unpopular among the elite.
He said, “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 it 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?”
The former presidential aide said even though Buhari may share the conviction to remove subsidies at the end of his administration like the presidential candidate then, “he didn’t want to do something that would throw society into a tailspin for the sake of the ordinary people.”