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Claims his govt brought culture of personal integrity, transparency benchmark
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, has claimed that his principal, former President Muhammadu Buhari, distinguished himself in infrastructural transformation and poverty alleviation that deserves to be etched in golden letters.
He made the disclosure at a press conference in Abuja to formally unveil his new memoir entitled “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience,” scheduled for launch on Wednesday, July 9.
While arguing that the Buhari-led administration brought a new culture of personal integrity into government and set new benchmarks in transparency, Garba equally faulted Senator Adams Oshiomhole over claims that Buhari killed the economy with overprinting of currency.
He further argued that every country around the world overprinted currency during the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that: “One of the biggest challenges Buhari faced was perception. Buhari is obviously a victim of tyranny of perception.”
“His government made sincere efforts to improve the quality of life of the poor, farmers, youths, and women, as well as small businesses and traders. Under him, Nigeria witnessed an unprecedented transformation of infrastructure, poverty alleviation, and public welfare, which deserves to be etched in golden letters,” he claimed.
Showering more encomiums on Buhari, the former presidential spokesman said: “Along with strengthening the country’s security, President Buhari also enhanced the nation’s stature abroad. His government brought a new culture into government – a culture of personal integrity and set new benchmarks in transparency with the institution of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Tax Identification Number (TIN), BVN, IPPS, Whistle Blower, the use of NIN number, and various other transparency-enhancing schemes.”
“His lifestyle exemplifies personal integrity. I am happy that nobody up till today can say I bribed Buhari. There is corruption in the country, there was corruption in our government, I know there was corruption. However, Buhari as a person was above all of that. And that’s a thing of credit to us.
“You know, we in this country don’t like our leaders, especially when they are in office. They would love you before you come into the office, and when you are there, they just attack and attack. And after a while, they begin to reflect and say, is it how the man was?
“There is a Chinese philosopher who said two of the mightiest forces in life are time and patience. With time and patience, people will see whether Buhari gave his best and did well for the country or he did not,” he said.
“While it is not possible in a 260-page book to explain the significant work, policies, and programmes undertaken by the administration in its eight years, it is not in doubt that ex-President Buhari brought the nation to a new pinnacle in the efforts to lay the foundation for a self-reliant Nigeria,” he extolled his virtues.
Defending why Buhari does not grant press interviews, Shehu said: “Buhari is one of the most voracious readers in Nigeria. He reads all newspapers. He asks for newspapers every morning. Buhari doesn’t speak to the media because he wasn’t a showman and wanted his work to impact the people.”
Shehu, who was the media aide of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, dismissed the insinuations that he betrayed Atiku by accepting to serve in the Buhari-led administration.
He also recalled that he was relieved of his job at the Presidential Villa because former President Obasanjo was at loggerheads with his principal, Atiku, at the time.
He said: “I think President Obasanjo convinced himself that there cannot be a bad story about him in any newspaper except that it is generated by someone who would have told the newspaper to take that bad news. I think that is the environment in which we operated. So he and Atiku were boxing each other below the radar at that time.”
Asked if former President Buhari, who has been publicity-shy since he left Aso Rock Presidential Villa, will grace the book launch, Shehu said that, though he has been in touch with him, he is not sure if he will be physically present.