President Muhammadu Buhari’s Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, has lauded the president’s economical prudence, after steering the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) into declaring a profit of N287 billion in 2020.
Adesina, in a piece, themed, ‘How Buhari Broke The Jinx At NNPC’ jeered at critics, describing them as “Thomases!” and “doubters”, replete with quotes.
He said that President Buhari stood out among others who had taken the sceptre of leadership in the country, as he had not turned it into a “personal automated teller machine”.
Adesina highlighted the tepid response from critiques, stating that when the news that NNPC had turned a profit in 2020 hit the news, “they first pretended it didn’t happen,” he wrote.
He condemned the unwillingness of the “naysayers” to share the “good news” on social media.
He said, “Well, it happened because perhaps for the first time in the history of the country, and of the NNPC, there is a President who is not using the place like a personal automated teller machine.
“He’s not collecting millions upon millions of dollars by fiat, nor is he giving directives for any under-the-table deal. And that President also happens to be the Minister for Petroleum Resources.
“Before we discuss how Muhammadu Buhari broke the jinx, let’s consider how naysayers responded to the good news.
“They first pretended it didn’t happen. The announcement came, and it didn’t resonate. They didn’t share it widely on social media, some traditional media platforms didn’t even publish it.
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“Those who reluctantly did, made it sound more like an obituary announcement. What a country!”
Adesina harked back to a report he wrote last year, where he quoted the Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari, as saying that the government, in its effort to remain transparent, was willing to disclose the corporation’s Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR).
Stressing on transparency, Adesina noted that information regarding the NNPC was available for public consumption.
He said, “Kyari said there was no information anybody wanted about NNPC operations that was not already in the public domain, adding: “I can say that we have kept our word as far as transparency and accountability are concerned.
“We will continue to do more until the word opacity is no longer associated with the Nigerian oil and gas industry.”
