…Says it curtailed electoral fraud, insecurity

By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

The Presidential spokesman on Media and Publicity to the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Femi Adesina has disclosed that the idea of new naira redesigned policy carried out by Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was sold to the president by Mr Godwin Emefiele.

He stated that the policy brought about a “cleaner” election in the country and also helped in reducing kidnapping.

Adesina disclosed these on Wednesday while fielding questions from journalists during a media chat organised by veteran journalists held at the NUJ press centre in Osogbo.

He said the Governor of CBN sold the idea of new naira redesign to Buhari and defended it with every facts which the president reportedly gave him approval.

His words: “Do you know that during the new naira redesign policy that resulted to the money scarcity, kidnappers were out of business?. An APC chairman and secretary in kano state were kidnapped, when the kidnappers saw that nobody was calling them for ransom they released them.

“Have you seen where a sitting governor lost an election? It’s because of cash policy. Do you know that about nine former governors lost election into the senate, it is because of the policy. We have the most cleaner election in Nigeria ” it is because of the policy.

“There was a day my cooking gas got finished while cooking and have no money because there was cash scarcity, I have to borrow from someone to finish my cooking. The cash scarcity affected everyone, including those of us that were at the presidential Villa as at that time “.

While explaining how Buhari fought insecurity (Boko Haram )to a stand still, he disclosed that there was a time President Buhari gave an order to security agencies to shoot anyone with unauthorized Ak 47 rifle because it’s only security personnel that are constitutionally authorised to carry such rifle.

Justifying the criticism during the Buhari’s administration which he said was majorly from the opposition party, PDP, Adesida said his principal did his best in tackling insecurity in the country, saying Mr president believed that governance is continual.

On the accusation that former president Buhari administration failed to obey many court orders, the former president’s spokesman said it is not on any record that his principal disobeyed court orders, saying that Mr president obeyed Supreme Court orders and directive during the cash policy issue.

When asked to critically access Buhari’s performance during his eight years administration, Adesina said ” you cannot access a government in one area but its entirety. You don’t access a government by its head but by entirety of the people .

“Mr PMB is a man who is systematic and orderly in doing things, adding that many people are already missing him.”