Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed has said that posterity will be kind to president Muhammadu Buhari as regards his handling of the multifaceted challenges bedeviling the country.
The minister said while it is hard to see the efforts and contributions of the president at the moment but that time will reveal that he is one of the best presidents the country has ever had.
Mr Mohammed made this known while addressing a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him, if Buhari had not become president in 2015, the security situation in the country would have escalated beyond what we have today and insurgents would have achieved their aim of declaring an Islamic State in Nigeria, therefore any talk of the president lacking empathy for the situation across the country is glib talk.
He added that the president has shown extraordinary leadership in face of the new security challenges such as banditry and other forms of terrorism and that the near regular surrendering of Boko Haram members is a testament to the government’s efforts to restore security.
He said, “ It is easy to forget where we are coming from. Today, we only look at the current situation without wondering what would have been had this president not taken the bull by the horns as far as security is concerned. Banditry and kidnapping have added to the state of insecurity, President Buhari has also continued to provide quality leadership in order to ensure that our security agencies decisively tackle the cankerworm of insecurity. No administration in Nigeria’s recent history has provided the security agencies with the hardware needed to tackle insecurity as that of President Buhari, in addition to raising the morale of our security men and women.
“Only last week, the president commissioned an armada of naval boats and ships in the latest effort to enhance our nation’s maritime security. The skewed narrative in certain quarters that the President has not shown enough empathy is glib talk. President Buhari is leaving a legacy of security, infrastructural development, economic prosperity and social cohesion for Nigeria. This may not seem obvious today, amidst daunting challenges, but posterity will be kind to this president While there is nothing wrong in the citizens expressing their concerns over the insecurity in the country, we wish to say that the use of incendiary and insulting words, especially by leaders of all hues, can only overheat the polity and heighten tension,” he said.
His comment is coming on the heels of increased criticism over the attacks and killings in the country, with former president Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday, lambasting president Buhari, saying he has done all he could to address the situation and therefore Nigerians shouldn’t expect anything more from him.