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Buhari’s aide, Adesina, brands Nigerians criticising govt as ‘miserable comforters’

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Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina on Thursday slammed Nigerians for only criticising the Buhari-led administration, adding that they didn’t celebrate monumental successes of the government in areas such as infrastructure, economy and others.

In an article titled “Negative comments are part of insecurity”, the presidential aide stressed that negative comments from the opposition about the performance of the government are themselves part of the insecurity ravaging the country.

According to him, when negative things happen, the opposition pretends to be sympathizing with the government. But their choice of words gives them out. “They are what the Good Book calls ‘miserable comforters’”, he said.

He accused Nigerians of taking delight from the bad happenings in the country, noting that insecurity in Nigeria is seasonal and exaggerated.

He wrote: “But fair? The word doesn’t seem to exist in the dictionary of some Nigerians who want you to perpetually believe that ‘worsening insecurity’ is the only thing happening in the country. They never talk of the Second Niger Bridge. Loko-Owoeto Bridge. Bodo-Bonny road. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Airports. Rail revolution. Fertilizer availability. Rice and maize pyramids. And many others.

Read also: Buhari’s aide, Femi Adesina slams PDP for playing politics with bandits’ attack on passenger train

“No, they don’t see these ones. They only talk of how you can’t travel by road, by rail, by air, and how nobody is safe anywhere in the country. They trumpet only the things that give the impression of total anarchy”, he added.

Femi called out the opposition as being part of the problem bedeviling the country, adding that their perpetual criticism of the government was borne out of their urge for power.

“They know what they are doing. It’s all about the struggle for power, for control of political and economic strings of the country. The allure of power remains sweet to them eternally.

“All they want is to give a sense of anomie in the land, and divert attention from whatever is going right. There is a lot going right, but they never talk of those, simply because of the struggle for power.

“When negative things happen, they pretend to be sympathizing with the government. But their choice of words gives them out. They are what the Good Book calls “miserable comforters”. They are merely adding petrol to a flaming fire, and salt to injury. Under the umbrella of condolences, they are taking putshots at a government they both fear and hate”, he added.

The pesidential aide also took a swipe at preachers who go down the lane to trash the efforts of the government and instill violence in the minds of the people.

This is in the context of Sheikh Muhammad Nuru Khalid, the former Chief Imam of Apo Legislators’ Quarters Central Mosque, who was fired for speaking truth to power.

“They pretend to be speaking truth to power, but you can see through the facade, if you are discerning. You can tell the truth without inciting or instigating the people against leadership. What they want is chaos, disorder, anarchy, all in the name of speaking truth to power.

“If a preacher brings down fire from the Heaven, but speak evil about the leadership of his own country, he impresses me not. Because the Good Book enjoins us to pray for those in the authority, for there can be no power, except the one God has ordained”, Adesina wrote.

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