President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday night he stopped his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, from replying former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter against his administration because of Adesina’s age.
The President stated this when members of Buhari Support Organisation visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari said the second reason why he considered it unnecessary to reply the letter was that he and Obasanjo were from the same (military) constituency.
He, however, noted that Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who eventually replied the letter, did a good job.
He observed that the minister’s reply showed Nigerians the realities on ground when the present administration assumed office in 2015 and its ongoing efforts to revive the inherited damaged economy.
The President said: “I really appreciate how you choose this time during Ramadan to come from across the country to congratulate me for what we were able to do.
“We were constraint to explain our position when the former head of state wrote a letter; Adesina was agitated and wanted to immediately reply; I stopped him for two reasons; first, he was much younger than me and Gen. Obasanjo.
“Secondly, I am from the same constituent with Gen. Obasanjo. So, I wouldn’t know how it will affect him if I allow him to go wild or to go public. But when Lai Mohammed came, I said he shouldn’t and he insisted. He disobeyed me.
“He said I must allow him to talk; then, of course, being a professionally information person, I listened to him and asked him what are you going to say.
“He said he was going to remind Nigerians where we found ourselves when we came in as a government, where we are now, what we have done in between with the resources available to us.
“And I understand he did a good job because a number of people rang me and said Lai Mohammed has done a good job because I went public in several times.
“I said it is on record and I challenged anybody to check from Europe, United States and Asia that between 1999 and 2014, the 16 years of previous administration there was an average of 2.1 million per day of crude oil at the average cost of $100 per barrel.”
The President said he deliberately refused to replace the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, when he took over the mantle of leadership of the country because he wanted to give him the opportunity to salvage the economy from its terrible condition.