Daniel Bwala has called for patience over President Bola Tinubu’s policies and believes reforms by the Nigerian leader will pay off in the long run.
Bwala was recently appointed as the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications to the president whom he had previously heavily criticised.
But the presidential spokesman said on Channels Television’s Politics Today that his principal means well for the country despite the harsh effects of Tinubu’s policies.
“I believe the president has a good intention for Nigeria. I believe the president has demonstrated, you know, intrinsic, very strong capacity in facing the problem. You see, problems can be seen by everyone,” he said on Monday, referencing the president’s stoppage of subsidy for petroluem and the floating of the naira among others.
“The capacity to face the problem headlong is something that can only be defined by people who have character.”
Since the stoppage of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, the cost of essential items in Nigeria has reached new levels and beyond the reach of millions of households.
There have been protests at different times over the harsh economy with inflation hitting new highs. However, Bwala believes with time, Tinubu’s reforms will begin to yield fruit.
According to him, past leaders have shied away from taking those decisions, especially as regards the removal of fuel subsidy.
“I give you an example,” he said. “What has been the subject of discussion up till today after almost two years was the decision the president took – you remember those economic policy decisions. These policy decisions since 1999 were discussed in every administration – there were plans to do it, you know. But sometimes there will be protests against it.
“Nobody summoned the courage to do that. When the president came with no money in government, he felt that if we didn’t take this decision, we were going to be in problem. He took it. So that kind of courage – and even the courage the president exercised in appointing me against all odds – are some of the things you look at in someone and say, if he’s convinced in a course, he will give himself away.”