The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba Land, Gani Adams has told Femi Adesina, an aide to President Buhari, to inform the president that Nigerians are hungry.
Gani Adams made this known while speaking at the 2nd annual lecture of Freedom online held in Ikeja, Lagos.
The event was attended by the Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi and Femi Adesina.
Speaking at the event, Feni Adesina stated that only those who chose to be blind will say the president hasn’t done much since mounting office.
He said:
Before we export, it means that, to a large extent, we have satisfied domestic demand,” he said. “How about the stock market in 2017? The Nigerian stock market ended as one of the best performing in the world. Five million new taxpayers were added since 2016,” Adesina said, adding that between 2016 and 2017 government spent N2.7tn on infrastructure, “unprecedented in Nigeria’s history.” “If you choose to be wilfully blind, even if they put something in your face you won’t be able to see it,” the presidential spokesman said.
Gani Adams who spoke after Femi Adesina told the presidential aide to go to the president that Nigerians are hungry.
He said, “You made a very good analysis, but by the time we check it, I know you are a very honest person and you are telling us the truth, but with this analysis, I think the grass-roots people should feel the government; they should feel the impact of government by all means.
“I am a regular traveller; I’ve travelled to about 46 countries and I know what is happening in the developed world and when you see most of their economic analysts, they won’t tell you what they are doing theoretically but you will see what is happening.”
He added: “When my brother, Mr Femi Adesina was making the analysis, it got to a point, I was so shocked because I know the background of my brother, Femi Adesina, as a brilliant journalist. When he was at The Sun Newspaper, you’d love to read his articles and for trying to package their government, I was not surprised.
But I want you to pass this message to the President because I remember when President Goodluck Jonathan was in power, he said when they are in that Villa, it’s just like being in a prison or a cage; they don’t know what is happening at the grass roots. But coming to this event, we need to pass this information that you can tell Mr President that Nigerians are suffering. Ebi n pa awon ara ilu (the people are hungry).”