The Senior Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu has described critics of the President’s decision to handle the petroleum sector of the country’s economy as “deal-makers and brief case carrying crooks.”
According to Punch, Shehu made the assertion on Sunday, October 4, 2015 after a backlash greeted the President’s pronouncement in New York, USA.
Shehu enthused that the President had a lot of expertise and integrity to bring to the field as he is experienced in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
He also stated that those who are against President Buhari heading the petroleum ministry are crooks because they know the president is not a deal-maker.
In Shehu’s words: “The President has a lot of experience to bring to the oil industry. Besides the military, the oil industry is another area where he is knowledgeable.
“Mr. President also has tremendous integrity which he is bringing to the sector which is the most rotten in the nation’s economy.
“The criticisms are coming from deal makers and briefcase-carrying cooks because they know that Buhari is not a deal maker.
“The deal makers are not ready to go down without shouting because they know that their days are over.”
He also stated that the President has done nothing unconstitutional in declaring himself as petroleum minister as he personifies the executive and should be queired only when he delves into the affairs of the legislature or judiciary.
He said: “The President personifies the Executive. The power of the Executive arm resides in him. He can only be queried if he goes beyond the Executive arm and ventures into the Legislature or Judiciary.”
