By Emmanuel Oloniruha

A former Federal Commissioner for Information and Culture, Retired Maj.-Gen. IBM Haruna, has urged Nigerians to be more patient with the President Bola Tinubu administration on its various programmes and polices, saying that it has good intentions.

Haruna made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, while assessing Tinubu’s administration in the last two years.

Haruna said while the administration had its objectives and intentions for various reforms and policies, certain factors, not peculiar to only Nigeria, had contributed to the present realities.

He acknowledged the significant shifts in Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape and the policy reforms of the present administration, including the removal of fuel subsidy.

The retired general noted that both the government and the citizens had been adjusting to new realities.

“The world itself does not stand still. The dominance of the Americans, the Chinese, the Russians are changing because of new organisations like BRICS.

NAN reports that BRICS is an inter-governmental organisation comprising 10 countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

On whether the coalition of political leaders on the platform of African Democratic Congress (ADC) could unseat Tinubu in 2027, Haruna said what was more important to Nigerians were credible elections and good governance.

“I must confess, I don’t know them. I read about what is reported of them. I am not in their cohorts. I am not in politics.

“We comment on the development as to how it affects the country. The politicians know their objectives, they know where they are going.

“But we know where we want them to go, to evolve a democratic, trustworthy, reliable government and system.

“That is to say, we should have an election process and result that can be trusted and the confidence that can be reposed in its results,’’ he said.

Haruna, who was once the chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), said that the organisation still remained committed to its objectives, which had not changed.

“ACF is a social, non-partisan, apolitical organisation for ensuring that the North maintains its relevance, its cohesion and its peaceful arrangement of evolving the Nigerian state.

“I believe it is still so. Since I was the chairman until 2011. We are part of the mosaic in building the country without being political operatives,’’ he said.

The retired general said that virtually all the politicians from the North were aware of the concerted efforts at enhancing security in the North and ensuring fair participation in the political arrangements in the country. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq