A former Minister of Petroleum Resources who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s Board of Trustees, Chief Donald Etiebet, has declared that it was God who gave President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to Nigerians in this difficult times to salvage the country.

This was as he expressed his belief to Vanguard that the incoming Buhari administration will cut down the cost of governance and gradually turn the fortunes of the nation’s economy around for good with strict adherence to the rule of law.

According to Etiebet, “Yes, I believe in General Muhammadu Buhari as a person who God has given to Nigeria at these trying times to save Nigeria, to get Nigeria working again and to reposition Nigeria and change her face in the comity of nations for respect and seriousness of purpose in tackling the ills of the country.

“Having worked with him in the past as the National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), I believe he will make Nigeria a different place where security, economy, discipline and the rule of law will abound to contain corruption. I only pray that Nigerians would understand him and give him the necessary support in the face of challenges and difficulties to put his programmes through unimpeded,” he said.

The former minister, who posited that his expectations from Buhari’s government are encapsulated in his resolve to fight corruption and insecurity, and to rejuvenate the economy, added that “one of the cardinal things he must do would be to reposition INEC in all its ramifications to conduct free, fair, credible, violent free and acceptable elections because he suffered the pangs of rigged elections thrice to become president.

“So he should use this opportunity to put in place the machinery for credible elections always. Faulty elections are at the basic roots of all democratic short comings in this country,” he stated.

On the urgent steps which he feels the General Buhari led government should address immediately it is inaugurated, Chief Etiebet responded by saying, “I would like to note first that there are many landmines laid for him which if he steps on them directly, they would explode disastrously on his face.

“The first is the petrol, PMS, supply situation. The outgoing government is owing the importers and marketers hundreds of billions of Naira which they are not likely to pay before May 29th. And there is no money in the kitty to pay when he takes over with dwindling foreign exchange reserve, lost crude oil production, falling crude oil prices, huge debts overhang, the clamour by certain interest groups in the country not to remove the petrol subsidy and salary debts by many states.

“But there must be petrol at the filling stations otherwise the country cannot survive a week. I can tell you that salaries can wait for a month but lack of petrol cannot,” he added.