Within a week, former President Muhammadu Buhari has come scrutiny and the verdict has been lacerating: a failure!
The latest comments on his poor handling of the country and its econmy came from former President Olusegun Obasanjo who said in TheCable interview: “Buhari was spending money recklessly. I know Buhari didn’t understand economics. I put that in my book. But that he could also be so reckless, I didn’t know.”
On Monday, the 14th and former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, said in a video message that sycophants exploited the Nigerian system, while an unnamed person he described as an “inexperienced boy” owned a jet under the past administration.
He said borrowing under the former leader crippled the economy.
His words, “The last eight years, Nigeria led a false life, the government borrowed from within and without. About N30 trillion was borrowed from the Central Bank.
“All the revenue the country generated in the last few years couldn’t service debt. Debt service exceeded 100 per cent. Government borrowed to service debts. No country can grow this way. Time will come when one cannot borrow any more. Additionally there will be nothing to pay debts.
“Those writing, demanding that we speak on the current situation in the country; this is not the right time for me to speak. It was like a driver on the road driving recklessly despite a wise counsel telling him of a crater ahead. What will you tell after plunging the car into the hole?
“People refused to listen to us then. We will only now advise them to be patient. I will never say Tinubu has pushed Nigeria into difficulty. I am not saying he is flawless or flawed. We will speak when he goes astray. The government can’t pay subsidies since it doesn’t have the means.
“If they add tax, we have to pay since borrowing is impossible. If the CBN printed more naira, the dollar would jack up to N1,500. We must suffer. When I was the CBN governor it was N150. Today it’s somewhere around N900.
“They treated the economy the way they wanted and refused to listen to experts. In the last eight years only sycophancy succeeded. The sycophants bought dollars at N400 and sold N540. An inexperienced boy who had never worked anywhere owns a private jet.”
Recall also that a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) pillored the Muhammadu Buhari administration in uncharitable terms.
Facing corruption allegations while the administration lasted, Adoke said on a television programme, “I have been a victim of corruption allegations by the immediate past government.
“The most incompetent government we’ve ever seen in this country; ran by the most incompetent president that this country has ever had and will never have again. And ran by a set of political morons.”