Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, has said that there was nothing like ‘bandits’ in Nigeria until Gen. Muhammadu Buhari assumed the presidency, stating that he should be answering questions ‘if not for respect’.
Thelensng reports that Buhari was Nigeria’s President from May 29, 2015 to May 29, 2023, and was succeeded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the 2023 election.
Omokri asserted that Nigeria became worse under Buhari’s administration in all indices, including insecurity and corruption.
In a post on X ((formerly Twitter) on Monday, he wrote: “They Did It To Jonathan, And We Suffered Under Buhari. We Must Not Let History Repeat Itself! Nigeria hit rock bottom under Buhari in every aspect. On Sunday, July 24, 2022, terrorists attacked the Brigade of Guards in Bwari, Abuja.
“That was unprecedented in Nigeria’s history. Please note that the Brigade of Guards are the Presidential Guards. On Wednesday, July 6, 2022, five hundred terrorists in motorcycles attacked Kuje Prison and freed 900 of their colleagues.
“On Tuesday, August 24, 2021, terrorists invaded the Nigerian Defence Academy and killed two soldiers and abducted one, while injuring many others. Not long afterwards, these sets of non state actors were taking photos with their arms along with influential clerics.
“We had never heard of anything like ‘bandits’ in Nigeria until Buhari came along. At no time in our journey as a nation had a Governor ever boasted of paying killer herdsmen, until Nasir el-Rufai became a Governor.”
Citing Global Terror Index, Omokri said that Nigeria under Buhari was the third most insecure nation in the world, with only Somalia and Afghanistan being worse, and noted that war-torn Syria was more secure.
He pointed out that in finance, Nigeria owed its highest debt ever under Buhari’s 8-year administration, explaining that it was more than the monies borrowed by past leaders put together, including Tafawa-Balewa, Ironsi, Gowon, Murtala, Obasanjo’s military government, Shagari, Buhari’s military regime, Babangida, Shonekan, Abacha, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo’s civilian administration, Yar’adua, and Jonathan.
The social media influencer continued: “In 2015, Buhari met a total foreign debt of $10.7 billion, of which the Federal Government owed only $7.35 billion and states owed the rest. By the time Buhari left in 2023, our foreign debt had ballooned to $42 billion.
“Then, after borrowing more than any other government, the Buhari junta future-sold our oil and gas using future contracts and collected the money upfront, meaning that the Tinubu administration was not even receiving funds for the first six months or thereabouts after being sworn in.
“Then, to further sabotage the incoming TInubu government, they borrowed an additional ₦30 trillion through the Central Bank of Nigeria via Ways and Means. Basically, they just printed money without production, gold, or anything tangible to back it up. What they did was illegal. It contravened the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007.
“According to Transparency International, Nigeria under Buhari was more corrupt than it was under the previous administration, having moved 13 places backwards in the CPI, from 136 in 2014 (our best outing ever), to 149 in 2021 (our worst performance ever). If not for respect, Buhari ought to be answering questions today! These reckless financial dealings had consequences for the welfare of the Nigerian people.”
Omokri equally cited the Global Hunger Index released annually by the International Food Policy Research Institute, affirming that hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria reached its highest level under Buhari after steadily reducing under Jonathan.
He further cited the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), stating that “The proportion of the population affected by undernutrition rose from 11.5% in 2015 to 18.7% in 2020”.
“And then we had the Southern Kaduna Genocide under el-Rufai, in which over 10,000 people are suspected to have been killed. So, if you did not sing or rap against Buhari, what is your rationale and justification for doing that now under Tinubu when things are gradually improving?,” the former presidential spokesperson asked.
He added: “Tinubu has been abroad for only two weeks, and Pastor Tunde Bakare is giving a sermon making it look like the President is derelict in his responsibilities? Two weeks? What did Tunde Bakare, who told us that God ordained him as Nigeria’s sixteenth President, preach when Buhari was in London for six months?
“They did it to my former boss, President Goodluck Jonathan, and I will not sit idly by while they do it to Asiwaju. We must not repeat history then claim that history repeated itself.”
