Insecurity: Buhari leaving Nigeria far better than he met it — Presidency

The Presidency, last night, said President Muhammadu Buhari
will be leaving Nigeria better than he met it in 2015 in terms of security and
economy.

The Presidency also defended President Buhari on his alleged
lopsided appointments of security heads in the past eight years, saying appointment
of service chiefs and heads of security agencies cannot be subjected to ethnic
balancing or federal character.

Buhari will be exiting office next month, precisely May 29
after completing eight years of two terms.

Critics have said that the country was worse off since
Buhari mounted the saddle of leadership and he has been accused of nepotism and
favouritism against competence and respect for federal character.

However, appearing on Channels Television programme last
night, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi
Adesina, said no matter what people say, Buhari will be leaving Nigeria better
than he met the country in 2015.

Adesina noted that before the emergence of the Buhari’s
government, about 17 local government areas in the northern part of the country
were under the control of the insurgents, noting that no single council area is
presently being controlled by Boko Harm.

Security can’t be subjected to ethnic balancing, federal
character

On the allegation of nepotism in the appointment of security
heads, where it was said that about 70 per cent of heads of security agencies
are from the North, Adesina said appointment of security heads was a
prerogative of the President, which should not be subjected to ethnic balancing
or federal character.

His words: “Don’t subject security to ethnic balancing;
don’t subject security to federal character. In fact, the constitution that
prescribes federal character even gives the President some prerogative that he
can appoint on his own.

“What the constitution requires of you is balancing in terms
of each state being represented in terms of certain positions. Those positions
are prescribed. Security is not part of it. President will always have the
prerogative to appoint those he feels can help him secure the country and have
the kind of country you deserve to have. I would say that the President has
been able to keep to his promises.”

On the report that Nigeria had recorded more deaths under
the Buhari’s administration than the previous government even though security
was one of the cardinal areas the administration promised to focused on, the
presidential spokesman said credit should be given to the administration
because the country witnessed the lowest number of deaths in 2022.

He said: “Do you also know of the report which says in the
past 12 years, that 2022 was the year that recorded the least number of deaths
in terms of insurgency and insecurity. We know in this country, the figure has
been coming down over the years.

“No life, ideally, should be lost. One life lost is too
many. When reports tell you that between 2015 and 2021 so so number of lives
were lost and in 2022 the lowest figure came up, it calls for something
positive, you don’t ignore it.

“Buhari is leaving the country far better and I said it from
the beginning in 2015 we knew where Nigeria was, 17 local governments in this
country were under the control of insurgents. NYSC could not do orientation;
they were not sending people to those places. Is it what is happening today?
No.

“The emirs are back in their palaces, local government
chairmen are back in their offices, NYSC orientation is happening in those
states, youth corpers have been posted to those states. Are you now telling me
that there has not been improvement? No. Let’s be factual, let’s give the
government some credit please.”

On the alleged worsening economic situation under the
Buhari’s administration, Adesina also said the economy has been diversified by
the government and that the economy no longer depends solely on oil.

“This government met a mono product economy, an economy that
depended solely on oil so that any time oil prices crash in the international
market, Nigeria crashes with it, but today it’s no longer so. Oil contributes
less than 10 per cent of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) today. Oil used to
contribute about 90 per cent.

“For the first time in our history, Nigeria has a
diversified economy. Diversification has long been a promise but today it’s no
longer a promise, it’s a reality. I think people must credit the Buhari’s
administration for that because we now have agric, we now have ICT, we now have
manufacturing to an extent.

“We have so many things contributing to Nigeria GDP apart
from oil. The economy has been diversified first time in over 60 years, that is
something nobody will deny the Buhari administration.”