In a scathing criticism, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has denounced the performance of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the body asserted that he failed to deliver on his promises and received a dismal ‘F9’ rating across all areas of governance, including the economy, security, unemployment, education, infrastructure, oil and gas, electricity, and every other sector.
HURIWA, through its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, expressed deep concern and extreme embarrassment over Buhari’s unfulfilled pledge to bring about positive change since assuming power in 2015.
As the handover to President-elect Bola Tinubu approaches on May 29, HURIWA revealed a detailed scorecard of Buhari’s tenure, alleging that both Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) deceived Nigerians and prioritised personal enrichment.
The statement issued by HURIWA read: “Buhari, a former Nigerian military head of state hailing from the rustic town of Daura in Katsina State, North-West Nigeria, vowed during his 2015 campaign to combat endemic corruption in the country.
“However, under his leadership, Nigeria’s position on the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International in January 2023 plummeted from 154 out of 180 countries and territories.
“Additionally, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s data reveals that when Buhari assumed office in May 2015, Nigeria’s inflation rate stood at 9.0 percent. By April 2023, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country experienced its highest inflation rate in 17 years, reaching 22.04 percent.
“In May 2015, the exchange rate between the Nigerian Naira and the US dollar was below N200, but presently, it has skyrocketed to as high as N800 in the parallel market.
“Unemployment was around 8 percent when Buhari assumed the presidency in June 2015, but according to the latest data from the NBS, it has surged to over 33 percent. Countless businesses collapsed due to Buhari’s ill-considered border closure, forex policy, and overall harsh economic decisions.
“Furthermore, under Buhari’s watch, Nigeria has become the poverty capital of the world, with over 130 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty. The country’s per capita GDP has declined from $2,687.5 in 2015 to $2,097.1 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
“During Buhari’s tenure, petrol prices surged by over N100 compared to when he assumed office in 2015. Despite spending billions of dollars on staff salaries and routine maintenance, none of Nigeria’s four refineries operated, resulting in a complete lack of petroleum production.
“Electricity tariffs soared under Buhari, while the nation suffered from unreliable power supply, leading numerous businesses to shut down due to the exorbitant costs of diesel needed to run their generators.
“Approximately 100,000 Nigerians fell victim to attacks by herdsmen, bandits, terrorists, and unknown gunmen under Buhari’s administration. The alarming statistics of kidnapped individuals are another distressing aspect.
“For the sake of historical accuracy, Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year presidential tenure will not be viewed kindly by posterity. His regime serves as a catastrophic example that the incoming administration must completely deviate from. He is a detrimental role model in governance.”
