The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has flayed a former Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, over his recent defence that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration waged a successful battle against corruption and economic collapse. The rights group argued that the reality of Buhari's rule is far removed from the positive image painted by Shehu.

It asserted that the immediate past administration led by Buhari so destroyed Nigeria from every angle and committed horrendous crimes against humanity that rather than speak and insult the sensibility of Nigerians, Garba Shehu and his ilk speaking for Buhari should cover his face in shame for playing a role in the epic economic, security and social demolition of Nigeria by the disgraceful Buhari’s misadventures in Politics.

Highlighting its concerns, HURIWA, in a statement on Tuesday, by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, cited numerous instances of corruption and mismanagement that unfolded during President Buhari's tenure. “Foremost among these issues is the controversial fuel subsidy regime, which, according to HURIWA, “continuously drained the national treasury due to discrepancies in reported fuel consumption figures.” The organization also pointed to the alarming scale of crude oil theft, which prevented Nigeria from meeting its OPEC production quotas, severely impacting the nation's revenue.

HURIWA expressed astonishment that during Buhari's tenure, no public entity, including the President, as the substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, or the National Assembly, with oversight powers over public expenditure, could accurately state the quantity of fuel consumed daily in Nigeria. “This lack of clarity led to substantial discrepancies in subsidy payments, indicating massive corruption condoned by Buhari's government over eight years, despite recurring demands for accountability.”.

Furthermore, HURIWA criticized the Buhari government's response to humanitarian crises, particularly in conflict-affected regions. It cited corruption allegations in various poverty alleviation programmes, including the N-Power scandal, Conditional Cash Transfer, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme. HURIWA also mentioned the alleged misappropriation of funds intended for feeding school children during the COVID-19 lockdown, further eroding public trust in these programmes.

The organization underscored that despite campaigning on an anti-corruption platform, the Buhari administration failed to effectively address these issues, as corruption allegations plaguing various sectors and undermining the government's credibility.

The association faulted the Buhari government for interfering in corruption cases, citing instances where the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, allegedly obstructed the work of anti-graft agencies, leading to the suspension of crucial investigations. The organization claimed that such interference constituted a significant obstacle to genuine anti-corruption efforts.

Moreover, HURIWA slammed the appointment of individuals facing corruption trials as Ministers and highlighted the lack of political will to enact policies to combat corruption effectively. It pointed out that Nigeria's ranking in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index remained alarmingly low, indicating the inadequacy of anti-corruption efforts.

“A penal regime that allows a former Comptroller of Nigeria Customs Service, who stole N40 billion, to return just N1.5 billion in a plea bargain, makes a mockery of President Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign. Again, fiscal governance that allows an Accountant-General of the Federation to allegedly siphon N109 billion is clearly ineffective," HURIWA pointed out.

Continuing, the organization expressed concern that the Buhari administration's achievements in recovering looted funds and securing convictions did not outlast the government, just as it cited instances where convicted individuals received pardons or were released prematurely, raising questions about the commitment to justice.

HURIWA therefore “likened President Buhari to a clever father who claims not to eat rat but shares rat meat with his children using his teeth. “In direct contradiction to Garba Shehu's portrayal of the Buhari administration as a champion against corruption and economic collapse,” HURIWA argued that “corruption thrived, humanitarian crises worsened, and security deteriorated under Buhari's leadership.”

The organization called for accountability and justice for the alleged crimes committed during his tenure.

HURIWA recalled that a former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, had only yesterday hinted that former President Muhammadu Buhari destroyed the Nigerian economy in the eight years that he administered the country, insisting that the ex-Nigerian leader failed to listen to expert advice.

Sanusi, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), spoke during a virtual religious event on Sunday. Sanusi said the Buhari administration ignored his advice on how to take Nigeria out of its economic woes, saying: “(In the last eight years), the Central Bank continues to print more money, and the naira continue to depreciate. There is too much naira in circulation because the CBN is printing the currency without restraint.

“The economy was poorly managed and they were not willing to take advice; in the last eight years, apart from sycophancy, nothing has been done; those sycophants are those buying the dollar at the rate of N400 and selling it at the rate of N600 to N700. A boy who has no record of service has a private jet and owns houses in Dubai and England just because he is buying dollar at so so a rate and selling them."

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