VANGUARD
The Pan-Yoruba Socio-political group, Afenifere, has said that the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration should be blamed for the present economic hardship being faced by Nigerians and not President Bola Tinubu.
A statement signed by the groups Publicity and Organising Secretaries, Jare Ajayi and Kole Omololu, said that the immediate past administration, dug political and economic holes for the administration of his successor, Bola Tinubu.
Afenifere said that the Buhari’s administration “did not make provision for oil subsidies in last year’s budget which made Tinubu cancel the regime of oil subsidies in his inaugural speech.
It added that the “economic downturn was caused by Buhari’s administration which was built on a platform of hope and a defective federalism saying promises made were not fulfilled.
The group said that “Under Buhari’s watch, terrorists and banditry were operating effortlessly. Law and order broke down.
“Many innocent citizens including the daughter of our leader were killed and or kidnapped.
“President Buhari could not rein in his critical officials like the then Governor of CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, who was printing money rather than facing the reality of taking the difficult decisions, which were postponed till the evil day.”
The group said a probe panel accused Godwin Emefiele and his team of printing N22.7 trillion through ways and means and the federal government was borrowing to pay salaries and pensions during the years of the Buhari administration.
It added that some ministers suggested the removal of subsidies, among other economic decisions but President Buhari did not agree until his last year in office to lay a booby trap for the incoming administration of President Tinubu.
“It was, therefore, obvious that we were simply postponing the evil day. The CBN Governor denied leaks flying around that the books were being doctored. He reassured the federation that all was well.
“He even wanted to contest the presidential election! There were no penalties for his infractions by President Buhari.
“These inactions and false lives continued till May 29, 2023, when the new helmsman, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, was sworn in as President.
“President Tinubu wasted no time amending his inauguration address and declared the subsidy regime over! This was obvious as there was no appropriation for subsidy from June 2023.
“He quickly followed up with the deregulation of the forex regime, which resulted in the free fall of the Naira.
“A man who is not shy about making difficult decisions, he probably underestimated the capability and capacity of the beneficiaries of the old order to make things ungovernable for his administration.”
Afenifere noted that “those sleeping and snoring during the eight years of Buhari suddenly woke up forgetting that these remedial actions should have been taken many years back.
“The major sin of President Tinubu was in his contesting and winning the presidential election and making these decisions, which will hurt in the short term but bring us back to reality in the long run.
