President Muhammadu Buhari’s address to the United Nations General Assembly was criticized by Nigeria’s lower legislative chamber’s minority caucus (UNGA).
The opposition lawmakers said in a statement sent to DAILY POST on Saturday that Buhari’s presentation was replete with lies and that the concerns addressed were in contrast with the unpleasant truth of his administration’s failures.
Nigeria’s economic, security, and social wreckage under Buhari’s watch, the caucus argued, were clear.
“Our caucus holds that President Buhari’s speech is a great disservice to our nation by not presenting the true picture of affairs in our country; the human rights violations, corruption, and incompetence in his administration; the excruciating hardship, escalated insecurity, national divisiveness and infrastructural decay under his watch, thereby blocking avenues for desired intervention in our various ailing sectors,” they said.
“The Minority caucus was alarmed by President Buhari’s report to UNGA that terrorists have been so weakened in Nigeria that they are now preying on soft targets when in reality, insurgents have become so emboldened under his watch, that they are now attacking military formations, kidnapping and killing our gallant officers while overrunning communities and murdering our citizens without restrain.”
The legislators stated that the speech did not reflect Nigerian kidnapping and banditry and that they were disappointed by the deception.
“The speech did not reflect on the closure of schools and crippling of education in many parts of our country, where normal life has been destroyed by terrorists, neither did it show any empathy towards the victims of terrorism attacks,” the statement said.
“Our caucus is worried that in reflecting on violent conflicts, Mr. President’s address conveyed no personal commitments that can guarantee an end to poor and undemocratic governance, human rights abuses, poverty, ignorance, injustice, and inequalities, that are prevalent under his watch, even after identifying such as the causes of conflicts.
“Also, the minority caucus is shocked by the claims in Mr. President’s speech that his administration “built” isolation centers and emergency hospital wards, “all over the country” “in record time” in the fight against Covid-19; a claim that conflicts with the infrastructural reality in the country.
“Moreover, our caucus is worried that Mr. President’s speech did not portray any decisive roadmap towards economic recovery and food security; had no personal commitment to end corruption in his administration; had no personal commitment to end borrowing or show a clear-cut plan to repay the huge debt being accumulated by his administration.
”The speech also lacked definite personal commitments towards credible electoral process especially as the nation approaches 2023 general election.
“The Minority caucus, after due consideration, urges President Buhari to always cross-check the content given to him by his handlers so as to ensure that his position, especially on the world stage, captures the reality as well as aspiration prevalent in the country.
“The caucus fears that the nation might lose the needed intervention, since President didn’t open up on his incapacitation on myriad of challenges confronting the citizens.”
