Former President Muhammadu Buhari has heaped praise on his successor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, commending him for his performance despite the challenging circumstances Nigeria faces.
Buhari offered Tinubu the praises during a visit from the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and members of the Nigeria Customs Service management team in Daura, Katsina State, acknowledging the difficulties of governing Nigeria, a nation he described as “complex.”
“I thank you very much for coming. I very much appreciate it. I thought Tinubu has done very well,” Buhari remarked, expressing his gratitude for the visit. “Nigeria is so complex. Really, there isn’t much anybody can do.”
The former president’s comments come amidst widespread criticism of some of President Tinubu’s economic policies, including the controversial removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of exchange rate windows. These measures have sparked galloping inflation, economic hardship, and depreciation of the naira, leading to public protests.
Addressing Adeniyi and his team, Buhari urged Nigerians to endure the economic challenges and support the current administration’s policies and programs. He noted the complexity of governing Nigeria and the limited options available to leaders in managing the nation’s affairs.
Adeniyi, in response, thanked Buhari for his support of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which expanded the authority of the agency to implement revenue-generating policies and facilitate trade, contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth.
During his visit, Adeniyi also discussed President Tinubu’s directives regarding seized trucks carrying food items at the border, indicating a shift in policy to return the goods to traders for circulation in Nigerian markets.
This is not the first time Buhari has spoken about the challenges of governing Nigeria. In November 2023, he remarked during an interview with the Nigerian Television Authority that Nigerians are demanding and monitoring leaders closely, making governance a constant struggle.
Call for Senate Probe of N30 Trillion Ways and Means Loans
Meanwhile, civil society organizations have called on the Senate to investigate the N30 trillion Ways and Means loans obtained by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) during Buhari’s administration. The Senate recently inaugurated an ad hoc committee tasked with probing the utilization of these funds, as well as the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.
“Ways and Means is a loan facility through which the CBN finances the government’s budget shortfalls,” noted Senate President Godswill Akpabio during the inauguration of the committee. He emphasized the need for the probe, highlighting its focus on investigating the utilization of Ways and Means loans and the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.
Civil society leaders, including Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), called for the former president’s involvement in the investigation. Onwubiko stressed the importance of obtaining information from Buhari regarding the economic policies implemented during his tenure.
“If the 10th Senate still feels that there are certain information that they are yet to get about that transaction, then they can invite the immediate past President (Buhari) to provide all the information that he has about that evil monetary policy that destroyed the national economy of Nigeria in no small way,” Onwubiko said in an interview with Daily Trust.
Malam Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International-Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), echoed the call for Buhari’s involvement, highlighting the challenges of holding former presidents accountable in Nigeria’s political landscape.
“In a serious democracy, former President can be invited to clarify and answer questions about his or her role in running the country under his or her leadership,” Rafsanjani emphasized.
Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, Executive Director of the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), emphasized the need for accountability and transparency in governance, expressing skepticism about the Senate’s willingness to hold former presidents accountable.
“In a more rational society that upholds the rule of law, it would be appropriate to request the presence of former President Buhari to explain his actions,” Zikirullahi stated.
Despite the calls for accountability, past experiences suggest that former presidents in Nigeria often evade scrutiny, raising doubts about the effectiveness of the Senate’s probe committee and its ability to address public concerns regarding the utilization of public funds.
