…leaving no money for him to run country
By KEMI KASUMU
“It is important for you to know that we inherited a difficult situation, literally a bankrupt country.’’
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, knocked the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari, saying it left Nigeria bankrupt before relinquishing power, according to a report on Tuesday by Peoples Gazette.
Ribadu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) and pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), reportedly stated this in Abuja at the Chief of Defence Intelligence Annual Conference 2023, with the theme: “Leveraging Defence Diplomacy, and Effective Regional Collaboration for Enhanced National Security.”
It will be recalled that the Tinubu administration has laboured hard in recent times to shift the blame of the current quagmire, which his inauguration speech centering on fuel subsidy removal has plunged Nigeria into, on his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The comment by Ribadu was therefore not the first or second of such blame game by the succeeding government of All Progressives Congress (APC), which took over from an earlier APC government only six months ago.
However, the NSA assured that the financial mess would not affect budgetary allocations, as he said everything would be done to enhance robust and viable defence management and apparatus in the country.
He said, “I assure you that the Federal Government will not rest on its laurels in ensuring a robust and viable defence management and security apparatus to address contemporary challenges even in the face of enormous budgetary constraints.
“Yes, we’re facing budgetary constraints. It is okay for me to tell you. Fine, it is important for you to know that we inherited a difficult situation, literally a bankrupt country, no money, to a point where we can say that all the money we’re getting now, we’re paying back what was taken. It is serious!
“But this administration is doing its best to meet our requirements, particularly the armed forces, and I believe that you leaders will be able to testify to that,” he assured.
In attendance at the conference were the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru; Minister of State, Bello Matawalle; Permanent Secretary in the defence ministry, Ibrahim Kana; the Chief of Defence Staff, and other service chiefs.
The NSA’s comment about the current administration inheriting a country in financial distress comes after President Bola Tinubu reportedly lavished over $500,000 on a five-day stay in a luxury hotel in New York in September, 2023.
The president, the report continued, is also presently pushing to spend N13.5 billion ($16.2 million) to renovate his official residences in Abuja and in Lagos, where he already has a mansion and would rarely use it as President.
