The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has faulted the criticism of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration by the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega. He was reported to have granted an interview to Daily Trust newspaper where he passed a verdict of ‘disappointing’ on the Buhari administration.
The group said that contrary to Jega’s opinion, the Buhari administration has actually done much with less, considering the several obstacles it has encountered since its assumption of office.
In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO reminded Jega that apart from the ravaging impact of Covid19, the Buhari administration was at its early stage confronted with the renewed vandalization of oil pipelines by the Niger Delta militants.
“This and the fall in the prices of crude in the international market plunged the Nigerian economy into recession which the Federal Government, through various innovative measures, was able to exit within a record time.
“We also want to remind Prof. Jega and his co-travellers that despite the daunting challenges the administration met on assumption of office, we can now boast of tangible achievements, amongst which are the rehabilitation of the country’s infrastructure like railways, roads, seaports and power.
“Today, power generation has reached about 6000 megawatts, thereby aiding industrialisation, productivity and energy supply in all parts of the country. This is unprecedented! Additionally, Nigerians are once again travelling by rail; this was unimaginable in the past as the sector was allowed to decay massively.
“In other sectors, we can conveniently say that the Buhari administration has also reduced corruption in governance, while insecurity which it inherited is being tackled headlong. So where is the justification for Prof. Jega’s criticism, or was he merely trying to seek relevance as another political epoch is unfolding with the 2023 elections in sight?”
On the clamour for restructuring which Jega supported in the said interview, BMO said President Buhari has never been opposed to the restructuring of the country but has always insisted that the proponents should approach the National Assembly and table the matter for deliberation.
“We also believe that with the National Assembly Constitution Review Committee in place, the proponents of restructuring, like Prof. Jega, have a window of opportunity to ventilate the areas of their concern without overheating the polity”.
The group advised Jega to toe the path of honour by giving honour to whom it is due and deplored the attitude of the political class who jump on the bandwagon and needlessly blame the Buhari administration for the various ills of the country as a classic case of opportunism, which all right-thinking people must condemn.
