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Buhari Has Destroyed Nigeria, Ozekhome Laments
Human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari has destroyed Nigeria.
The senior lawyer noted that Buhari has failed in his tripod policies through which he campaigned and won election in 2015 which are: Economy, security and anti-corruption.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria spoke at a human rights lecture organised by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), with the theme: “Nigerian School Children; Insecurity and Human Rights”, held in Abuja.
He pointed out that many children can no longer go to school, adding that more than 70percent school children in Nigeria were out of schools.
According to him, from Jangebe to Chibok; from Dapchi to Kaduna between December, 2020, till date, over 700 school children have been kidnapped with some of them killed or forced into marriage.
“[They were] not kidnapped in the forests but from their schools. It got so messy in Kaduna that the kidnappers demanded bags of rice, vegetable oil, salt, beans and other condiments to be cooking for their children pending when they will get enough money to get them released on ransom,” Ozekhome lamented.
He went on to say that Nigeria was currently a failed state and cannot even be called a country anymore, explaining that non-state actors such as Boko Haram, bandits and other terrorists now possess enough powers to challenge the government.
“Is that a country? Does any of you who have children living in hostels and dormitories sleep with your two eyes closed, not knowing of when next they’ll strike? he asked.
“When President Muhammadu Buhari was campaigning for this office…I like my President but I do not like his governance style and policies.
“Policies that have impoverished Nigeria; policies that have made Nigeria the poverty capital of the world, overtaking India. Policies that have made Nigeria that was until 2015 the biggest economy in Africa overtaking South Africa and one of the seven fastest growing economies in the world.
“His tripod policies were on economy, security and anti-corruption. The bad news is that he has dismally failed in all of them. Security is worse right now…Boko Haram we used to have that time, at least, people were able to vote for him in 2015, and he won in the North-East, showing that though Boko Haram existed, they were not so rampant to prevent people from voting.
“Boko Haram has since graduated, strutting around like a proud peacock. Armed banditry has escalated; kidnapping is the order of the day. Insecurity, he has failed.
“In economy, I have already told you, we’re now the poverty capital of the world. What of anti-corruption? Go and check, we’re 168 out of 180 covered by Transparency International.
“In West Africa, we’re the 3rd most corrupt country. So, where have the President and the government helped Nigeria? I had on television and in my write-up challenged Nigerians that anyone who can carry the Holy Quran or take up the Holy Bible or if you’re an atheist, pick up a piece of Sango Iron and say your life is better off today than you were in 2015.
“I challenge the person for a national debate but until now, no one has taken up the challenge because everybody knows things are not right. The deaf can hear it; the dumb can speak it; the blind can see it, and even the numb can feel it.
“So, it’s not a question of whether you are in APC, PDP, APGA, Labour, Zenith or PPA. Hunger knows no strike, religion or nationality. The fact is that things are bad for everyone whether Muslim or Christian, atheist, old men, women, youth and children.
“Things are bad and it could be worse except Nigerians come together and go back to the drawing board. Some people are saying that Nigeria is a failing state, and I say no. I don’t agree.
“If you asked me, with all due respect, I’ll say Nigeria is a failed state. Do you know why? It is because one of the greatest indices of a failed state is when non-state actors like Boko Haram, kidnappers, armed bandits have efficient and commensurate powers to match state actors like security forces. That’s a failed state.
“When Boko Haram, bandits and kidnappers begin to tell the government, ‘this is what we want.’ Taking over lands and planting their flags as Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State and Sani Bello of Niger State have cried out that in some lands in their states, they have planted flags; they’re demanding for taxation; they issue identity cards and give pass to people to pass.
“We don’t need any other evidence of a failed state. It’s not about liking or not liking a government, it’s about saying the reality on the ground. Please, Nigerians, let’s go back to the drawing board. If you like, bring all the helicopters and fighter jets you can, the truth is that the problem is more endemic than you can see.
“Because on the surface, it looks like insecurity but beneath, it is what we call social injustice and lack of egalitarianism…Nigeria is wobbly, gobbling and fumbling because it was not neatly packaged on the 1st of January, 1848 by Lord Lugard.
“It started with Lady Flora Louise Shaw on the 8th of January, 1897 in an article she wrote on Economic Times where she gave Nigeria her name ‘Niger Area’. And we agreed to live together. And if we agreed, let us live together in peace and unity. Let’s not always say ‘Nigeria is indivisible; it’s indestructible.’
“We don’t say that by words of the mouth, we nurture it. Pakistan and India used to be one country; Eritrea and Ethiopia used to be one country as well as Sudan and Southern Sudan. So, it’s not by merely saying it, you have to nurture it.
“We must have peace and social justice… we are talking about the kind of peace and social justice Chief M.K.O. Abiola preached…Let us reformat and reengineer Nigeria. Let’s make a new constitution for ourselves. A constitution that will be… Indigenous, owned by the people and respected by all and legitimate.
“Not a constitution that was imposed by the General Abdusalami Abubakar government when they were going back to the barracks. How many of you know that Nigerians actually contested the 1999 elections without a constitution? Nigerians never made the constitution by themselves but even if we’re to manage it, Section 14 of that constitution said that the primary purpose of the government is to provide welfare and security for the people. Are we having it?”, he asked.
The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board says it has begun the compilation of list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on the full repayment of housing loans obtained.
Head of Information and Public Relations, FGSHLB, Mrs Ngozi Obiechina, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Obiechina quoted the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs Salamatu Ahmed, as saying that the move was aimed at recovering mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to meet their loan obligations.
Ahmed noted that the decision followed a recent memo issued by Mrs Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her, the memo reminded public servants of the mandatory requirement to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness to the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society as a precondition for retirement.
The Executive Secretary said that the board would take necessary legal steps to repossess properties where applicable, in line with the terms of the loan agreements.
She said this was in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, “ she added.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
“The expectations are high, and the responsibility is immense. But with commitment and teamwork, we can deliver a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centred public service.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she stated.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by a distinguished faculty, including Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, alongside the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
The induction programme will feature sessions on public sector leadership, policy delivery, ethics in service, digital transformation, and performance management.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will begin soon.
Edun revealed this at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
The minister explained that the recent changes in the NNPCL management are part of a broader effort by the Federal Government to clean up and examine the company closely.
While addressing top global investors, including representatives from J.P. Morgan, Edun shared key reforms the government has introduced to revive the economy and restore investor confidence.
He told the investors that the government’s bold economic steps have laid a strong foundation to attract private investment.
He stated, “Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it. We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
Edun highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has rolled out major reforms that are already making a difference.
He added that the Nigerian economy grew by 3.84 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024 and recorded a 3.4 per cent growth for the year.
Edun further stressed the importance of the reforms, describing them as “unprecedented,” adding that, “We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course.”
He pointed out signs of progress such as lower budget deficits, a better trade balance, and a more stable exchange rate.
He also said that the focus is now on growing key sectors, especially agriculture.
According to Edun, agriculture is at the top of the government’s agenda, with the aim of improving food supply and increasing productivity.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
On infrastructure, Edun revealed that the government has rolled out 90,000km of fibre optic cable to improve internet access.
He said this move is crucial for supporting young Nigerians and tech startups.
He also noted that 4,000km of roads have been offered for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.