Buhari Presido, we are tired of hearing about empty treasury
you inherited
Buhari is always quick to lament that he inherited an empty
treasury. This cry baby behaviour has got to stop
The only thing worse than Buhari saying he met an empty
treasury is Buhari saying he met an empty treasury.
In June of 2015, during a meeting with State House
correspondents, newly elected President Muhammadu Buhari told the world that
the treasury had been left bare by the time he took over the reins.
He was pointing the finger at his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan.
"This culture of 100 days is bringing so much pressure
with treasury virtually empty, with debts in millions of dollars, with state
workers and even federal workers not paid their salaries..it is such a disgrace
for Nigeria. I think Nigeria should be in a position to even pay its workers.”
In November of 2016, during a presidential parley and
presentation of the report on poverty reduction by Course 38 of the National
Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Plateau State, at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja, Buhari again lamented that he met an empty treasury.
The treasury was so empty, Buhari said, he felt like taking
to his heels or absconding.
Said Buhari: "For 16 years and eight consecutive
governments of the other party (PDP), you know that there was unprecedented
revenue realized. The oil projection which can be verified was 2.1 million
barrels per day.
"1999-2015, the average cost of each Nigerian barrel of
oil was $100 per barrel. When we came it fell to less than $30 per barrel and
is now oscillating between 40 and 50.
“Actually I felt like absconding because 27 out of 36 states
in Nigeria cannot pay salaries and we know they have no other source than to
depend on salaries. And I asked any savings? I was told there was no savings.”
ALSO READ: Again, President says Jonathan left "no
money in the treasury"
And on Thursday, January 12, 2017, while receiving
recipients of the 2016 Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) at the State
House, Abuja, Buhari again reminded Nigerians that he met an empty treasury.
"There was no money in the treasury," Buhari
lamented. "We were producing less than one million barrels of oil per day,
from the 2.2 million barrels we used to do. The country was in a terrible
shape, but luckily, the people understand, and are cooperating with us."
Seriously, this has got to stop. Like, seriously.
President Muhammadu Buhari meets with Goodluck Jonathan on
August 3, 2016 play Jonathan visits Buhari at the villa (Twitter)
Nigerians didn't elect a lamenter-in-chief that humid day in
March of 2015. They elected a Commander-In-Chief.
This whole lamentation about an empty treasury is beginning
to grate and rile. It's beginning to sound like a ready made excuse for
failure. It's like an old CD that is now so badly scratched from over-playing,
no one wants to listen to it anymore.
Even former President Olusegun Obasanjo has had it up to
here.
During an interview session in September of 2016, Baba Iyabo
(as Obasanjo is fondly called), pushed back on Buhari's claims that he met an
empty treasury.
Obasanjo said contrary to the President's claims, Buhari
inherited $30B from the Jonathan administration.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo play Obasanjo makes music
these days (Daily Trust )
“When I assumed office in 1999, I inherited $3.7B in reserve,
while Buhari met $30B, almost 10 times of what I met then, and the price of oil
then was $9. When it got to $20, I was dancing".
So, maybe claims of an empty treasury are actually a load of
bollocks--or not. That's not the point, though.
The point is that Nigerians are fed up and tired of hearing
about problems. They want someone who can fix those problems without reminding
them how bad things are, all the time.
They want solutions to the problems they already know exist.
In May of 2017, the Buhari administration will be two years
old. It's been two years of blaming Jonathan. If you ask the petty trader or
the shoe mender down the street corner, they just want their today to be better
than their yesterday--and that's precisely why they voted Jonathan out and
brought Buhari in.
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu
Buhari play Jonathan and Buhari during the transition (Naij.com)
If the 'new' Sheriff in town is just as horrible as the one
before him, then what was the point?
If Nigerians wanted a lamenter-in-chief, they would have
stuck with Jonathan.
Majority sent Jonathan packing because they longed and
sought for a new day. You don't create that "new day" from moaning
about problems.
Buhari has to quit lamenting about what he met or didn't
meet in the treasury. Good leaders, like steel, are forged in immense heat.
Good leaders are made in times of crisis and upheaval.
Buhari is yet to show that he can solve problems, not
complain about them.
For Buhari and his team, it's time to brave the heat or step
out of the kitchen.
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