MUHAMMADU BUHARI (December 1942 – July 2025)

..His Public Service: The Praises, The Knocks

The late former Military Head of State and President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari is seen to mean different things to different people at different times and perspectives.

While some saw him as a man who saw it all, came and Conquered, a man you can’t take humility and patriotism of his nation away from him, others saw him differently.

The former Nigeria President, the 23rd child of his father and 13th of the mother, was mostly supported in his civil life, especially politics, due to his Military background, as a disciplined and courageous officer, always misunderstood by many.

To many, the Daura officer was an epitome of humility, discipline and integrity which made admirers called him, ‘Mai Gaskia,’ the truthful one, who once said: “I will kill corruption before it kills Nigeria.”

His Achievements in Office As. A Civilian President

His government in 2015 was hinged on the three main pillars of fight against corruption, ending insecurity and revamping the economy (which included infrastructural development).

Fighting Insecurity

When he came to office, the Boko Haram insurgency was the foremost security threat which was inherited from the previous Goodluck Jonathan administration.

President Buhari government created more military formations especially along the trouble North East corridor which resulted in taking the fight into the dens of the insurgents and fending them backwards into the boarders of the country with many of the leaders taking exile im neighbouring West African countries.

The administration neutralized many Boko Haram commanders, bomb making experts and eliminated several civilian collaborators.

History will be kind to the Buhari administration as a greater spender on purchase of military hardwares to combat insurgency. The administration had the willing National Assembly under the chairmanship of Senator Ahmad Lawan, the then Senate President to approve financial requests meant to give succour to the Nigerian armed forces.

A university lecture, Professor Huud said the administration tried it’s best to deliver on the three pillars of its target.

“The administration ensured that it fought insecurity to a stand still, many Boko Haram commanders were liquidated, their bomb makers were naturalised, there were also efforts to reposition the economy . Don’t forget that the previous administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was in dire strait, borrowing heavily to pay salaries,” he said.

Anti- Corruption Crusade

Buhari’s government fought the perennial menace of corruption by strengthening anti- corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission, ICPC amongst others.

This fight saw the repatriation of stolen funds and assets from countries such as The United state, the united arab emirate UAE, Switzerland and others, in Addition to many recovered assets in-country.

Billions of stolen wealth were also recovered from corrupt politicians through the plea bargaining arrangement

To streamline government finances and create a buffer against pillaging of public funds, his government introduced the
Treasury Single Account (TSA) which has been sustained by his successor, President Bola Tinubu.

Nigeria’s image improved in the global community as his anti corruption stance improved the country’s image in the comity of nations, thereby attracting investors.

His government introduction some economic policies and programmes which were not designed to yield not immediate results. .

Agriculture Focused Policies

Under Buhari’s administration, great efforts were made in the agriculture sector. Notable among this is the Central Bank funded Anchor Borrowers Programme which provided over three billion naira in funding to farmers, and boosted productivity for over three million small holder farmers.

Under the scheme, thousands of rice farmers emerged, thereby increasing the revenue base, bringing more money into the tax net and reducing dependency on foreign rice importation

This was complemented by the presidential fertilizer initiative and the special agro processing zones created across the country that served to train Nigerians in skills.

A farmer, Mr. Gukas panan Says access to fertilizer under the Buhari regime gave him higher yield

“Before the Buhari administration, I never got government fertilizer, but I was able to get during the Buhari government and it helped to increase my yields greatly”.

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Infrastructure Development

Notable projects such as the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, many major road networks across the geopolitical zones were initiated by the Buhari government to ease transportation and enhancing socio economic life .

Social Investment Safety Net

The social investment programme of the administration saw the creation of the N- Power scheme which provided opportunity for many youths to obtain skills for self reliance. The poorest of the poor were identified under the programme for government financial assistance..

In addition, grants were given to over eight hundred thousand beneficiaries including artisans and MSMEs.

School Feeding Programm

The school feeding programme boosted school enrollment particularly in educational disadvantaged areas of the country and created employment for many, This opened up spaces for teachers to be employed.

Education

The administration dedicated over two trillion naira to capital intervention in tertiary institutions through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND.

It is also credited with the creation of over thirty higher institutions including the Army university Biu, Federal University of Transportation Daura, and many others to address imbalance in the distribution of federal government institutions across zones.

Power Sector

Tthe Buhari government pursued a massive metering programme that rolled out meters nationwide within on-grid communities.
There was also a targeted incremental four thousand megawatts of electricity which saw the revamping of power generating assets such as the zungeru and kashimbila, hydro stations as well as the Afam three and Kaduna power plants.

Reformation In The Oil Sector

For long the oil sector which is the pillar of the nation’s economy had seen controversies owing to policies which did not find implementation. The signing of the Petroleum Industry bill into law by the administration helped in the ongoing repositioning of the oil and gas sector.

The berth and operation of the Dangote refinery is one of the many gains of the PIA.

The Knock: What He Failed To Do

As laudable as the above listed achievements in office , many Nigerians held the Buhari administration accountable for several things they thought he was unable to do .

Inability To Tame Festering Insecurity

Contrary to widely held expectation that he will deploy his wealth of military exposure to tackle insecurity, it was a widely held view that Nigerians became more endangered under the Buhari administration as the nation faced multi- dimensional security challenges.

It was under his watch that terrorism was tribalised due to the poor handling of the dangerous dimension which terrorism was taken. Under his administration, alleged Fulani terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and insurgents ravaged communities in the North East, North West and North Central with culprits lording it over government security agencies Many military formations were attacked with several number of Nigerian troops killed.

Even the government had a bad record of revalidating, reintegrating into the society and even paying allowances to terrorists who killed, raped , kidnapped innocent school children etc.

Human Rights Record

His administration was noted for reported cases of alleged human rights abuses, disregard for court rulings and gagging of opposition through security operatives and trampling upon the sacred temple of the judiciary .

It was on record that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had varying interactions with former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government regarding cases human rights violations

Other human right groups, activists and civil society organisations at various times accused Buhari’s government of human rights abuses. The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in the past strongly condemned Buhari’s administration for rights abuses, including, using of excessive force against rightful protesters and high disregard for court orders and disregard for court judgments.

Insincerity in Anti- Corruption Fight

While the late President Buhari professed to rid the country of corruption, it was ironically that many public officers under his administration went through varying degrees of alleged corruption trials.

Under his watch some state functionaries publicly accused of financial impropriety were found te- appointed to other positions rather than be allowed to face trials. Many of his appointees particularly former states governors were kept in offices despite undergoing trials for alleged corrupt offences committed when they were in offices.

No single APC former governor or minister investigated by the EFCC was prosecuted under Buhari.

Under Buhari, a former Aviation minister, believed to be related to him, defrauded the whole country with the Air Nigeria failed project and was never handed over for interrogation by Buhari.

The Governor of the Central Bank under his watch perpetrated much financial infractions without being questioned. He even had the audacity to declare his presidential ambition as a sitting top ranking public officer of the government.

His Minister of Humanitarian Affairs was found wanting of stealing hundreds of billions of naira running fraudulently a government programme, the school feeding programme.

Medical Tourism

Throughout his eight years in office as President, Buhari regularly visited hospitals in the United Kingdom for medical attention committing several million poubdsbof tax payers money, while the nation’s medical facilities remain mete consulting centres.

However, the late President will remain in history as someone who has impacted the socio- economic life of Nigeria and Nigerians either positively or negatively.