Yuceelanda.com
“Why me?”
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed
frustrations with dwindling oil prices and the
collapsing economy, yet again, in a meeting with
Nigerians living in the United Kingdom.
According to Punch, the President made this
disclosure while speaking in a town hall meeting
on February, 5, 2016 in London. “Why didn’t I
come when the treasury was full? Oil price was
over $140 per barrel and when I came, it slipped
down to $30. Why me?”, Buhari told the Nigerian
community in the UK.
Buhari wondered why he didn’t become President
when the country was bouyant. He also lamented
that he was now at the helm when oil prices
reached record low. He, however, failed to say
what programmes he would implement if he did
have funds to do it.
Despite the downturn of the economy since he
came to power, Buhari expressed faith in God,
but fell short of explaining the policies he
intends to use in removing Nigeria from its
current downward spiral.
“With the problems we have in this government, I
sometimes wonder. At least, this time around, I
asked for it, I prayed for it, I went round the
country and I asked for it. But the first time
under the military, I allowed the military to take
decision.
“But I say why me? Why is it that it is when they
have spent all the money, when they made the
country insecure that I returned?
“Why didn’t I come when the treasury was full?
Oil price was over $140 per barrel and when I
came, it slipped down to $30. Why me?
“I keep on praying to God to pity Nigeria and its
over 170 million people who are exposed to
climate change, illiteracy and poverty.”
Buhari claims that the Treasury Single Account
(TSA) programme had helped the government to
mop up N2.2 trillion. The programme which was
introduced by the government of Goodluck
Jonathan was being implemented gradually to
avoid shocks to the economy.
On assumption of office, Buhari ordered a total
implementation of the TSA which withdraws
government funds from the commercial banks
and domiciles it with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The full implementation of TSA, experts say, is
partly responsible for Nigeria’s crashing economy
as the banks are no longer able to support
businesses.
Buhari took a swipe as Jonathan by saying he
did not know why the TSA was not implemented.
But, it was implemented in phases by Jonathan’s
government.
“You know the condition we are in now. I am
sure with demands from home, in spite of what
your effort is, you know we are really in trouble.
“We have tried to impose what we call Treasury
Single Account. The reason is simple. This
government did not initiate it; it was initiated by
the previous government. But it was so
unpopular to the bureaucracy, so the previous
government for its own reasons, could not
impose it.
“But when we came and we found out that we
were broke, we said this is the way to do it.
“I will tell you two examples to convince you.
Firstly, the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation had more than 45 accounts. Ministry
of Defence had more than 70 accounts. Tell me
which Accountant-General can trace all these
accounts?
“So, we imposed TSA. By the end of December,
coming to January 2016, we mopped up more
than N2.2trn which would have been used
through bureaucratic system to raise vouchers
and sign cheques so that they don’t go into the
next budget.”
Buhari also alluded to foreign interference in
Nigeria’s electoral process by the government of
the United States of America and the United
Kingdom. He claimed that the US government
“read the riot act” to the previous government
before the last election in MArch 2015 which
saw him emerge as winner.
“Then we insisted that election must be done
according to the constitution.
“At this point again, I must hasten to thank the
United States for sending the Secretary of State,
Kerry, to go and read the riot act to the previous
government and speak to Prof. Jega, the
Chairman of INEC and speak to us as opposition
that the US would not tolerate any election
outside the Nigerian constitution.
“They maintained the pressure from that date
until after the election and the formation of the
new government.
“I think Nigerians honestly should thank the US
for this. The same thing with Britain, they used
all their experience and their powers to make
sure that the Federal Government did not rig the
last election.
“We thank God, we thank these super powers
and we thank technology. Why we thank
technology is because of the permanent voter
cards and the card readers.”
Buhari is officially on a 5-day leave, while away
from the country, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
would be acting president.
Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari gives an
interview to Agence France-presse at his hotel
during the 25th African Summit on June 14, 2015
in Johannesburg. | Mujahid Safodian/AFP/Getty
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