By ABUBAKAR YUNUS
Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Monday defended the economic record of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that he left Nigeria in a flourishing economic and social condition at the end of his administration.
Sirika stated this during an interview on Arise News as part of activities marking one year since Buhari’s death.
Rejecting claims that Buhari handed over a struggling economy, the former minister maintained that the late President performed creditably despite prevailing criticisms.
“I don’t want to get dragged into that debate, but the truth of the matter is that President Buhari did extremely well on the economy,” Sirika said.
Sirika said his assessment was based on his experience in government and his knowledge of developments during Buhari’s tenure.
“I have been in the country, I have served in government, and I witnessed the situation firsthand. At the time he left office, the country was in a good state, both economically and socially,” he added.
The former minister further insisted that Buhari left behind a flourishing nation, but declined to compare the administration of the late President with that of President Bola Tinubu.
“I believe that he left a country that was flourishing. Because I am neither President Muhammadu Buhari nor President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it would not be fair for me to comment extensively on the policies they have made or to criticise why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken certain decisions,” he said.
Sirika, however, argued that both administrations were implementing the policy direction of the All Progressives Congress.
He said the policies introduced by Buhari, as well as those being pursued by Tinubu, reflected the philosophy of the ruling party rather than the personal preferences of either President.
“As a member of the APC, I believe they are not making decisions simply off the top of their heads or with the intention of inflicting hardship on the country.
“No, I do not think so. Rather, I believe they have been guided by the realities and exigencies of their respective periods in office and have taken decisions they consider to be in the best interest of the country,” Sirika said.
