By Harriet Tornguvan -Abuja
Dr. Josef Onoh, a former campaign spokesman for President Bola Tinubu in the Southeast, has dismissed claims made by former President Muhammadu Buhari regarding improvements in Nigeria’s security and economy during his administration.
Buhari, while receiving members of the Katsina State Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) at his residence in Daura, Katsina State, asserted that Nigeria had made significant progress in both areas under his leadership compared to the situation in 2015.
However, in a swift rebuttal, Onoh criticized Buhari’s assertion, arguing that the economic difficulties currently facing the Tinubu administration stem from the mismanagement of the economy during Buhari’s tenure.
He noted that while some Nigerians blame Tinubu’s government for the nation’s economic woes, they fail to recognize that the President has chosen to remain silent and take responsibility rather than publicly shifting blame. Onoh further stated that Tinubu continues to navigate the economic challenges inherited from Buhari’s administration, despite attempts to obstruct his path to the presidency.
He stated that under Buhari's watch, the northeast. North central, south east, southwest, couldn't go to sleep in peace.
When you assumed office on May 29, 2015, the cumulative number of people killed in Nigeria, according to the NST, was 34,972. But from the day you assumed office, the death figure rose to 98,083 as of May 16, 2023.
Onoh asserted that Nigeria had never experienced such widespread violence, even during the Civil War, as it did under Buhari’s tenure. Citing recorded fatalities, he revealed that a total of 98,083 Nigerians lost their lives in the past 12 years, with 27,411 deaths occurring during Buhari's fire term and over 35,800 fatalities recorded betwo 2019 and may 2023.
Breaking down the figures, Onoh listed the number of casualties per year:
2015: 5,556
2016: 5,763
2017: 4,618
2018: 6,565
2019: 8,340
2020: 9,694
2021:10,575
2022: 9,079
2023: 2,921
A total of 63,111 deaths, he further highlighted the alarming rate of killings between June and December 2015, as well as the continued bloodshed leading up to May 16, 2023.
Onoh’s remarks serve as a direct counter to Buhari’s recent statements, reinforcing the argument that insecurity in Nigeria reached unprecedented levels during his administration.
Dr. Josef Onoh has strongly criticized former President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership, accusing him of worsening Nigeria’s security and economic situation despite campaigning on a platform of change.
He argued that after failing to deliver on his promises, Buhari shifted blame to the opposition, raising questions about whether his stance was a calculated political move or a reflection of insensitivity.
Onoh pointed out that under Buhari’s leadership, Nigeria ranked third behind Afghanistan and Iraq in the 2019 Global Terrorism index, The country was also classified as the 14th most fragile nation globally and the 9th in Africa, according to the Fragile States Index.
Additionally, Nigeria placed 148th out of 163 countries on the Global Peace index, trailing behind nations that had previously experienced devastating conflicts, such as Sierra Leone 52, Liberia 59 and Rwanda 79.
He noted that violent attacks and reprisal killings persisted in Kaduna state, where accusations of ethnic cleansing and religious mismanagement were widespread. However, he credited President Tinubu's administration for restoring peace to Southern Kaduna. He further argued that Buhari’s inaction and failure to empower security forces enabled armed groups to operate unchecked, allowing violence to escalate.
Onoh attributed Nigeria’s deteriorating business environment to the failure to curb insecurity, which allowed insurgents like Boko Haram to expand their influence.
He stated that the economic decline under Buhari negatively affected both local and foreign investments, leaving the Tinubu administration to bear the consequences.
Additionally, he highlighted the impact of insurgency on economic hubs, particularly Naga, home to one of West Africa's largest fish markets which had been abandoned due to the Boko Haram crisis. He noted that it was only under Tinubu's administration that commercial activities had begun to recover.
Finally, he mocked one of the most controversial legacies of Buhari’s administration, describing it as a period where a recharge card seller miraculously became a billionaire overnight all while a serving Central Bank governor oversaw the nation's declining economy.