Adesina Lauds Buhari’s Administration

The Presidency has said that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s appointment of service chiefs and heads of security agencies is not subjected to ethnic balancing or federal character.

The Media Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina, stated this during his appearance on the Channels television programme on Monday night. He noted that on May 29th, 2023, his principal will be leaving Nigeria better than he met the nation in 2015.

He claims that before the current administration took power, the terrorists controlled roughly 17 local government council areas in the country’s north. He adds, however, that Boko Haram is not currently in charge of any local government council areas.

Adesina responded to the claim of nepotism in the appointment of security heads, where it was claimed that roughly 70% of heads of security agencies are from the north, saying that the appointment of security heads was a prerogative of the President and should not be subject to ethnic balancing or federal character.

He said: “Don’t subject security to ethnic balancing, don’t subject security to federal character. In fact, the constitution that prescribes federal character even gives the President some prerogatives that he can appoint on his own. 

“What the constitution requires of you is balancing in terms of each state being represented in terms of certain positions. Those positions are prescribed, but security is not part of it. President will always have the prerogative to appoint those he feels can help him secure the country and have the kind of country you deserve to have. I Would say that the President has been able to keep to his promises.”

Even though security was one of the key areas President Buhari’s administration promised to focus on, it was reported that Nigeria had recorded more deaths under his watch than it had under the previous administration. The presidential spokesman responded by saying that credit should be given to the administration because 2022 saw the lowest number of fatalities in the nation’s history.

He said, “Do you also know of the report which says in the past 12 years, that 2022 was the year that recorded the least number of deaths in terms of insurgency and insecurity? We know in this country, the figure has been coming down over the years. 

“No life ideally should be lost not a single one. One life lost is too many, not one life should be lost but then, when reports tell you that between 2015 and 2021 so so number of lives was lost and in 2022 the lowest figure came up, it calls for something positive, you don’t ignore it. 

“Buhari is leaving the country far better and I said it from the beginning in 2015 we knew where Nigeria was, 17 local governments in this country were under the control of insurgents. NYSC could not do orientation, they were not sending people to those places, is it what is happening today? No. 

“The Emirs are back in their palaces, local government chairmen are back in their offices, NYSC orientation is happening in those states, youth corps have been posted to those states, are you now telling me that there has not been improvement? No, no. Let’s be factual, let’s give the government some credit please.”