Nation newspaper says before Buhari came to power in 2015, the price of a bag of rice was N8,567; now the price is N27,000.
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
An article in The Nation newspaper of March 5, may be a signal that all is not well in the relationship between the newspaper’s principal, Bola Tinubu, and President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Nation has largely avoided attacks against the federal government and President Muhammadu Buhari. The newspaper even complied with the government’s Twitter ban even when all the other newspapers, including Daily Trust, a pro-north newspaper, ignored the ban.
But that solidarity which The Nation has shown Buhari and his government appears to be vanishing.
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Nearly seven years into Buhari’s administration, The Nation newspaper suddenly realises that Buhari has failed in an article titled: ‘Buhari administration’s failed promises.’
The article showed how Buhari has made things worse since he took over the reins of the country in 2015.
The Nation article says: “Before this administration came to power in 2015, the price of a bag of rice was N8,567; now the price is N27,000. A bag of beans sold for N23,000 now it sells for between N40,000 to N50,000. The Naira was N199.0151 to the US Dollar now it is N414.924 at the official rate, while in the parallel market is beyond N570 to a dollar. Petrol pump price was N97 per litre and now sells for N165 per litre.”
On Buhari’s nepotism, the newspaper said: “A report carried out by Business Day newspaper in 2017 tagged ’81 of Buhari’s 100 appointees are Northerners’ showed 81 of appointments are either from the northeast, northwest or north central. Some agencies of government like Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and many others are headed by people from a section of the country.”
The article says with majority of the people suffering and people dying of hunger, the next election offers an opportunity for Nigerians to chart a right path for the future of this country by electing leaders who would do the right things for the nation.
Tinubu has declared his interest to contest the presidency under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party’s elective convention to elect officials for the party comes up on March 26. There are indications that the process is being skewed against Tinubu’s interest.