Buhari failed to present Nigeria’s problems at UNGA — Minority Caucus
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has criticised the speech given by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.
This was contained in a statement released during the weekend by the Minority Leader of the House Ndudi Elumelu.
The lawmakers said the president’s speech was a disservice to the nation as it did not sincerely represent the chaotic situation of the country.
They also noted that this misrepresentation had limited the chances of foreign intervention in the areas required.
“As representatives of the people, the Minority Caucus is depressed that President Buhari’s speech did not reflect on the kidnapping and killing of students and school children in Nigeria.
“The speech did not reflect on the closure of schools and crippling of education in many parts of our country, where normal life has been destroyed by terrorists, neither did it show any empathy towards the victims of terrorism attacks,” it read.
The lawmakers noted that the president had given no assurance to tackle the causes of conflicts or other economic challenges in Nigeria.
“Moreover, our caucus is worried that Mr President’s speech did not portray any decisive roadmap towards economic recovery and food security; had no personal commitment to end corruption in his administration; had no personal commitment to end borrowing or show a clear-cut plan to repay the huge debt being accumulated by his administration.”
The statement criticised the president’s lack of commitment to ensuring credible elections and enjoined him to take advantage of such platforms to capture the realities and challenges prevalent in the country.
“The minority caucus, after due consideration, urges President Buhari to always cross-check the content given to him by his handlers so as to ensure that his position, especially on the world stage, captures the reality as well as the aspiration prevalent in the country.
“This is because such addresses ought to serve as an unblemished working document for interventions and solutions at various levels of governance,” it read.
On Friday, Buhari addressed the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the United States of America.
He said his government had shown commitment to safeguarding human rights, protection of women, children, refugees and people with disabilities, among others.
