President Muhammadu Buhari is under fire for praising a former Nigerian military dictator, Sani Abacha who stole hundreds of millions of dollars from Nigeria.
Buhari, who served under the late Mr Abacha as head of the Petroleum Trust Fund, (PTF), said the late dictator contributed to the infrastructural development of the nation.
Recall that Hundreds of millions of dollars stolen by Mr Abacha and kept in foreign accounts have since been recovered by various Nigerian governments. Recently, Mr Buhari narrated what his government would do with the recently recovered stolen Abacha funds.
This is not the first time Mr Buhari will be defending his late boss. He once expressed doubt about confirmed cases of theft of public resources by Mr Abacha.
Unfortunately for Buhari, his attempt at changing the narrative around his late boss, Abacha has attracted lots of criticism of his administration.
And rather than portray Abacha as a super infrastructure-builder, Buhari has escalated condemnations of the late thieving dictator as his name [Abacha] now trends on Twitter for negative reasons.
Critics are of the opinion that praising Abacha at a time the country is bedeviled by corruption shows clearly that Buhari is not sincere about his anti-corruption crusade.
Reno Omokri, a former media aide to ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan said “What type of anti corruption crusader chooses Abacha, a proven thief, who was also a blood thirsty buffoon, as his mentor? When I schooled in England, my university had a module on Abacha’s thievery. This is the man Buhari aspires to be? The man who exiled Tinubu and NADECO!”
What type of anti corruption crusader chooses Abacha, a proven thief, who was also a blood thirsty buffoon, as his mentor? When I schooled in England, my university had a module on Abacha’s thievery. This is the man Buhari aspires to be? The man who exiled Tinubu and NADECO!
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) May 23, 2018
Similarly, another critic, Demola Rewaju said it was very wrong for Buhari to publicly defend Abacha’s corrupt ways.
Rewaju’s words “Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was a Military Officer from the North, just like Buhari was in 1993 – yet he spoke up courageously against Abacha and was jailed until he died in jail.
Buhari not only did not speak up against Abacha, he served under him and now defends his corruption.”
Read more attacks on Buhari:
I wonder how @kfayemi feels with his boss praising Abacha – didn’t you sir set up Radio Freedom back in those dark days and changed the name to Radio Kudirat when Kudirat Abiola was gunned down mercilessly in broad daylight around Oregun-Ojota in Lagos?
This is a shame.
— Demola Olarewaju (@DemolaRewaju) May 22, 2018
No matter how many roads Abacha built, knowing now how the late corrupt dictator plundered the country, and being himself an avowed anticorruption crusader, should he have venerated Abacha like that?
— Nedu Ekeke #BBOG (@Nedunaija) May 22, 2018
The man who claims to be anti corruption Czar is still praising Abacha, a proven corrupt despot and thief. I would be embarrassed if I was his supporter. Luckily I’m not.
— Ms Boateng (@JoyceOdukoya) May 23, 2018
‘
Same Abacha that locked up MKO till death. Murdered Ken Saro-Wiwa and Kudirat Abiola. Looted silly via PTF with Buhari as Chairman?
Amazing how many SW Leaders that were crying “Yoruba ronu o” over MKO’s incarceration are now teammates with Buhari & Abacha family inside APC. https://t.co/VTouEb6ZfA
— Mr Stanley Nwabia (@MrStanleyNwabia) May 22, 2018
You hate corruption so much. All appearances of it. All versions of it. You are the grand Ayatollah of integrity.
But Abacha is ALWAYS your reference point for responsible leadership. In fact, you don’t care what anyone thinks.Why? Because “he built roads and hospitals.” ?
— Babanla (@biolakazeem) May 23, 2018
After untold billions of $ he stole have been returned to Nigeria with more still to come,Buhari is publicly eulogising Abacha.
Same Abacha that killed men & women whose only crime was fighting for democracy.
But Buhari is fighting corruption & is a reformed democrat.?
— Babanla (@biolakazeem) May 22, 2018
Buhari’s govt is still working on how to repatriate Abacha’s loots yet he came out to tell Nigerians that Abacha was a good man because he built hospitals and roads.
Buhari is a disgrace to Nigeria’s Anti-corruption fight. His name should be inscribed in the hall of shame.
— May Ubeku (@Maybeks) May 23, 2018
Only a corrupt man can praise Abacha with such flowery words despite all the evidence against him and despite receiving Abacha loots from abroad.
— Jude C. Ndukwe (@stjudendukwe) May 23, 2018
Mr Abacha ruled Nigeria as military head of state between 1993 and 1998 when he died in office.
His regime was characterised by abuse of power, wanton corruption, victimisation of pro-democracy activists and killings of notable figures in democratic struggles, ostensibly by agents of the state.