Arewa Group Replies Abati Over ‘Buhari Laughing At Nigeria’ Comment

A Northern group, the Arewa Think Tank (ATT) has responded to Dr Reuben Abati, the ex-spokesman to former President Goodluck Jonathan, over a recent comment where he reportedly said former President Muhammadu Buhari would be laughing at Nigeria, considering the current situation of the country.

Abati reportedly said former President Muhammadu Buhari would be laughing at Nigeria from his house in Daura, Katsina State, in view of the economic hardship in the country.

However, the group in a statement by its Convener, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, said Abati was only struggling to justify falsehood with the reality on the ground.

He queried how the former president would be laughing at Nigeria when his 8 years as president was responsible for plunging the nation into hunger and hardship which President Bola Tinubu inherited and doing his best to salvage.

“How can Buhari be laughing when the Central Bank (of Nigeria) governor under his administration is still constantly in and out of detention, and how can he laugh when his nephew is under serious investigation for allegedly embezzling billions of naira?

“How can Reuben Abati said Buhari is happy when the economy he handed over to his successor had been brought to its knees because of poor foundation.

“Arewa Think Tank is asking again, how can Buhari feel at peace when the aviation minister under his administration is in court for alleged fraud; how can he laugh when billions of naira, meant to care for the most vulnerable people, were embezzled by his humanitarian minister? How could he be amused when he hears that his former CBN governor spent almost N95 billion to print N145 million?

“How could there be any reason for the former President to laugh when he knew he used almost 90 percent of his daily crude oil production to borrow money in advance from foreign governments; how can Buhari find comfort knowing fully well that some rogue bankers and economists, employed during his administration, used his foreign reserves as collateral to borrow money.”

Rather than laughing, the Arewa group believed that the former president “would be deeply disturbed and saddened whenever he hears of all the atrocities committed during his tenure as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”

It added that since “we don’t want to be misled by Reuben Abati’s comment, we pray that history should judge Buhari kindly in accordance with his deeds while in office, but the best advice we could give President Bola Tinubu for now is for him to detach himself or his government from the immediate-past government of President Buhari”.

The group said the advice has become necessary for Tinubu to avoid the failures of the previous government rubbing off on his own administration that is struggling to get out of the inherited socio-economic woods.

“We are also advising President Tinubu that if something is not done urgently, Nigerians may revolt against his government due to a looming food crisis in coming years. So he should walk his talks without further delay”.

Yakubu also said that although Tinubu is being commended for the local government autonomy and subsidy removal, he should leave behind a legacy as a president who frontally defeat banditry.

He stressed that the criminal elements are not spirits and can be defeated.