President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure comes to an end on Monday. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI, UDEME UTIP, BUNMI ISHOLA, JUSTICE NWAFOR and SEYE ALABA went to town to sample the impressions of Nigerians from across the country on the performance of the outgoing Buhari-led administration.
LEKE Akinpelu: I am not a fan of Buhari, but despite his many perceived failures and evident ones, his administration has done better in terms of infrastructure development, the continuation of some projects from his predecessor, and so on.
Oluwamuyemi Orimolade: Introducing the rail method of transportation (Lagos- Abeokuta -Ibadan) for me remains one of the positives of his unpopular tenure.
Ajose Henkel: The revamp of the railway sector, the devolution of more power to the states, and the construction of some major roads – 2nd Niger Bridge, the Lagos -Ibadan expressway, are some of the things Buhari did in eight years that I remember for good.
Oke Lawal Morountodun: Through Buhari’s administration, people were able to diversify and learn many skills and understand the concept of individualism. Without Bihari’s help, we wouldn’t have had a hightened sense of independence and responsibility.
Adedeji Oluwakorede: In Buhari’s regime, a lot of infrastructural facilities were upgraded. There was increase in agricultural innovation, technological developments, and if we really think about it, we’ve seen worse. So I hope Nigeria grows and develops into a better country for us all
Oyinlade Samuel: Buhari during his time improved the railway system and paid pension funds to the citizens that were being owed.
Fowewe Abdullateef: Infrastructure development of rail, roads, sea ports, power and housing. He will also be remembered for insecurity, economic setback and disobeying court orders.
Mariam Kikelomo: I will remember him for his bringing cashless policy that killed people and businesses and for the debt he plunged the country into.
Musliudeen Fawaz Akande: His investment in infrastructure and trying his best despite many challenges the world faced.
Aderonmu Ridwan: Muhammadu Buhari leaves a legacy of kidnapping, inflation and debt.
Victor Nsikan: I will remember the president for poor roads and lack of sincerity.
Okeke Nzube: For me, I put the security of lives and property as the top priority, and Buhari failed in this area. Health and education, he also scored zero. Corruption fight, blatant failure. He wasted precious eight years for Nigerians; wasted lives. The failure list is endless.
Adeola Otemade: It is his corruption-led administration and the hardship Nigerians faced.
Queen Igwe: It is for the increase in the cost of goods; a bag of rice that was sold at the rate of N8,000 before he became president is now sold at N35,000 minimum.
Chukwuemeka Njoku: The more I try to talk about him the more heartbroken I get. We’ve been through a lot in the past eight years. More than 6,000 Nigerians were killed unjustly and he was not concerned. Are we to talk about the prices of goods and services? Almost everything you know has at least increased by 400%. Businesses closed down. We really suffered under this man.
David Ugumbo: I will remember Buhari for the naira redesign policy issue. The pain it caused, the confusion and the hardship.
Shakirah Opeyemi Ahmed: I will remember him for the Npower programme he did. Also, for being able to curb lecturers and professors working in different institutions (mandated them to join IPPIS); ‘cashless policy’, fuel scarcity, kidnapping and banditry.
Ogochukwu Ugwu: I will remember him for the enormous killings that happened in the country — the worst ever experienced since my birth. During his time, sit-at-home was instituted in the Southeast over agitation and he could not fix it at the beginning until it became the norm. I will remember EndSARS and the menace. I will remember the economic and financial crises and the rise in food prices, suicide, and crime. I will remember the non-compliance of INEC with the electoral law and the huge economic waste they caused in the name of BVAS. I will remember the enormous debt he left the country with. I will remember his ‘I am for everyone but not for anyone’ speech upon his swearing-in and his brazen nepotism. I will remember the deaths that occurred during the new naira note saga—the pensioners and young people who died in the cause of gaining access to their money. I will remember NPower. The mayhem and pain he is leaving us with are greater than the good he did. Niger Republic will have more happiness than the ones he led for eight years.
Gideon Arinze: It would be the fact that he promised to deliver credible elections but failed; and the fact that insecurity under his administration was a total mess, as well as failure to fight corruption as promised. This was part of the reason why he was voted in.
Adegboyegun Temiloluwa: Although the administration spearheaded by President Muhammadu Buhari hasn’t been the best we’ve experienced so far, there are however some achievements that should be recognized. Under President Buhari, Nigeria has seen the most ambitious legislative programme in its history, the completion of new terminals for the international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt. He executed the ‘Energising Economies Initiative’ that took clean and reliable energy (solar and gas) to markets across the country. He completed projects including Sabon-Gari Market in Kano, Ariaria Market in Aba, and Sura shopping Complex in Lagos. There was the successful completion of Nigeria’s first Marginal Field Bid Round in almost 20 years, expected to raise in excess of half a billion dollars, and open up a new vista of investment in oil and gas.
Adeboye Adedokun: It is the president’s failure to give Nigerians a credible election.
Israel Igiri: Whenever I remember Buhari, I remember great insecurity. A man who promised to tackle insecurity in his first tenure but disappointed. Today, traveling from one zone to another by road is very dangerous because of unknown gunmen, highway robbers, bandits, kidnappers—you name it. Whenever I remember Buhari, I remember hardship and suffering. The masses really suffered. The harsh state of the economy really affected the common man as the prices of commodities skyrocketed. The naira really devalued, leaving a severe impact on the nation’s economy.
Whenever I remember Buhari, I remember police brutality. Under his regime, we had uncountable cases of injustice and inhumane treatment meted out to innocent Nigerians. Little wonder we had the #EndSARS protest which attracted a global audience. Basically, whenever I remember Buhari, what comes to mind is ‘endurance’. The common man spent all the days of Buhari’s regime enduring hardship. Good governance is about the welfare of the people who gave you that legitimacy. Was the welfare of the common man Buhari’s priority? No! We spent eight years expecting positive change (his mantra/campaign slogan), but what we got was the opposite. It’s a shame.
Precious Abonyi: I lost my dad’s only brother because of poor hospital facilities. Imagine arriving at a federal hospital and being told there is no bed space. It is intense hardship. Small-scale businesses are struggling to make a profit because of the high exchange rate.
Uchenna Eze: Deaths, suffering, insecurity, nepotism and tribalism.
Lukemon Owolabi: Many people don’t appreciate what Buhari has done. To know what Buhari has done, we have to look back at where we are coming from in terms of security, the economy, and infrastructure. When he came in, almost 27 states could not pay salaries. Out of nothing, he had to arrange bailout funds for them.
The tax credit initiative also helped a lot. MTN, Dangote and even NNPC are part of it. We are using that to build infrastructure in Nigeria. There is no way we can use budgetary provisions to build all this infrastructure. The AKK pipeline, when completed, will be a game changer in the sense that it will carry natural gas from the riverine areas up to Kano. We can now harness natural gas to build gas plants and bring cooking gas to homes. Talk about the enabling environment for businessmen to thrive that has brought about the Dangote Refinery; now BUA is building theirs.
Before now, Nigerians had come to accept their fate in terms of a dilapidated countrywide road network. It was futile hoping that things would get better, it was a pipe dream. A federal works minister once burst into tears at the sight of one of the bad roads she was meant to fix, even though the road never got fixed by her until she left the office. The coming of President Buhari has since changed the narrative. Many federal roads and bridges are now witnessing a new lease of life. President Buhari continued to fight his way through to provide funds for critical infrastructure after the 8th Assembly leadership put all impediments in his way to frustrate his desire. He came up with the Sukuk bond and the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund option as a pool of funds to seamlessly execute critical infrastructure devoid of the shenanigans accompanying approval processes at the National Assembly. This has been the bane of infrastructural development over the years. The Second Niger Bridge, Lagos Ibadan Expressway, Abuja Kaduna Kano Road, Mambilla Power Plant, East-West Road, and a few others are direct beneficiaries of the initiative.
Salem Ohagim: For now, it’s negative. My perception may change when the new administration comes in though. First, he messed up the civil service by removing the mandatory eight years retirement for directors. Secondly, his administration was filled with lies and fake promises. Not a single campaign promise was kept. Thirdly, the way the cost of food items skyrocketed during his tenure is still a mystery for Nigerians. His appointments were not fair to an average Nigerian.
Musliudeen Adebayo: Acute inflation, disobedience to court orders, lack of respect for rule of law, loans without justification, high-tech corruption, frequent strikes by labour unions/associations, unprecedented naira devaluation, misplaced of priorities, governance by deceits/lies.
Michal Nnamani: All kinds of hardships for eight years.
Sodiq Ojuroungbe: Economy; he destroyed it.
Peter Isioeyen: Buhari is a huge disappointment though with some remarkable improvement in infrastructure, especially in the Northern part of the country. To some extent, he has arrested the issue of banditry in the country.
Ajie Nelson, teacher
Eight years of pains and disappointment. He came in with the change mantra and he ended up chaining Nigeria. Eight years down the line, nothing to show for it. Only some cosmetic projects. Insecurity is ravaging the whole country, education is zero. There are glaring facts that Nigeria any Nigerian can attest to.
Etim Idem: This is the only administration that people glorify failure because of party politics. No sound economic team till today. My take is that too Buhari was not prepared for leadership but he won by accident, so I don’t blame them. I am completely disappointed in Buhari’s government.
Mfon Sunday, Attached beautician,
APC and Buhari can be likened to a failed company. They failed to ask the previous government how they succeeded and what made them fail. Nigeria under Buhari has to be the least in the country ever. I pray the next administration will change.
Lovina Anthony: No good thing to talk about Buhari’s eight years in government. He did not do as expected. People expected a lot from him with the change mantra he came with. He did not have control over the government. He is blaming his failure on the cabal, but it is not supposed to be so because he is the owner of the mandate. To me, he has failed the people.
He has tried infrastructure-wise though sectional. The South-south and Southeast have not benefited.
Ibrahim: I like him, he is my brother.
Precious Raphael: His government has been tough, unbearable. As a student, we have gone on strike many times since he came on board. I am supposed to have graduated but I have two years before I graduate. Economy, security is nothing to write home about. During EndSARS protest many youths were killed; that peaceful protest was hijacked because of lack of security.
Adaji Israel: I remember him for his experience in governance.
Chinyelu Uduchukwu-Akpaka: There is nothing really positive that I would say I remember him for. He is that President whose silence to the plight of his people was louder than the thunderstorm. I want to forget the pains of the scarcity of the naira when we bought naira with naira. The Lekki massacre is indelible in our hearts. All these happened under his watch.
Precious Al-Hassan Uchenna Offor: I will remember Buhari for his unwillingness to stop the killings by the Fulani herdsmen and his seeming support for their land grabbing agenda.
Solaye Amorighoye: Hardship, hardship! Outright austerity.
Oluwabunmi Folahan Owonibi: Era of massive migration of vibrant, newly graduated, intelligent and prosperous dedicated young nurses.
Precious Sonubi: He’ll be remembered for making things costly in the market.
Oginni Samuel: I will remember him for Insecurity, increase in terrorism in the nation, Fulani herdsmen, Boko haram, kidnapping. He kept on borrowing without any positive influence on our country’s economy. Very corrupt administration! A government that promised to fight corruption which ended up making corruption to be on the increase.
Sade Adelaja: He helped in making rigging during election to be reduced. It was a partial government that favoured the northern region.
Wale Oseni: Ineptitude in everything, nepotism and massive corruption.
Gladys Koshoffa: I will remember him for the massacre of Nigerians by terrorists, kidnapping of all sorts, insecurity and financial hardship, distortion of tertiary educational system, inflation, fuel scarcity and naira scarcity.
Hidiat Ishola: He will forever be remembered for the hardship and suffering he brought to Nigeria.
Joshua Oluwabukunmi: Too much negativity in his regime but many will still lie. He neglected people and didn’t practice true democracy. Inflation occurred and it looked like we have no one in power. Change of old naira note to new naira note ruined a lot of businesses. Everybody now looked like lazy people. There is nothing good to remember about him as his regime was like swallowing a needle!
Eniola Akogun: He brought sorrows, tears and blood.
Seni Phinero: He unified us forcefully and geographically whilst dividing us mentally, psychologically, ethnically and culturally. He secured insecurity for us as an endemic component of existence and through his purported fight against corruption. The worst president Nigeria ever had is the best president Niger Republic has ever had.
Sola Ibitade: I will remember him for bringing so much hardship into our land.
Bukola Adetokunbo: He left the land drier than he met it. There is nothing good I can remember him for.
Taofeek Quadri: He tried his best. At least, he made Nigeria better in his own way. He tried to build a hospital for the presidency and that will stop them from wasting our money abroad on their health issues.
Ojesanmi Akindele: We thank God that he began well and is ending well. We thank God our lives aren’t ending with is administration. It was his time that we had Covid-19, Coronavirus, EndSARS and no cash, no money. Many died that time. Those were the footprints he left.
Ige Ayomide: I don’t remember him for anything good as a student. I’m a student of Federal Poly, Ede and he has not done anything worth remembering for Nigerian students due to strikes here and there.
Folake Olofinjana: About our father, President Buhari, he tried his best in my own opinion. We can’t say he is all bad. Those that left before him too had their flaws.
Isiaka Olaniyan: Look at that no cash period! Many died because they had no food to eat and no money to spend. He punished us and that is something we can’t forget in a jiffy. I hope Tinubu will make things better as he comes in because this outgoing president did not leave anything good with which we can remember him for. Look at fuel, look at the country as a whole. We are not happy people.
Ibukun Oladele: I lost someone during the naira redesign period because of lack of cash to seek for medical attention. That is what I will remember him for.
Oladapo Ayodeji: I’ll remember him for being cruel president.
Audu Jiya: He lacked empathy for the common man.
Esther Eguegu: His words: “I am for everybody and for nobody”. In his words again, “Nigerian youths are lazy.”
Jimeto Mattew: I give him F9 in all sectors. He is a robotic president and the worst we ever had. He scored A1 in killing, kidnapping, terrorism and herdsmen killing.
Aduroja Olasunkanmi: One thing that I will always remember Buhari and his eight years in government for is failure to fulfill his promises of stopping the senseless killings in the country. The insecurity has continued to grow contrary to our belief that Buhari as a former military leader and President will put an end to it but we were wrong.
The Chibok girls have been in captivity for over eight years and they have been turned to mothers. I don’t pray for this kind of affliction again.
The southwest lands have been hijacked by his kinsmen and food security has become an issue in this part of the country for the first time since I was born in 1948. The economy is in shambles, common man could hardly eat twice daily. I cannot wait for this tenure of hardship to end.
Akinloye Omogbemi: I will remember Buhari for his harsh and uncoordinated economic policies that brought untold hardship to majority of the people of the country. This is a government that came on the mantra of change, but unfortunately many things changed from good to bad and some bad things became worse.
Folakemi Ojomo: I will remember Buhari as the first Nigerian president who was never in charge of his own government for solid eight years. Nothing has changed but nose-dived. Can you tell me what we can point to as his achievements? Every sector, economy, agriculture, Education, sports, manufacturing and others. Tell me which area he has developed, even his political party, APC, he nearly put the party in disarray. I think Nigerians will heave sigh of relief after May 29. I have nothing good to remember Buhari for other than hardship, hunger, killings, kidnapping, divisions in the land. But we thank God for still keeping us together as a nation.
Isaac Afolabi: President Muhammadu Buhari will be remembered for the construction and completion of the second Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State. I personally have traveled on the former bridge and witnessed serious gridlock on the bridge and it has caused so much pain to many Nigerians especially during festive season. I sincerely believe the second Niger bridge will ease means of transportation for many Nigerians in that region.
Fidelis: I will remember President Muhammadu Buhari for the problem and pain which the new naira policy inflicted on me. I will also remember him for his selective anti-corruption war, astronomical increase in price of petrol, administrative lapses, policy somersaults, lopsided appointments, appointment of dead people as board members of some Federal Government agencies, incessant herdsmen’s attacks’ leading to the chronic and unabated killing of innocent Nigerians most especially in North East, North Central and most recently, South West among others.
Waheed Babajide
Honestly, I don’t know what Tinubu will bring on board as president, but I can honestly tell you that it is a huge sigh of relief that Buhari is finally leaving. With eight days until the last day of his (Buhari) government, I can say that there is already a fresh air being felt across the country, particularly here in Ondo State.
Buhari really dashed the hopes of Nigerians. Prior to 2015, many believed in him and thought he would definitely turn things around in the country. But things practically went awry under his watch. I, for one, expected that he was going to improve on what we complained about with former President Jonathan, but the reverse has been the case.
Buhari actually turned a blind eye to the most important sector of any country, which is the economy. Under his watch, the foreign exchange market was in shambles. What kind of president will shut down the borders of a country without any justifiable reason? Bandits had a field day, maiming and abducting Nigerians.
Even young Nigerians with very good jobs left and are still leaving the country in droves just because there is no sign of government policy to ascertain how the country can be pulled out of its doldrums.
For me, Buhari will linger in my memory as the worst president the country has ever had. Even the past military Heads of State were able to get renowned technocrats into their regimes to at least stimulate the economy, but not Buhari who shed crocodile tears on national television to cajole us as if he was prepared for the job.
Prince Kunle Adeoye: I will remember him for not keeping to his electoral promises of ensuring security and keeping corruption at bay. It is disheartening that some of the Chibok girls are still in the den of their captors while corruption has continued to eat deep into fabrics of the nation under his watch and he is helpless. I will also remember that the health of the president has improved tremendously more than when he came in eight years ago.
Mrs Kemisola Aralu: I remembered in 2015 when Buhari administration came on board, Nigerians were hopeful for a better, peaceful Nation through the man they called ‘sai baba’.
Eight years down the lane, President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration as failed all Nigerians (young and old) in all sector education, health, transportation and others
The so called giant of Africa has never had it so bad. It was a case of from frying pan to fire.
Dr Yahaya Olotu
Nearly every sector of Nigeria development has collapsed due to weak policy formation and implementation. For instance, the health sector was never as bad as it is today. Studies have shown that more than 75,000 doctors and nurses had left Nigeria for greener pasture abroad from 2015 till date. The remaining medical personnels are not well enumerated, weak working environment, and obsolete equipment.
Again, the energy sector is completely in bad shape. The power grid has collapsed, statistically, 95 percent of the country cannot enjoy three hours of electricity on daily basis. If we were to discuss security, anything I say will be understatement as both Abuja, the nation’s capital and Kastina, Buhari’s state of origin had been overtaken by bandits and kidnappers. What has happened to the economy? Before the advent of Buhari’s regime, a dollar was exchanged for N200. But now, we change a dollar for N750 as at today. What a mess and so what’s good to remember about Buhari?
Ayobami Imoleayo: Buhari is synonymous with sufferings, nepotism, cashless, scarcity, inflation, austerity, bad economy, senseless borrowing, harsh economic decisions, insecurity, coupled with ‘japa’ syndrome. So Buhari will always be remembered with negativity, and a President who succeeded in wasting eight solid years, eight backwards years.
Franklin Adewole: Buhari will be remembered by all Nigerians for running the nation aground. One step forward five backwards. I can’t wait to see this man leaving and give room for someone with ideas. We are not expecting magic but let a new wind of change blow to the country to usher development and progress. Buhari will be remembered as the worst President in the history of this country.
Kunle Adedigba: Buhari introduced a lot of proper new laws: Companies and Allied Matters Act, Business Facilitation Act, Electoral Act, Copyright Act, Police Act. Most of these new laws had preexisting versions that were all at least 10 years older, some even older than Nigeria.
Friday Ogbonnaya: Buhari? So many unpalatable things. He closed borders, scarcity left and right, rice selling for N45,000, fuel scarcity, wrong economic policy, Naira scarcity, no good road, no light, no water. So tell me what you think this man will be remembered for. He’s nothing but nightmare.
Abiola: What I will remember Buhari for? I will remember Buhari as a leader that got all things wrong for his citizens, he brought tears, sorrow and hardships to the people in different ways. The first president who wants power and doesn’t know what to do with it. He knew nothing about things happening around him. Power supply not improved, Fulani herders invasion to communities, destroying farms and killing farmers. He will be remember as a failure that turned the country upside down.
Abimbola: He brought untold hardship to Nigerians through the Naira redesign policy. We were buying Naira with Naira for the very first time.
