An ex-member of the House of Representatives, Dachung Bagos, has stated that some appointees of former President Muhammadu Buhari betrayed the trust placed in them, which, according to him, led to a “worsening of corruption” during the administration.
Bagos stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, shortly after the ex-president was laid to rest in Daura, Katsina State.
“Looking at an individual of the president, he was able to look at fetch out people that he supposedly assumed would help him run the administration.
“But you will now find out that, at the end of the day, the issue of anti-corruption—the perception that we all held him in high esteem as a man of integrity, fighting corruption and ensuring transparency—you will now find out today that some of the people that were part of his administration are today facing one or two anti-corruption issues,” the ex-lawmaker said.
He added, “It shows that the trust that he bestowed on some of his appointees to help him run the government was betrayed by them. Today, the issue of corruption and transparency in Nigeria has worsened, despite the Treasury Single Account initiative he introduced to enhance transparency.”
The ex-rep member noted that Buhari’s oversight in monitoring and evaluating his appointees posed a challenge during his administration.
“So, it’s mixed feelings in two ways. Monitoring and evaluation of his appointees then was a very big challenge for him, knowing very well that he had trusted them with power,” he said.
‘Did His Best, But Not Enough’
Bagos acknowledged that Buhari was widely regarded as a man of integrity, but said the insecurity that plagued his tenure overshadowed many of his efforts.
“Buhari has been agonised as a man of integrity and truth. The truth of it is that insecurity was one of the issues that bedevilled his administration as president. But as an individual, everyone wants to do and try their best. The President said Buhari did his best, but then it wasn’t good enough, and insecurity has worsened,” he said.
Addressing mixed reactions and young people’s perceptions of Buhari’s legacy, Bagos noted that while opinions remain mixed, the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ bill signed by the ex-president in 2018 was a key legislative achievement of his time.
“One of the achievements that young people will take away from his administration is the Not Too Young To Run bill,” he said.
Buhari Laid To Rest
Meanwhile, former President Buhari was buried on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State.
A solemn crowd watched as the lifeless body was lowered into the ground at 5:50 p.m., following a brief ceremony attended by family members, dignitaries, and top government officials.
His body had arrived earlier at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua International Airport, Katsina, where President Bola Tinubu received the remains, flanked by Vice President Kashim Shettima, First Lady Remi Tinubu, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Buhari, Nigeria’s second-longest-serving leader, ruled first as a military head of state between 1984 and 1985, and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.
