THE Presidency, last night, said President Muhammadu Buhari will be leaving Nigeria better than he met it in 2015 in terms of security and economy.
The Presidency also defended President Buhari on his alleged lopsided appointments of security heads in the past eight years, saying the appointment of service chiefs and heads of security agencies cannot be subjected to ethnic balancing or federal character.
Buhari will be exiting office next month, precisely May 29 after completing eight years of two terms.
Critics have said that the country was worse off since Buhari mounted the saddle of leadership and he has been accused of nepotism and favouritism against competence and respect for federal character.
However, appearing on Channels Television programme last night, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said no matter what people say, Buhari will be leaving Nigeria better than he met the country in 2015.
Adesina noted that before the emergence of the Buhari government, about 17 local government areas in the northern part of the country were under the control of the insurgents, noting that no single council area is presently being controlled by Boko Harm.
On the allegation of nepotism in the appointment of security heads, where it was said that about 70 per cent of heads of security agencies are from the North, Adesina said the appointment of security heads was a prerogative of the President, which should not be subjected to ethnic balancing or federal character.
His words: “Don’t subject security to ethnic balancing; don’t subject security to federal character. In fact, the constitution that prescribes federal character even gives the President some prerogative that he can appoint on his own.
“What the constitution requires of you is balancing in terms of each state being represented in terms of certain positions. Those positions are prescribed. Security is not part of it. President will always have the prerogative to appoint those he feels can help him secure the country and have the kind of country you deserve to have. I would say that the President has been able to keep to his promises.”
