The minority caucus in the House of Representatives yesterday berated President Muhammadu Buhari over his speech at the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where he listed the gains made by his administration in various sectors of the economy overtime.

The caucus said it was in complete disagreement with the “ugly reality of the failures of his administration, as well as the economic, security and social ruins that have confronted the nation under his watch.”

A statement made by the caucus’ leader, Ndidu Elumelu, described the president’s speech as a great disservice to the nation by not presenting the true picture of affairs in the country.

“The human rights violations, corruption and incompetence in his administration; the excruciating hardship, escalated insecurity, national divisiveness and infrastructural decay under his watch, thereby blocking avenues for desired intervention in our various ailing sectors” are some of the issues the caucus is worried about, the statement read.

It added: “The minority caucus was alarmed by President Buhari’s report to UNGA that terrorists have been so weakened in Nigeria that they are now preying on soft targets, when in reality, insurgents have become so emboldened under his watch, that they are now attacking military formations, kidnapping and killing our gallant officers while overrunning communities and murdering our citizens without restrain.”

As representatives of the people, Elumelu said the caucus was depressed that the President’s speech did not reflect on the kidnapping and killing of students and school children in Nigeria. 

He regretted that the speech did not reflect on the closure of schools and crippling of education in many parts of the country where normal life has been destroyed by terrorists, neither did it show any empathy towards the victims of terrorism attacks.

According to the lawmaker, the caucus was shocked by the president’s speech that his administration “built” isolation centres and emergency hospital wards, “all over the country in record time” in the fight against COVID-19; a claim in conflict with the infrastructural reality in the country.

Besides, the caucus noted that the speech did not portray any decisive roadmap towards economic recovery and food security with no personal commitment to end corruption in his administration.