Nigerians deserve better from Buhari, says Odinkalu

Chidi Odinkalu, human rights activist, says Nigerians deserve a better treatment from President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking on Channels Television on Sunday night, Odinkalu said Buhari has spoken to Nigerians only once since assuming office.

He said Nigerians have gotten used to a situation where the government always “confections statements” rather than addressing the citizens on the issues affecting them.

“We did not elect people to issue statements for us, we elected a president to speak to us as Nigerians. That is the difference,” Odinkalu said.

“And we have got used to this idea that people can confection statements and we believe it.

“Since President Buhari took office, he has done one media briefing, speaking to us as Nigerians. We deserve better. We elected him, he is not God!

“Nigerians voted for this man and we expect him to speak to us as citizens, we deserve it.”

He said Buhari’s nationwide address to the nation after his return from the UK was only a recorded broadcast, saying “that is not good enough”.

Odinkalu accused the president of “wilfully refusing to tell Nigerians the truth (concerning his health).

“Nigerians are not so wicked that they are not willing to give a man who is not strong a bit of a break. But the man also has to treat us like we are entitled to have a sense he is in.”

The lawyer also refuted reports that Buhari said Nigeria’s exit from recession will only be felt when an average Nigerian feels the impact.

“The president didn’t say that, somebody issued a statement on his behalf,” he said.

“I have tremendous respect for the work the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is doing but there are questions. Some Nigerians are struggling to pay schools fees, not because they are lazy but because they are not making ends meet and I think we should consider those people when we start celebrating these things.”