Buhari left a flourishing nation, says Sirika

Former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has defended the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that it left behind a flourishing nation with a strong economy, improved security and a solid foundation for successive governments.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE Television, Sirika said Buhari’s administration delivered significant progress despite the challenges it inherited and maintained that its policies were designed to serve Nigeria’s long-term interests.

“I do believe that he left a country that is flourishing,” Sirika said.

Daily Trust reports that Sirika was speaking ahead of the posthumous anniversary of the Buhari’s administration being planned by the allies and associates of the former President who passed away on July 13, 2025.

Katsina: Kurfi granted bail in alleged defamation case

INEC Denies Giving Nafiu Bala Access to Nomination Portal

The current administration of President Bola Tinubu on assumption of office in 2023 halted the fuel subsidy regime insisting it inherited an economy that was on the verge of collapse.

However, the former minister declined to criticise the policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying both Buhari and Tinubu were implementing the programmes of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to him, the policies pursued by the two administrations should not be viewed as attempts to inflict hardship on Nigerians.

“As an APC person, I do believe that they are not doing things just off the top of their head to inflict injury on the country. I think they are being advised of the exigencies of their time and are taking decisions that are good for the country,” he said.

Sirika also defended Buhari against criticisms that earned him the nickname “Baba Go Slow,” attributing it to the time the former president took to appoint ministers at the beginning of his administration.

He argued that governments require time to properly formulate and implement policies before their impact can be fairly assessed.

“I think, to be fair to President Muhammadu Buhari, he led the government in the best way that he could, and we’ve seen a lot of progress,” he said.

Highlighting the achievements of the Buhari administration, Sirika said the government inherited widespread insecurity, including areas controlled by Boko Haram insurgents.

He said the administration recovered the 17 local government areas that had been seized by the terrorists, significantly degraded the insurgent group, rescued many of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and restored normalcy to many communities in the North-East.

According to him, the improvement in security enabled residents to return to farming, attend schools and move freely without the numerous security checkpoints that once dotted major highways.

On the economy, Sirika insisted that Buhari handed over a healthy economy with strong external reserves and greater opportunities for businesses.

“The economy was doing well. He had shot up the foreign reserves at his time. He had made it stronger, and there were funds available for entrepreneurship and access to the economy. They were flourishing and doing very well. There were a lot of companies that were coming up,” he said.

Speaking on the aviation sector which he led for eight years as the longest serving Minister, Sirika defended the airport concession programme initiated under his leadership, saying the process had been completed before litigation delayed its implementation.

According to him, preferred bidders had already emerged for the concession of the airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano before one of the unsuccessful bidders challenged the process in court.

He maintained that the concession exercise was conducted transparently under the supervision of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

“The aviation projects are the only projects in the country that are going through every single step towards ensuring transparency,” Sirika said, adding that the process was made publicly accessible through a dedicated website.

UPDATE NEWS:

Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder,

click here to find out how it works.