Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has criticized Nigeria’s leaders for their tendency to embark on foreign trips, often referred to as “junkets,” while the country grapples with pressing domestic issues.
Sowore who took to his X handle on Monday highlighted the irony of these leaders visiting successful nations after contributing to Nigeria’s decline through bad governance.
Former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari was known for his extensive international travel during his tenure, with reports indicating that he made at least 108 foreign trips between 2015 and 2023.
While some of President Buhari’s international trips were for official purposes, such as attending the United Nations General Assembly and engaging in diplomatic meetings with other world leaders, others had a personal nature. Notably, the President made several trips to the United Kingdom for medical checkups and treatment,
Also, since assuming office in May 2023, President Bola Tinubu has undertaken numerous personal trips, including a recent annual leave which was announced. One of these trips was to the United Kingdom, where he spent days on vacation, according to reports.
President Tinubu’s travels are not limited to the UK, as he has also made a couple of trips to France for medical checkups.
According to reports, it is estimated that Tinubu has embarked on at least 19 international trips within a 16-month period, covering various destinations worldwide.
Sowore’s condemnation of Nigerian leaders underscores the widely held belief that these leaders place their own interests and luxuries above the welfare and needs of the Nigerian people.
This sentiment is shared by many Nigerians who feel frustrated with the country’s ongoing challenges and the lack of accountability from its leaders.
Sowore condemned the tendency of Nigerian leaders to flaunt their foreign travels, arriving and departing from nations that have succeeded because of the dedication of their own citizens, rather than any contribution from Nigeria’s leaders.
In a post on his X account on Monday, Sowore said, “The London trip of @MBuhari: The useless leaders that ruined their country are happy to announce their departure and arrivals from the countries built by their own people.”
Sowore stated that Buhari did not only destroy Nigeria but also stripped its citizens of their humanity and dignity. Sowore lamented that Buhari’s regime denied Nigerians, regardless of age or gender, the opportunity to live a decent life and reach their full potential.
He emphasised that the administration’s actions resulted in widespread suffering, undermining the well-being and progress of the nation’s children, women, and men, both young and old.
He said, “President Muhammadu Buhari you just didn’t hurt Nigeria, you dehumanised its citizens, you denied Nigerians of a decent life, you denied children, women, men-old and young-an opportunity to live and thrive.
“You destroyed businesses, you took innocent lives, you destroyed the educational sector, you deprived the sick and infirm an opportunity to be nursed to health. You unjustly detained and imprisoned many.
“You encouraged violence where you couldn’t carry it out yourself. You created division through religious bigotry and ethnicity.
“Yourself, your family members, cronies and members of your cabal perpetrated untold corruption. You borrowed Nigeria back to the Stone Age!
“Your tenure and the souls you ruined, lives you wasted, opportunities you crushed will continue to hunt and haunt your till the end of time!”
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