A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu has praised ex-president Muhammadu Buhari for standing against the World Bank anti-people policies, while in office as a president.
Okechukwu who made this known while celebrating Buhari on his 81st birthday anniversary, commended the former president for standing with the people in his decisions.
The former VON DG who is Buharist, said this at a time when the World Bank is advising the Federal Government to increase the pump price of petrol to as much as N750/litre.
Okechukwu, who spoke under the aegis of the Buharists, extolled the sterling qualities of the retired Army General, especially “his pro-people agenda and his Spartan lifestyle.”
He further recalled how Buhari devoted his public service to the common man.
According to him, Buhari raised a marshal plan to confront the challenge of food security in the country, regretting that insurgency slowed down the drive to make Nigeria’s food sufficient.
He said: “This is the appropriate time to recount his pro-people policies, his resistance to the World Bank’s anti-people policies, even as the military Head of State.
“Billions of naira in bail-out funds were granted to state governments, social investment programmes, reduction of infrastructural deficit and the famous Buhari’s unprecedented agrarian revolution to enhance Nigerians prosperity.
He said, “We, the Buharists, make bold to state that because of his passion for food security, he invested more than any other federal government in agriculture post-1970.
“Regrettably, we lament the truism that palpable insecurity diminished his quest for food security as his credo was- we must produce what we eat.”
He however appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to continue with some of the laudable programmes, “particularly Buhari’s Agrarian Revolution like the Green Imperative Program designed to mechanise agriculture nationwide and Anchor Borrowers Programme,” under whatever nomenclature.
“We are happy that President Tinubu promised to continue with our icon’s initiatives because that is a befitting way to honour the image of this great Nigerian who loves the poor and cares for the nation,” he said.
