National Security Adviser Slams Buhari’s Government For Leaving Nigeria ‘Bankrupt’

Nigeria's National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has admitted that the current government is facing budgetary constraints, blaming previous President Muhammadu Buhari's administration for making the country "bankrupt" and leaving with "no money."

During the Chief of Defense Intelligence Annual Conference in Abuja on Monday, Ribadu said that Nigeria is repaying loans with the revenue generated by the administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He shared that the federal government will do everything possible to strengthen the armed forces and other security agencies.

"I assure you that the Federal Government will not rest on its oars in ensuring a robust and viable defense management and security apparatus to address contemporary challenges even in the face of enormous budgetary constraints," he was quoted as saying by Punch.

"Yes, we're facing budgetary constraints. It is okay for me to tell you. Fine, it is important for you to know that we have inherited a very difficult situation, literally a bankrupt country, no money, to a point where we can say that all the money we're getting now, we're paying back what was taken. It is serious!" he added.

Ribadu praised the current administration, noting that the government is doing its best to meet the requirements of the armed forces. He also urged the government to continue its support for "armed forces and other security agencies" so that they can bring peace and stability to Nigeria.

"They have done an amazingly good job without talking and I believe that with the support and the resolve of the leadership we have today in our country, things will only be better," he added.

Ribadu also recalled how Nigerian armed forces fought against banditry to rescue hundreds of kidnapped hostages from different states. The security operatives also stopped crude oil theft from various regions.

On Sunday, Nigeria's Defense Minister Bello Matawalle pointed out that oil thefts in the Niger Delta region have caused production to drop to about one million barrels per day, while the federal government is aiming to produce 1.9 million barrels of crude oil on a daily basis before the year ends.

Oil thefts pose a huge challenge to Nigeria's economy, as the country is already dealing with hiked fuel prices after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu removed a fuel subsidy.

Nigeria was once Africa's highest crude oil producer, however, it dropped to third position this year after Angola and Libya took the first and second spots, respectively.