5 times Buhari jetted out amidst crisis in Nigeria

Since he assumed office as Nigeria’s president in 2015, Buhari has made over 60 foreign trips.

In 2016 alone, he left the country 30 times, and in the past six months, Buhari has jetted out of the country 13 times.

It seems the rising spate of killings, kidnappings and the collapse of key sectors are no longer the president’s business. Buhari’s penchant for foreign trips regardless of the situation of the country is very disheartening and he’s unfortunately not seeing anything wrong with his attitude towards governance.

Perhaps the president’s interest in the presidency is just the title and the benefits that come with the office, otherwise, his unquenchable appetite to fly out of the country any time the opportunity presents itself should not always override his commitment to stand by the over 200 million people he swore to protect.

While the president’s reason for jumping on the plane is often tied to international conferences and summits, it is annoyingly insensitive that the president of the most populous country in Africa doesn’t care if the fire on the mountain spreads to the streets and consumes the nation before his return from his endless trips.

Here’s the timeline of Buhari’s foreign trips amidst violent and civil crises in his country.

In September 2021, Buhari left the country for the United States to attend the United Nations’ Conference.

The president left the country barely 48 hours after bandits attacked Tangaza town in the northern district of Sokoto State killing two persons and kidnapping four children.

The bandits also carted away foodstuffs and drinks from the community, but rather than taking steps to forestall a repeat of the unfortunate incident, Buhari jumped on his presidential jet to the US.

If there was ever a time Buhari should genuinely turn down an international invite to face the monster destroying his government, that time should have been the first week of July 2022.

That week, terrorists showed their destructive strength as they had three successful attacks in Abuja and Katsina state.

First, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Aminu Umar was gunned down by bandits while on a clearance operation in Zakka forest, in Katsina.

The Nigerian Police Force had not gotten over the tragedy when another group of terrorists attacked Kuje Prison in the nation’s capital and set inmates, including high-profile Boko Haram suspects free.

That same week, some bandits opened fire on a convoy of the president’s advance team in Katsina state. The team was heading to Daura, the president’s hometown when the bandits ambushed them.

Again, on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, the Nigeria Labour Congress in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) staged a protest to press home the demands of Nigerian lecturers.

The protest was nationwide as students who have been forced to stay at home for over five months joined the labour union to call on the government to address the lingering ASUU strike.

Amid the protest, Buhari left the country for Liberia to participate in the country’s Special Independence anniversary, but that’s not the joke.

The bad joke is that a president, whose leadership has not been able to provide a lasting solution to the insecurity issues in seven years is in Liberia to lecture over 5.3 million people on how to fight insecurity.

On the night of Friday, October 22, 2021, gunmen invaded the Correctional Centre at Abolongo in Oyo state with explosives and set hundreds of inmates free.

The following day, another gang of gunmen attacked a police divisional headquarters at Unwana, Afikpo North LGA of Ebonyi state. The police station was attacked six days after a police station in Ohaukwu LGA of the state was attacked.

Unfortunately, barely 48 hours after the attacks, the president left Abuja for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to participate in a three-day investment conference.