Buhari’s Chief of Army Staff Buratai blasts Tinubu for excruciating poverty & hunger in Nigeria
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retired), has openly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of accelerating the impoverishment of Nigerians through what he described as “massive and radical” economic policies.
Speaking on Saturday at the 60th birthday lecture of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Buratai contrasted the gradual economic hardship Nigerians experienced under previous governments with what he claimed is the sudden and intensified suffering under Mr Tinubu’s leadership.
“During the time of IBB, the Structural Adjustment Programme and the belt-tightening policies, the foreign exchange and deregulation started fully during IBB’s period. It went on to fuel deregulation,” Buratai said.
Citing administrations from the Second Republic to the Buhari era, he continued, “Under the Shagari era, Obasanjo’s presidency, Jonathan’s presidency and of course Buhari’s presidency, we saw gradual pauperisation of Nigerians. The poverty level continuously increased gradually.”
However, Buratai asserted that Tinubu’s government has taken a far more aggressive approach, worsening the economic conditions for millions in a very short time.
“The only difference with this Tinubu-led administration is that it came more radical. It is massive and sudden. It’s poverty was not gradual like the previous administrations,” he said.
Despite the severity of the situation, Buratai offered a nuanced view of the government’s strategy, suggesting that its radicalism could mark a break from a history of incremental decline.
“It has its own advantages. It shows a change from what we have been doing. We have been suffering gradually and smiling. But this time around, it came fully to show that we must get it right,” he added.
Still, he did not hide his discontent with the government’s response to the widespread hardship triggered by its policy decisions.
“The main challenge is the seeming insensitivity to the massive impact of government policies, poverty insecurity are real.”
“We all know. We believe probably the second half of this administration will make a difference. Otherwise, I can see the coalition working hard,” Buratai said.
His comments arrive amid growing criticism of Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira, moves that have led to inflation and a spike in the cost of living.
Buratai’s statements also carry additional weight given his own controversial past as a senior figure in the Buhari administration.
He was the Chief of Army Staff during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, when soldiers opened fire on demonstrators, and he has faced scrutiny for alleged human rights abuses and corruption.
In 2015, he was linked to the military crackdown on Shiite Muslims in Zaria, and in later years, investigations by anti-graft bodies uncovered significant cash and luxury items in his Abuja residence.
According to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), over ₦1 billion in cash, Rolex watches, and other valuables were recovered.
Reports also revealed how Buratai allegedly cornered contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) while still in office, and how former National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno accused him of being unable to account for funds allocated for weapons procurement during his tenure.
As Nigeria braces for deeper political realignments and the public continues to feel the pinch of austerity-style reforms, Buratai’s public rebuke adds another voice of discontent from within the establishment.
