Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has flayed President Muhammadu Buhari for allegedly “squandering taxpayers’ resources on meaningless insatiable international trips.”
In a statement, yesterday, by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group accused the Nigerian leader of globetrotting at the slightest opportunity, thus, “abandoning Nigeria and its citizens to wriggle in deep crisis.”
Buhari, on Tuesday, embarked on a two-day state visit to Madrid, the capital of Spain, according to his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. With the trip, the President would have visited eight countries in the last five months alone.
As confirmed by his spokesmen, Buhari had, in May, visited the United Arabs Emirate (UAE), where he paid a condolence visit to the country over the loss of its immediate past leader, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nayan; Equatorial Guinea, where he attended the Extraordinary Summit of the African Union, and Cote d’Ivoire, where he attended the 15th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
He also holidayed at Brussels, Belgium in February when he joined other world leaders for the sixth European Union-African Union Summit; Nairobi Kenya in March, where he attended the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Environmental Programme; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February for the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Africa Union Heads of State and Government and London, United Kingdom in March for a two-week medical check-up.
According to the 2022 budget, N3.57 billion was earmarked for Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s feeding and travel expenses.
The sum of N3.4 billion was approved for the offices of the two topmost citizens in 2021. A similar figure was okayed in 2020 for same purpose.
Travels and feeding for both men cost the country N1.5 billion in 2019; N1.52 billion in 2018. Bills for 2017 and 2016 were N1.45 billion and N1.43 billion.
SOurce: Guardian.ng
