How Buhari, APC Wrecked The Economy – Nigerians Vent On Social Media

Since President Muhammad Buhari took over the mantle of leadership of Nigeria, several economic indices have continued to spiral downward. The GDP, which had enjoyed several years of tremendous growth is down for the first time since 2004, recording negative growth in Q!, and placing the country in the throes of a recession.

The exchange rate is also down by over 300% to the major currencies basket and Nigerians are forced to deal with a lower purchasing power for every Naira earned and spent. Inflation is also up and the cost of most goods, products, services and food stuffs has increased astronomically, leading to hardship for many low and middle-income Nigerian households.

Some enthusiastic supporters of the Buhari government tend to blame the economic downturn on former President Goodluck Jonathan, however many Nigerians are disgruntled with the would be messiahs that flew the brooms high in order to be elected, only to later sweep away economic gains recorded under previous administrations.

The National Bureau of Statistics recently reported that 1.5 million jobs were lost in the first quarter of 2016. This report drew more condemnation for the Buhari administration, with many Nigerians taking to social media to vent their frustrations at the rising economic hardship.

The Herald monitored comments on leading Nigerian blogs to feel the pulse on what Nigerians are saying about the APC government and their tendency to blame the former administration for their economic woes.

Here are a selection of unedited comments seen on the social media sphere:

APC said they wanted to clear the mess of 16 years of PDP, instead as NBS stats has just shown APC’s 1 year has caused more/massive destruction to Nigerians and the Nigerian economy than PDP did in 16 years, – Eziokwubundu

 

But so long as some crude oil proceeds still get to Nigeria’s coffers, news about falling economy is no news to Buhari, don’t mean much to economic illiterate Buhari.
Once there is money to maintain Buhari’s presidential jets to enable him travel around and shake hands with other world leaders, and to sustain one Nigeria, nothing matters again for Buhari. – Nairaskobos

 

Jonathan tried to remove subsidy in order to save for the rainy day…he also tried to ssave in excess crude account but fashole, and amaethief did not allow him to save

So how is jonathan the problem – Babanie

 

Cattle Dondee’s brainless policies led us to this point. How can anybody with brains take over leadership and think he can fight corruption by freezing all foreign currency account so that looters will not be able to transfer money abroad? By that singular bad policy, he drove all users of foreign currencies to black market, resulting to an increase in demand for forex at the black market which overwhelmed supply and drove exchange rate to over N300 per $1. The consequences is what we are facing today. He won election in February and he was sworn in in May, his fickle mind did not tell him that those months before he was sworn in that all looted funds must have left the country due to his constant noise about how he is going to fight corruption before he took over. – Issysmooth

 

Did OBJ complain like this in 1999? He met empty treasury looted by the past military head of states. He assembled some of the best brains and some from opposition parties and started work. Nigeria began to grow and the economy improved. GEJ started from where Yaradua stopped and he tried his best though his govt was accused of corruption, Nigeria became the biggest economy in Africa.
Obama took over a dying USA economy from Bush and he transformed it within a short time.
My advice to Buhari is that he should be focused and continue to look forward. He should stop looking back to accuse the past govt. He cannot move forward because a man running a race with a baton in his hands does not look back continuously to avoid him fallen over. The best is for him to look for good and proven technocrats to help him run the govt. He should do away with the expired grenades he calls ministers. Most of them were part of PDP that help to destroy their party and NIGERIA. – sammyst

Nigeria has always been bad, and when a man said I should vote him, to amend the system, I expect him to have the acumen to do so; to come in and start heaping blames, means failure and incapacity.
Another phrase- “16yrs mess can not be cleaned in 1yr” is a very funny statement. From the aroma of the food, you can predict the taste. If you tell me that you are taking me to Lagos, from Onitsha, no matter how difficult the journey is, I want to see the bus facing Benin; if the bus is moving to Port Harcourt or Aba, it means only one thing- kidnappers or one chance.
Buhari has the passion, but he is too sectional; this affects his handling of the Niger Delta militancy; mild on Fulani Herdsmen, but plans to “crush” the militants. – kingschinwe

did u not see it coming? 6 months to pick cabinet; 2 months 4 padding budget; 4 months 2 look 4 missing budget & signing! – SamuelMbagwu

If 1.5 million people could lose their jobs within 5 months, then I don’t think even if APC succeeded in creating jobs for 500,000 would reduce the unemployment rate in the country. Now are we moving forward or backward as a country. – Emmysteve

All he came to do in government is to fight corruption.
No policy, no plans, no agenda. – Joejonah

 

I know about 3 companies that have folded up discharging more than 500 people. As it’s now, i feel sorry for companies that import raw materials abroad –  chidooh1