Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, has blamed the austere measures introduced by President Muhammadu Buhari-led government for the current harsh economic situation in the country.
The cleric also advised the president to reverse the policies in order to make the masses enjoy cash flow.
He also claimed that the continued detention or trial of the immediate past national security adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and other officials of the past government under former President Goodluck Jonathan, was against the principle of justice given the fact that they were just ‘errand boys.’
Gumi said that Buhari was a good man, who needed the support of all and sundry in order to succeed in the onerous task of salvaging the nation.
He said, ‘‘Of course there is the oil glut and the price has gone down but still, half of the problem is because of the government policies on the economy. I’ve heard one of the economists say, one, there is no clear-cut economic blueprint by the government.
“Secondly, people will be so surprised that to know that during Jonathan’s regime, a lot of money was brought out from the government’s coffers and distributed widely across the country and this improved the circulation of currency among the populace.
“So, what Nigeria needs now is not just to tighten the mouth but to spend more judiciously on even the private sector. There are airlines that are collapsing, give them a lot of soft loans, banks are collapsing, give them money. What truly Nigeria needs now is first aid. Let food be cheap and available, let fuel be cheap and available, let education be a priority.”
On the trial of Dasuki, Gumi said the ex-NSA and other officials of the past government facing allegation of corruption were acting under instruction.
He said that it will even be unjust to arrest former President Jonathan simply because nobody knows some of the circumstances that prompted his official actions.
“Dasuki was the NSA, an adviser to the President and was directly responsible to the President, so I think detaining Dasuki for even one second for whatever he did, is wrong and unfair. God is not unjust,” he said.
Gumi noted that he expect the Buhari-led administration to maintain rule of law, adding that an accused should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
