By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Barely ten days to the end of his tenure as Nigerian leader, President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo has applauded the leadership qualities of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the world will miss him.
Buhari, expected to hand over power to his successor May 29, has been criticised over handling of security in the over 200 million population West African country, where Boko Haram terror group and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) has killed hundreds of persons, especially in the North East and North West regions of the country.
An Army General who ruled Nigeria between 1983-1985, Buhari had in the past eight years of his administration supervised unabated abduction and killing spree by bandits across the northern Nigeria with no defined ideology.
According to data obtained from the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), a project of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Africa programme, no fewer than 63,111 persons were killed since the outgoing President Buhari assumed office on May 29, 2015.
At the public presentation of two books in honour of Buhari in Abuja on Friday, the Ghanaian president who served as the chairman of the occasion said Buhari has demonstrated outstanding leadership since 2015.
The books are titled ‘State of Repair: How Muhammadu Buhari Tried to Change Nigeria for Good’ by journalist Anthony Goldman and ‘The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’ by Senator Abu Ibrahim.
Buhari arrived at the State House in company with Akufo-Addo.
The event was also attended by top government functionaries, including the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima; former governors of Ekiti, Borno and Kebbi; and top business moguls.
A former Governor of Ekiti State, South West Nigeria, Kayode Fayemi, who was one of the book reviewers, narrated that the books chronicled the key moments of the Buhari administration from 2015 to 2023 and the historical revolution during his tenure.
Shettima and Lawan commended the president’s contribution to the nation.
A former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu will be sworn-in on May 29 as Buhari’s successor.