By Huldah Shado
Dachung Bagos, a former member of the House of Representatives, has stated that some appointees of former President Muhammadu Buhari betrayed the trust placed in them, contributing to a rise in corruption during his administration.
Bagos made this statement on Tuesday shortly after Buhari was laid to rest in Daura, Katsina State.
According to him, despite Buhari’s reputation as a man of integrity who championed the fight against corruption and promoted transparency, several of his appointees were implicated in corrupt practices.
“You will find that on the issue of anti-corruption, the perception we all had of him as a man of integrity, fighting corruption and ensuring transparency, is now being questioned.
“Some of the people who served in his administration are currently facing one or two anti-corruption cases,” Bagos said.
He added that Buhari’s trust in certain individuals to help run his government was betrayed.
“Today, the issue of corruption and transparency in Nigeria has worsened, despite the Treasury Single Account initiative he introduced to enhance transparency,” he noted.
The former lawmaker further pointed out that Buhari’s failure to effectively monitor and evaluate his appointees posed a significant challenge during his tenure.
“Monitoring and evaluation of his appointees was a major challenge for him, especially since he trusted them with power,” he said.
Bagos acknowledged that Buhari was widely seen as a man of integrity, but noted that the persistent insecurity during his administration overshadowed many of his efforts.
He also highlighted that, despite the mixed opinions surrounding Buhari’s legacy, the signing of the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ bill in 2018 remained a key legislative achievement of his presidency.
