Nigerians React as UK Newspaper 'The Economist' Calls GEJ “A Corrupt, Ineffectual Buffoon”

The Economist, an English-language weekly newspaper owned by the Economist Group, has described Nigeria’s former president Goodluck Jonathan as “an ineffectual buffoon”.

In an article titled “Nigeria’s economy Crude tactics”, the newspaper said:

Buhari’s government has cracked down on corruption, which had flourished under the previous president, Goodluck Jonathan, an ineffectual buffoon who let politicians and their cronies fill their pockets with impunity.”

Below is the full article. Meanwhile, Nigerians have taken to Twitter to show their disapproval of that statement.

“MORE than 30 years ago, a young general swept to power in the fifth of Nigeria’s military coups since independence in 1960. 

The country he inherited was a mess: bled dry by pilfering politicians within and hammered by falling oil prices without. Last year that general, Muhammadu Buhari, became president again—this time in a democratic vote. The problems he has inherited are almost identical. So are many of his responses. 

In the eight months since Mr Buhari arrived at Aso Rock, the presidential digs, the homicidal jihadists of Boko Haram have been pushed back into the bush along Nigeria’s borders. The government has cracked down on corruption, which had flourished under the previous president, Goodluck Jonathan, an ineffectual buffoon who let politicians and their cronies fill their pockets with impunity. 

Lai Mohammed, a minister, reckons that just 55 people stole $6.8 billion from the public purse over seven recent years. 

Mr Buhari, who—unusually among Nigeria’s political grandees—is said to have just $150,000 and a couple of hundred cattle to his name, abhors such excess. 

As military ruler he jailed, fired or forced into retirement thousands of bureaucrats whose fingers had been in the till. This time, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested dozens of bigwigs, including a former national security chief accused of diverting $2.2 billion. 

The EFCC has a poor record of securing convictions; but a single treasury account has been introduced to try to stop civil servants siphoning off cash. And agencies which may not be remitting their fair share to the state are having their books trawled by Kemi Adeosun, the finance minister. 

Such measures are doubly important because the economy is swooning along with the oil price. The sticky stuff directly accounts for only 10% of GDP, but for 70% of government revenue and almost all of Nigeria’s foreign earnings.