With Only $150,000 in Savings, Buhari is Africa's Poorest President - Washington Post Reports

By the standards of sub-Saharan African leaders, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is dirt-poor. Popular U.S publication, Washington Post, has declared President Buhari the poorest president in Africa.

President Muhammadu Buhari salutes his supporters during his inauguration in Abuja, on May 29.

 

In a new report by The Washington Post, President Muhammadu Buhari has been labelled as the poorest leader in sub Saharan Africa and possibly the least corrupt leader in Africa.

The Presidential Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, last week, released an official statement publicly declaring President Buhari and the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo's assets (Read Here).

According to the report, the president prior to his inauguration in May 29, had N30 million which is equivalent to $150,000, thereby revealing that the president is not in the league of rich African leaders.

"By the standards of sub-Saharan African leaders, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is dirt-poor," Washington Post wrote in their article.

The report pointed out rhetorically if the president was telling the truth with his declaration considering that Nigeria has been riddled with corruption for a long time.

The report however said that Buhari was elected due to his promise that he would rid the country of the culture of corruption and his declaration already showed a sense of transparency.

"The question on many minds is this: Is Buhari, Nigeria’s former military ruler and ex-head of the oil ministry, telling the truth?

Corruption, after all, is a major problem in Africa’s largest economy. Buhari himself has publicly said that more than $150 billion is missing from the government’s coffers.

Still, the public declaration appears to be an attempt to show some much-needed transparency. Buhari was elected in March largely by promising that he wouldn’t tolerate corruption.

What’s clear is that Buhari has done what his predecessors — and most other African leaders — have never done," Washington Post wrote in their article.

Click here to read the rest of the report on Washington Post.