Bashir Ahmed, Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, has come under fire on Twitter after saying that the ongoing construction of the Second Niger Bridge would be a gift to Nigerians when completed.
In a tweet on Sunday Ahmed said, “When the Second Niger Bridge is completed, it will be a gift that will keep the President @MBuhari’s administration in the minds of millions of Nigerians for a very long time.”
When the Second Niger Bridge is completed, it will be a gift that will keep the President @MBuhari’s administration in the minds of millions Nigerians for a very long time. #PMBAtWork pic.twitter.com/uylfbQSRRP
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) May 17, 2020
But irked by his description of a construction done with public funds as a gift, Nigerians have rained hard knocks on him.
In one tweet, @NekkaSmith said, “Nigeria’s money! Not Buhari’s gift. Nigeria is bigger than one man.”
https://twitter.com/NekkaSmith/status/1262167293615882240
@strong_truth wondered why Ahmed described it as a gift when the infrastructure development is funded by tax payers’ money.
“What do you mean by ‘gift’, as if the funds used to build the bridge is from his pocket, salary or pension?
“The funds used for this infrastructure is tax payers money and this is not in any way a gift from Buhari. Please keep this gift tweet till after completion of the bridge,” he wrote.
@yemmyse said, “A gift? Is this how elected officials feel when they initiate projects funded with tax payers’ money?
A gift? Is this how elected officials feel when they initiate projects funded with tax payers' money?
— O L A Y E M I (@yemmyse) May 17, 2020
@call_me_oracle wondered why the Nigerian Government was still celebrating things like construction of bridge in the 21st century.
His tweet reads, “This is shameful to say the least. How can we still be celebrating the construction of a bridge in the 21st century when nations are talking about uninterrupted power supply, electric cars, smart cities, science innovations, world class tourist centres, industrialisation.”