On Tuesday in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed concern for the growing complaints from agitated workers over unpaid salaries and allowances in states despite interventions by the federal government.
On Tuesday in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed concern for the growing complaints from agitated workers over unpaid salaries and allowances in states despite interventions by the federal government.
President Buhari received a group of governors at the State House led by Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari, and addressed the plight of workers in the states, saying that they needed urgent attention as many could barely survive.
“How can anyone go to bed and sleep soundly when workers have not been paid their salaries for months. I actually wonder how the workers feed their families, pay their rents and even pay school fees for their children,’’ he said.
President Buhari told the governors that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had received some commendable reviews by the people for their two out of three-pronged focus to secure the country and fight corruption, noting that the challenge in payment of salaries in states had taken a toll on the people.
“God has been merciful in hearing the prayers of his servants so the rainy season has been good, you can ask the Kebbi State governor on this, and our enormous food importation bill has gone down," he added.
President Buhari also added that the federal government and state executives needed to work more closely together to alleviate the situation of workers across the country.
He also said that he instructed all government agencies to be in compliance with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in order to ensure more transparency and prudence in accounting for the revenues of the government and the sharing of entitlements with states.
In his remark, Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari said the various interventions by the federal government, including the bailouts, were reasonably utilized by the states. He also stressed that the governors inherited a backlog of unpaid salaries and huge debts portfolios on assumption of office.
“We are concerned with the situation in our states, and we are trying our best to manage the resources,’’ he said.
Mr. Yari noted that though the bailout funds and part of the fallout from the London-Paris Club were received by the states and were properly expended to alleviate the plight of workers, more had to be done.
Mr. Yari commended the efforts of President Buhari in trying to improve the economy, assuring that the states would continue cooperating with the federal government to improve the livelihood of workers and all Nigerians.
Governors of Ondo, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kwara, Akwa Ibom and the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State were among those visiting the President.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
October 17th, 2017
