ABUJA/Nigeria: The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed concern over the inability of State Governors to pay the salaries of their workers in the state. According to NAN, the president made his feelings known on Tuesday, October 17 when he received a group of governors led by the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Abdul’ Aziz Yari at the state house, Abuja.
The President said that the plight of workers in the state required urgent attention and suggested that that the State executives and Federal Government work together to ameliorate the situation of workers across the country 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 their children’s school fees”.
The President said he had instructed all government agencies to comply with the Treasury Single Account in order to ensure more transparency and prudence in accounting for the revenues of the government and sharing of entitlements with the states. In his remarks, the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum said the various interventions by the Federal Government which included bailouts were judiciously utilized by the states. He stressed that the Governors inherited a backlog of unpaid salaries and huge debt portfolios on assumption of office. “We are concerned with the situation in our states and we are trying our best to manage the resources”
The NGF chairman also commended the efforts of the President in improving the economy. He assured that the states would continue working with the Federal Government to improve the livelihood of workers and all Nigerians. Governors who were present at these meeting are Ondo, bauchi, Jigawa, Kwara and Akwa Ibom Governors and also the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State.
