President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja expressed
concern on the growing complaints and agitations by workers in states over
unpaid salaries and allowances, in spite of interventions by the Federal
Government.
Receiving a group of governors led by the Chairman of the
Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari, at the State House,
President Buhari said the plight of workers in the states need 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.
The President told the governors that two out of the
three-pronged focus of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure the
country and fight corruption had received some commendable reviews by the
people, 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."
President Buhari said the Federal Government and state
executives would need to work closer together to ameliorate the situation of
workers across the country.
The President said he had instructed all government agencies
to comply 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, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum
said the various interventions by the Federal Government, which include the
bailouts, were judiciously utilized by the states, stressing that the governors
inherited 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.
Yari noted that the bailout funds, and part of the fallout
from the London-Paris Club that had been received by the states, were properly
expended to alleviate the plight of workers, but more had to be done.
The NGF chairman commended the efforts of the President in
improving the economy, assuring that the states would continue working 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 part of the visit to the President.
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