President Muhammadu Buhari says the inability of 27 state
governments to pay monthly salaries of their workers is disgraceful to Nigeria.
President Buhari stated this in Abuja on Wednesday while
addressing staff of the Presidential Villa.
He expressed dismay that in spite of the initial bailout funds
given to some states, workers in those states were yet to receive their
salaries.
“The matter that may shock
you is that 27 out of the 36 states couldn’t pay salaries.
“This is a disgrace to
Nigeria; it’s a disgrace. Up till now some of the states cannot pay salaries.
“What happened to all that we
have been getting all this time?
We looked left, right, centre, up and down and
said; any savings?
“There was nothing, because
we developed a consumption that we were not supposed to develop.’’
Buhari, therefore, advised
state governments to diversify their revenue sources to strengthen their
financial positions.
He pledged that his
administration’s ongoing war against corruption would be sustained to rid the
country of the debilitating effects of the wanton looting of public funds.
“I have never in my life –
from class monitor to here for the second time in different form – believed in
corruption.
“With what we are doing, if
we made any mistake along the line of compromising our integrity, the country
would have been further dragged back by blackmail and other things.
“We’ll not touch anybody that
did not touch public funds.
“If you behave yourself, you
may not have houses in Abuja or in Europe or in America, but you will sleep
soundly.
“Your children and families
will enjoy respect.’’
The President reiterated the
determination of his administration to stop all forms of fraud in the country.
He said security agencies had
been alerted to apprehend persons engaged in currency racketeering in the
country.
“For those, who have plenty
of naira and use bankers and others to stamp papers and buy the dollars and
take them outside, we will have to do something else, because we are alerting
all security agencies.
“All fraud must be stopped.
If they want to believe us is to see those we have caught red-handed, taking
public funds.
“This exercise will continue
as long as this leadership is here.
“Whoever takes anything that
does not belong to him and is not entitled to him and he is caught, he will be
documented and taken before the court.’’
He assured that he would
continue to lead the country with patriotic zeal, integrity, dedication and
commitment to improving the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.
Buhari thanked the State
House staffers for their services to the nation and urged them to remain
patriotic and to eschew corruption in the discharge of their duties.
“I’m asking you to
re-dedicate yourself to your country.
“As I said thirty years ago,
we have no other country than Nigeria; we are determined to rehabilitate the
country for coming generations.
“The process of change is not
easy, but with your dedication, we can deal successfully with the issues that
currently confront us,’’ he said.
In his remarks, the Permanent
Secretary, State House, Malam Jalal Arabi, thanked the president for his
concern and support to the staff of the presidency.
He stated that the State
House staff will remain loyal to the Buhari-led administration in its desire to
transform the country. (NAN)
source : here
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