How can governors sleep when workers haven’t been paid for months- Buhari

Wonders how workers pay their children’s school fees, rents without salaries

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed concern on the growing complaints and agitations by workers in states over unpaid salaries and allowances, saying that no governor can go to sleep when workers are being owed salaries.

He also decried the situation of unpaid salaries in states despite the interventions by the Federal Government.

Buhari, who spoke on Tuesday when he received a group of governors led by the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdul’Aziz Yari, at the State House, said the plight of workers in the states need urgent attention as many could barely survive.

The President said, “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.”

Buhari also reminded 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.

But he added that the challenge in payment of salaries in states had taken a toll on the people.

He said, ” 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.”

The President said there is the need for synergy between the Federal Government and state executives in order to ameliorate the situation of workers across the country.

Buhari also disclosed that 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 remarks at the event, Governor Yari said the various interventions by the Federal Government, which include the bailouts, were judiciously utilized by the states.

He also claimed that the governors inherited backlog of unpaid salaries and huge debts portfolios on assumption of office

According to him, “We are concerned with the situation in our states, and we are trying our best to manage the resources.”

Yari further stated 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, saying however that there is the need to do more.

He also commended the efforts of the President in improving the economy, saying 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 NGF delegation who visited Buhari