Though Nigerians are already aware of the dwindling financial reality on ground following the drastic fall in crude oil price, the situation might be worse than we think as President Muhammadu Buhari gave Nigerians another shocker after revealing how dire the financial predicament of the nation is.
President Buhari says Nigeria’s treasure is empty, I inherited empty treasury, huge debts- Buhari, Bail-out for states doubtful as Buhari laments empty treasury as well as Buhari can’t continue in office makes the front pages of the national dailies for Tuesday, June 23, 2015.
VANGUARD reports that President Muhammadu Buhari on his first day at the Aso Rock Villa, after his swearing in on May 29, said he inherited a “virtually empty treasury”, from his predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan with debts running into hundreds of millions of dollars. Mr. President, who disclosed this on Monday, June 22, during a meeting with members of the state house press corps, blamed the situation on bad management, adding that it was a disgrace that Nigeria is unable to pay workers’ salaries.
Buhari admitted that there was already a lot of pressure on his government due to the huge expectations of Nigerians on what they desire from his administration. The president, yesterday held a meeting with the three service chiefs, who were led by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Ismail Aliyu, who addressed state house correspondents after the meeting, said Buhari ordered the withdrawal of the military from internal security operations as part of a comprehensive review of national security operations. He said the directive was given because Nigeria and four other countries in the Lake Chad sub-region had for the first time developed a united military strategy against the regional menace, Boko Haram. He said after the president ordered the withdrawal of military checkpoints, he directed the police to henceforth take firm control of internal security.
The permanent secretary said Buhari told the security chiefs to liaise with the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force to finalise arrangements for Police to effectively take over internal security. He revealed that the meeting with the security chiefs was to give them the opportunity to brief the president on the implementations of recent decisions reached on the fight against insurgency.
Still on the issue of empty treasury, THE PUNCH reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, June 22, during a meeting with state house correspondent to mark his first day in the Aso Rock office, said he inherited an empty treasury, adding that his government was being weighed down by debts running into millions of dollars. Though the president declined to disclose the amount of debt he met, he vowed to put in his best to salvage the country from the brink of collapse.
Buhari, who said it was disgraceful for state and federal workers not to be paid their salaries as at when due, told the correspondents that he would need their help to avoid a situation where Nigerians might march on him. He said the tradition of assessing government’s performance in the first 100 days in office was putting pressure on him due to the mismanaged economy he met.
The President revealed that it was not by accident that he appointed one of the best journalists in the country, Femi Adesina, as his special adviser on media and publicity. He explained that he appointed Adesina so that he could consistently defend him against his co-journalists. He, however, expressed optimism that what happened under former president Goodluck Jonathan, when a state house correspondent was expelled would not happen under his administration. Buhari was accompanied to the meeting by Adesina and his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
Buhari, immediately after resuming work, had earlier met with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and some of his key aides, before meeting behind closed doors with the service chiefs.
Now that the president has made it public that the country is broke, the next question that then comes to mind is, what will be the fate of the states owing civil servants no fewer than six to nine months salaries? THE GUARDIAN reports that after President Muhammadu Buhari announced that he met an empty treasury, the anticipated bailout for states by the federal government may have temporarily hit the rocks.
The President, who said it was the duty of government at every level to ensure that workers’ salaries are paid, lamented that the bad management of the economy had put a strain on the ability of state governments and some federal government agencies to pay their workers. He underscored a smooth working relationship between the government and the media as essential, noting that, such relationship would go a long way in ensuring that Nigerians enjoy a quality dividend of democracy.
Meanwhile, the president, who had a very busy day yesterday, upon resuming work at his Aso Rock Villa office, might be welcomed with a lawsuit. THE UNION reports that a lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa, has opined that President Muhammadu Buhari’s inability to constitute a cabinet 25 days after his inauguration is a subject of litigation. The legal practitioner, on Monday, approached a Federal High Court in Lagos seeking an order restraining Buhari from continuing in office as the country’s president.
The lawyer in a suit he filed said by virtue of constitutional provisions the president is barred from functioning in his office without appointing ministers to constitute the Federal Executive Council. He said if the president is not prepared to appoint qualified persons into office as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he should not be allowed to continue to function in office as the president. He said such development is a flagrant violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The human right activist, who dragged the president to court by way of an originating summons, lamented in an affidavit deposed to by him in support of his application that although the president had admitted that old age would limit his performance and had also taken his oath of office nearly 25 days ago, he had yet to appoint ministers to constitute the FEC to assist him in executing the business of the nation.
Adegboruwa said Buhari’s delay is not only unwarranted, but also smacks of a dictatorial tendency with abrasive effect on the economy. He said the failure, neglect or refusal to appoint qualified persons into the offices of Ministers of the government of the federation almost 25 days after he assumed the office of the president is capable of collapsing the economy of this nation. He also noted that it was gross misnomer for the president, who was only a commissioned officer of the Nigerian army, to continue to function as a lone ranger, stressing the development was tantamount to usurping the functions of other professionals and technocrats, who ought to constitute his cabinet, such as the attorney general of the federation, among others.
As the President is taking heat from concerned citizens over his inability to constitute his cabinet, the internal tussle in the ruling All Progressive Congress has taken a new turn as the party leaders have adopted candidates for top principal position in the Assembly. THE NATION reports that the party leaders are supporting Ahmed Lawan, Femi Gbajabiamila, George Akume and five others as principal officers of the National Assembly. The APC reportedly adopted the lists submitted to it by The Unity Forum (Senate) and The Loyalists (House of Representatives) to heal the wounds and reconcile all after the June 9 controversial elections.
It was gathered that the move has put pressure on Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara as over 12 members of the APC National Working Committee backed the candidates recommended by The Unity Forum and The Loyalists. The senators recommended by the APC as principal officers are Lawan (Majority Leader); Prof. Sola Adeyeye (Chief Whip); Sen. George Akume (Deputy Majority Leader); and Sen. Abu Ibrahim (Deputy Chief Whip).
The list for the House of Representatives has Gbajabiamila (House Leader); Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (Deputy House Leader); M. T. Monguno (Chief Whip) and Hon. Pally Iriase (Deputy Chief Whip). A source, who didn’t want to be named, said most members of the NWC and leaders of the APC are fully in support of the lists from the Unity Forum and The Loyalists. He said they need to heal wounds and move forward, adding that it will only be fair and just if the aggrieved legislators are allowed to choose among themselves the principal officers.
Meanwhile, the leaderships of the two groups also compiled lists and sent to the APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, who is expected to send them to the Senate President.
A top source, who spoke in confidence, disclosed that for the first time after the crisis of confidence erupted among APC Senators Saraki and Lawan met at Oyegun’s residence to explore the possibility of reconciliation. He said after the party’s chairman sued for reconciliation, Saraki and Lawan were asked to go into a room for “frank talks.”
The post President Buhari Gives Nigerians Another Shocker appeared first on NAIJ.COM News - Nigeria news | Today's Breaking news & headlines..