Nigeria’s treasury virtually empty, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has lamented the country’s “virtually empty treasury”, and has urged the media to report the true situation of things so that Nigerians will not vent their spleen on his administration.

Buhari, who made this statement while speaking with state house correspondents at the presidential villa in Abuja on Monday, described as a disgrace, the failure of the country to pay its workers their salaries.

He called on the media to cooperate with his government, adding that he chose Femi Adesina as his special adviser on media and publicity because he knew he would handle his relationship with the media well.

“It is not by accident that I got the best of you to be the special adviser, one of the 15 aides I had to get clearance from the senate,” Buhari said.

“He is one of the best presidents of the guild that I can have as special advisers. I brought one of the best of you so that he can consistently defend me against you.

“Whether my job is a difficult one or easy, it is up to him. But I’m here to thank you in advance for what good and ill you are going to do to me.

“I hope we are gradually starting, and this culture developed, of 100 days, is bringing so much pressure with treasury virtually empty, with debts in millions of dollars, with state workers and even federal workers not paid their salaries. It is such a disgrace for Nigeria.

“I think Nigeria should be in a position to even pay its workers. This bad management that we find ourselves in, we really need your help to protect us from people before they match on us.”

TheCable had earlier exclusively reported that the government might borrow to pay salaries and to settle other exigencies owing to a lean treasury.

At least 20 states owe their workers accumulated salaries just as some federal workers are owed salary arrears.

Buhari’s statement comes a day after Ahmed Joda, who chaired his transition committee ahead of his inauguration as president, disclosed that the past Goodluck Jonathan administration left a deficit of N7 trillion behind.