SpicyTricks

President Muhammadu Buhari has described as a disgrace a situation whereby his administration inherited an empty treasury at a time when debts running into several hundreds of millions of dollars had piled up, with the federal and state governments unable to pay worker salaries.

He also expressed regret that the culture of using 100 days in office as a milestone was mounting pressure on his government at such a time as this, saying Nigeria as a country should have even been in a position where it could pay its workers their salaries.

The president made these observations when he met with members of the State House Press Corps in a familiarization meeting to mark his first day in office at Aso Villa.

He told State House correspondents that he would need them to protect him from the Nigerian populace when they press him for dividends of good governance, in view of the economic morass the country was already enmeshed in.

Buhari also noted jokingly that he had come to thank the journalists in advance for both the lauding and lashing he was going to receive from them in office.

On the issue of non-payment of workers and the debt profile, he said, “I hope we are starting and this culture developed of 100 days is bringing so much pressure with the 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 march on us.”

In lighter mood, the president also noted that his decision to bring an erudite person from the media like Mr. Femi Adesina, his special adviser on media and publicity, to head his media team was to ensure that he was consistently defended against the media.

He said, “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. It is one of the best presidents of the Guild (of Editors) 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 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.”

He further told the State House reporters rather jocularly that he hoped what happened between former President Goodluck Jonathan and one of their colleagues, Malam Ubale Musa, a journalists with German radio, Deutsche Welle, would not happen between him and them.

“I have to quickly come and see you and welcome you to this place. I hope what happened of recent between the former president and one of you will not happen between me and you,” Buhari said.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Malam Ubale was thrown out of Aso Villa in the twilight of the last administration for asking a question that embarrassed the president.

Among those who accompanied the president to the meeting were Adesina and his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu