President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to state governors to pay salaries and pensions, as workers depend on it to pay their rents and care for their families. The President made the appeal when he met with traditional rulers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
Workers and pensioners in many states in the country are still being owed months of salaries and the President is worried about the situation and expects that the Paris Club refunds to states would have eased the situation.
President Buhari said, “There are Nigerians that haven’t be paid for six months. There are Nigerians that haven’t been paid their retirement benefits for years. I appeal to the governors; that is why we voted money, we borrowed money.
“Please, make sure (you pay) anybody under you. If he is working, he depends on the salary to pay rent, to hold his family, for education, health care.”
The federal government had on May 4 released details of the second tranche of Paris Club refund to states totalling N243.795 billion.
The President also used the occasion to preach unity and love among Nigerians.
“Please, continue to pacify your people, to tell them, please think of themselves and their neighbours and their states as all Nigerians. Let us continue to bear with your people,” he told the traditional leaders, among who were the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad III, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.
“Those who stand for elections, we know our limitations. We have to continue to strengthen our constitution, to strengthen the resolve of our people. To live together, (and) to work together.”
