President Muhammadu Buhari has directed governors to pay the salaries of workers to enable them celebrate Christmas.
The president said this when he was responding to the request made by the governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum for the payment of outstanding debts owed them from London and Paris Club deductions
The governors visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.
According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the governors said the step would help ease their financial hardships.
They also said the move was necessary to enable them factor it into their 2018 appropriation plans.
But in his reaction, the president said he was not opposed to the payments so long as the treasury could afford it and the economy would not be destabilised.
He urged the governors to pay workers in the state before Christmas to enable them celebrate.
His words: “I will not be saying much because the responsible ministers are here: Finance, Budget and Planning and the Central Bank of Nigeria. I request you to appoint your own team to come and sit down with them.
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“This should be done, not only for next year’s budget but for this Christmas. The Minister of Finance, Budget and Planning and the Central Bank should sit down with you in a sub-committee to see how much can be released before Christmas.
“For Nigerians without sources other than their salary, I am concerned that workers should be able to pay rent, school fees, buy drugs and take care of their families. I am so much concerned that people should have something to eat for Christmas.”
Following the presentation by the other governors – Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna; Ogbeni Ra’uf Aregbosola, Osun; Udom Gabriel Emmanuel – Akwa Ibom State and Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Imo State took turns to commend the president for caring for the states and their workers.
They also thanked him for his equal treatment of the states irrespective of political party differences and for approving the refunds to the states going back to 2015 which according to them, previous leaders chose not to give attention to.
