I Inherited Empty Treasury, Huge Debts, Says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said he
inherited a country with virtually an empty treasury
from former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Buhari, who met with State House correspondents
on Monday to mark his first day in the Aso Rock
office, said his administration was being weighed
down by debts running into millions of dollars.
Although he did not say how much debt he met, he
promised to put in his best to salvage the country
from the brink of collapse.
Lamenting that it was disgraceful for state and
federal workers not to be paid their salaries as and
when due, he told the correspondents that he would
need their help to avoid a situation where Nigerians
might march on him.
The President added that the culture of assessing
government’s performance in the first 100 days in
office was putting pressure on him considering the
mismanaged economy he inherited.
Punch reports that Buhari said:
“This culture of 100 days (in office) is bringing
so much pressure with treasury virtually empty;
with debts in millions of dollars; with state
workers and even federal workers not being paid
their salaries. This is such a disgrace for
Nigeria. I think Nigeria should be in a position
to at least 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.”
Buhari said 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 said he brought Adesina so that he
could consistently defend him against his co-
journalists.
The President continued:
“It is not by accident that I got one of your
best colleagues (to be the Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity); one of the 15 aides I had
to get clearance from the Senate. He is one of
the best 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 or easy one; it is
up to him but I am here to thank you in
advance for what good and ill you are going to
do to me,” he said.
The President expressed the hope that what
happened under former President Goodluck Jonathan
when a State House correspondent was expelled
would not happen under his watch. Buhari was
accompanied to the parley by Adesina and his
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity,
Garba Shehu.
Shortly after resuming work, Buhari had met with
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and some of his key
aides. He thereafter met behind closed doors with
service chiefs.
It will be recalled that the President relocated to the
Presidential Villa on Sunday evening barely three
weeks after he was inaugurated.
He had been operating from his private residence
and the Defence House, the official residence of the
President-elect in Abuja.