On First Day At Aso Rock, Buhari Laments ‘Empty Treasury,’ National Debt

As he resumed duty at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja for the first time since his inauguration on May 29, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday disclosed that his administration has inherited a “virtually empty treasury”, from his predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, alongside a heavy national debt portfolio running into millions of dollars.
The President stated this during his inaugural meeting with members of the State House Press Corps, the first time such a meeting would be held by a sitting president since the return to democracy in 1999.
President Buhari also regretted the current situation in many states where workers have not been paid for months, stressing that this stemmed from a disgraceful bad management of public resources.
He noted that the situation was all the more precarious considering the huge expectations of Nigerians on what they desire from his administration within the first 100 days in office and beyond.
However, the President charged the media to cooperate with his administration, saying he chose Femi Adesina as his media adviser because he is ‘one of the best’.
President Buhari said: “It is not by accident that I got the best of you to be the special adviser (on media), one of the 15 aides I had to get clearance from the Senate. He is one of the best Presidents of the Guild of Editors that I can have as special adviser. 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. 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 (the withdrawal of the accreditation of the Radio Germany reporter) will not happen between me and you.
“I hope we are starting and this culture 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 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.”
Chairman of the State House Press Corps, Kehinde Amodu, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, pledged to work with the government in the interest of the country.