The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Minister of Finance

  • FG approves higher interest rate on unpaid taxes

    FG approves higher interest rate on unpaid taxes

    The Federal Government has approved a new interest rate spread on unpaid taxes for the year 2017.

    The new interest rate was approved by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.

    According to the Minister, the new interest rate shall be 5% over the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Minimum Re-Discount Rate (MRR) for the year 2017.

    She explained that Section 32(1b) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2007 empowers her to approve the new interest rate.

    Adeosun has accordingly directed the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Tunde Fowler to commence the implementation of the new interest rate on all unpaid taxes from July 1, 2017.

    The minister said the review of the interest rates on unpaid taxes was one of the necessary measures adopted by the federal government to enhance tax compliance, minimize tax evasion and deter late payments.

    According to Adeosun, “majority of Nigerian tax payers (PAYE) have taxes deducted automatically. However, those who do not and are required to file their taxes like companies and business enterprises must understand that there are financial consequences for late payments.”

    She added that “this will support our efforts to ensure that people pay their taxes promptly, thus providing a sustainable source of revenue to the government to finance infrastructure and other projects.”

    It could be recalled that Mrs. Adeosun had, during the Finance Ministers’ meeting convened by the G24 Group at the 2017 IMF/World Bank Spring meetings in Washington, stressed the need for Nigeria to embark on aggressive tax revenue generation in order to drive economic growth.

    She had emphasized that with a tax to GDP ratio of only six per cent, one of the lowest levels in the world, the country had to intensify effort at tax collection in order to build a sustainable revenue base that will deliver inclusive growth.

    She stated that the focus of the federal government in 2017 was to improve tax revenue through ensuring voluntary compliance with tax laws.

     

  • Road to sustainable Amnesty Programme in Niger Delta

    Road to sustainable Amnesty Programme in Niger Delta

    The recent motion by the Senate calling on the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemp Adeosun, to release the sum of N15 billion being the backlog of allowances and payments for the training and education of former Niger Delta militants under the Amnesty Programme, which was provided for in the 2016 budget, is a welcome development. The House of Representatives had, a day earlier, passed a similar motion.

    The timely release of the outstanding funds without further delay would save the country an international embarrassment that may arise from protests by beneficiaries of the programme, especially those receiving training in various institutions in different parts of the world.

    While presenting the motion on the floor of the House, Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, had drawn attention to plans by some of the beneficiaries in the United Kingdom to stage demonstrations at the Nigerian High Commission in that country to protest the delay in releasing the funds to enable them to meet their financial obligations to the institutions where they are undergoing training.

    Reports from South Africa, United States, Philippines, Malaysia, and other countries where former militants are also undergoing trainings indicate a similar level of restiveness, with some facing the threat of expulsion from their institutions. Certainly, the country can do without any untoward development that could have negative impact on its image.

    It is gratifying to note that the Senate does not only want the money released as soon as possible, it has also set in motion a machinery to unravel the cause of the delay, with a view to guarding against a reoccurrence in the future.

    Without prejudice to the findings of the Senate committee, the cause of the delay in meeting government’s obligations to the amnesty beneficiaries may not be located too far away from the government’s commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in the disbursement of funds under the programme.

    A similar delay occurred in the first few months of the current administration, and only a timely intervention by the government averted an ugly situation.

    Without doubt, the return of permanent peace to the troubled Niger Delta hinges partly on solutions to the unemployment problem that has fuelled militancy in the region for more than a decade.

    That was what the Amnesty Programme of the late president, Umar Musa Yar’Adua, unarguably the most ambitious programme by any administration before it to address the problem of unemployment in the region, set out to achieve.

    Timi Alaibe, the then presidential adviser and chief executive officer of the programme, is said to have achieved the feat of not only disarming and rehabilitating the militants, about 26, 000 in number, but also succeeded in reintegrating them into the society through a hitch-free implementation of the programme. Reports claim that under Alaibe, there was a measure of transparency and accountability in execution of the programme.

    That’s why we did not hear stories of delay in paying the militants – those that are placed on monthly allowance of N65, 000 – and those in various institutions around the world for different trainings. And, by extension, no stories of demonstrations by militants over unpaid allowances.

    The reason for the relative ease with which Alaibe and his team executed the programme may not be unconnected with the fact that it was the responsibility of one agency, the one he headed. This promoted transparency, accountability and easy management in the manner funds were disbursed.

    It is therefore possible that problems set in when other non-concerned agencies began to dabble into execution of amnesty programmes for the militants. For instance, the mandate of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration (NIMASA) does not include execution of amnesty programmes for militants.

    But we saw during the tenure of the immediate past administration of the agency how it reportedly got involved in sponsoring repentant militants on training programmes in different parts of the world, apart from other amnesty programmes.

    It may not be farfetched to suggest that during the immediate past dispensation, the two agencies – Amnesty Programme Office and NIMASA – may have been working at cross purposes.

    While it is necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff through painstaking investigation into the management of resources meant for sustenance of the amnesty programme during the previous dispensation, care must be taken to ensure it does not in itself constitute a clog in the wheel of progress in current efforts to find long and lasting solutions to the problem of unemployment in the Niger Delta region – an important component of the whole package.

    If need be, the federal government may find it necessary to look into the handling of the amnesty programme by Alaibe. It may be safe to assume that he did not execute the programme in abstract terms. He must have designed a template for its execution. This is more so because he authored the Niger Delta Development Master Plan, of which the amnesty programme is a part. There must be something on paper others can learn from.

    It must not be forgotten that the amnesty programme is just an aspect of what should be a holistic approach to resolving the issues of the Niger Delta. The highly commendable dialogue approach of the federal government in solving the problem of the region once and for all is evident in the relative peace that has reigned in the region in the past few months. This is just the first step. Subsequent steps should involve a more streamlined and sustainable approach to executing the amnesty programme to ensure it achieves the objectives for which it was designed, in a hitch-free manner.

    Tijani, a social commentator, wrote in from Kaduna

  • FG has no funds to pay salary, promotion arrears, says Ngige

    FG has no funds to pay salary, promotion arrears, says Ngige

    The negotiation for new minimum wage may have been kept in the cooler until salary and promotion arrears owed civil servant are cleared, it was learnt Monday.

    This is coming as Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Director General, Budget Office, Mr. Ben Akabueze and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, met Monday with the leadership of the National Assembly to find ways to clear salary and promotion arrears of civil servant.

    Also on table for discussion at the closed door meeting chaired by Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, was the issue of payment of transfer allowances of workers and death benefits.

    Ngige told reporters that they were at the National Assembly on the invitation of ledership of the National Assembly.

    He added that though some progress were made at the meeting, all sides were to go back and come back tomorrow with possible solution to the identified issues which is that “government does not have enough fund for now to tackle the issues.”

    Ngige said, “We are here on the invitation of the National Assembly, the joint committee on labour and employment and the meeting is chaired by the Senate President.

    “We are here to discuss issues relating to things that are meant for industrial disharmony in the public sector.

    “As you are aware the labour federations have said the governors have not been treating them well.

    “One of the cardinal issues of International Labour Organisation (ILO) is to give our workers decent jobs and we decided to discuss with them.

    Wabba on his own said, “We are here as usual to dialogue over a range of issues particularly the welfare and well-being of our members – the Nigerian workers. In particular, we have discussed issues bothering on arrears of allowances which have accumulated for some time and running into billions, which they have not paid.

    “Also, alongside is the issue of pension particularly the issue of bonds and the fact that some of the contributions by workers have not been remitted for time.

    “Those are some of the issues that we thought the National Assembly has led the process to bring all stakeholders on board and look at how these issues can be resolved in a win-win situation without allowing the industrial relation process to break up.

    “I think this is very healthy and commendable, and all of us are committed to a very peaceful process of resolving these issues.

    “As the minister said, we have adjourned to allow thorough reflection over some of those issues and to be able to come up with workable solutions that will address these issues.

    “Those are the totality of issues we are actually working on and it is a holistic process which you know that the processes require laws; they also require some budgetary provisions.

    “So, that is why we are here and the process is holistic, to look at how best those issues can be resolved amicably.”

    Asked why the issue of new minimum wage was not top on the agenda of the meeting, Wabba who was almost walking away said the process is holistic.

     

    On what labour is demanding, he said “Labour has spoken with one voice. We have made a formal demand which you are aware. It is N56, 000 there is no need repeating it.”

    Wabba categorized new laws and budgetary provision to clear the back log of the arrears.

    “It’s a tripartite negotiation. What we are doing here is tripartite plus because we have involved the National Assembly and when you do any such negotiations is plus.

    “We looked at the issues of salaries arrears, promotion arrears, death benefits, location expenses and transfer allowances, hotel allowance which overtime have accumulated and had ran into billions and this is what are owed to federal public servant and we started the meeting today to find a solution.

    “The labour leaders engage ourselves and we try to work out something that would help them and help us restore the confidence we have with them that is the employers and employees.

    “If we don’t have that confidence we may have break down of industrial harmony. So we made progress today and we have adjourned to reconvene tomorrow at 4pm, all sides are to go back and come back tomorrow with possible solution to the identified issues which is government doesn’t have enough fund for now to tackle the issues. So tomorrow we convey here and sort it”

     

  • We did not hire foreign PR consultants for N612 million – Ministry

    We did not hire foreign PR consultants for N612 million – Ministry

    The Federal Ministry of Finance said that it had not hired any Public Relations firm for 2 million dollars (N612 million) per month.

    The Director of Information, Ministry of Finance, Mr Salisu Dambatta, in a statement on Wednesday, said a PR consultant was hired by the Federal Government, as part of the Eurobond programme.

    “The Public Relations firm, Africa Practice, has been retained by the Federal Government on the approval of the Federal Executive Council to work with the Debt Management Office as part of the Eurobond programme for a three-year period alongside four other firms.

    “This followed a competitive tender that was advertised and due process was fully followed and  was publicly announced earlier this year.

    “The representative of Africa Practice was in Washington DC in continuation of the Eurobond programme and in support of the country’s outreach with international investors who showed great enthusiasm to do business with Nigeria.

    “However, the false reports have not dimmed the successful participation of the Nigerian delegation in the World Bank and IMF Spring meetings, nor questioned the obvious gains made by Nigeria in the course of the meetings,” he said. ‎‎

    ‎The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, was widely criticised for allegedly hiring an expensive British firm to do public relations for her at the monthly cost of ‎2 million dollars.

    At the just concluded IMF/World Bank Spring meetings in Washington DC, the consultant was said to be constantly at her side, hindering Nigerian journalists’ access to the minister, except foreign press.‎

  • Senate probes banks over N30tr foreign exchange manipulation

    Senate probes banks over N30tr foreign exchange manipulation

    The Senate Wednesday launched investigation into alleged foreign exchange allocation manipulation involving over N30 trillion.
    Many banks operating in the country were fingered in the deal said to have been perpetrated between 2006 and 2017.
    The banks were specifically queried over alleged manipulation and connivance with importers to defraud the country of huge sums of money.
    The investigation followed Senate mandate to its Committee on Customs and Excise to probe and identify revenue leakages and malpractices in the import and export chain.
    Chairman of the committee, Senator Hope Uzodinma who invited chief executives of banks handed them bulky documents detailing the amount of foreign exchange they received on behalf their importer customers.
    Uzondinma gave the banks three weeks to furnish the committee with details of the utilization of the foreign exchange they bought on behalf of their customers.
    He noted that preliminary investigation by the committee showed malpractices ranging from unutilised Form M, abandoned Form M, partially utilised Form M, abandoned assessments of Custom duties and foreign exchange allocation manipulation.
    Uzodinma said, “You recall Senate that in plenary mandated this committee to investigate and identify areas of revenue leakages in the entire import and export circle.
    “The committee started investigation and took time to enter into the import and export value chain and identified supposedly areas of leakages and malpractices, ranging from unutilised Form M, abandoned Form M, partially utilised Form M, abandoned assessments of Custom Duties and foreign exchange allocation manipulation.
    “We have been able to also go into the database of the operating system in the Nigerian Customs Service. We identified Form M by Form M, import by import, vessel by vessel, liabilities of importers and commercial banks that are yet to be handled.
    “We are talking about monies in the regions of over N30trillion. We have been able to give all this information to the various banks who purchased foreign exchange on behalf of the importers to go home and come back to show us evidence of utilisation of the forex.
    Failure of the banks to give evidence of utilization they will be compelled to refund the foreign exchange they bought from Central Bank of Nigeria or inter-bank, purposely to be used for import.
    “What we are saying in essence is that the amount of foreign exchange government is giving out to commercial banks and importers for the purposes of importation are not being utilised as agreed.
    “This is making foreign exchange scarce in the market. In essence making the foreign exchange that government is giving to importers not to be tied to activities of importation.
    “So, we don’t see this as a healthy development because in the process, some Asian companies are now round-tripping, sending monies that they don’t deserve out of this country without due process.
    “I’m sure that by the time we conclude this investigation and action plan that we set out to implement, I can tell you that the exchange rate will come down drastically because only genuine importers will now enjoy government forex allocation.”
    On the banks involved, Uzodinma said that no bank is exempted.
    He said, “All the banks are involved; the banks that are dead and the ones living. The ones that are no more operating were acquired by some banks. So, the activities of those that are no longer in operation we have been able to tie them to those that acquired them as part of the liabilities. Of course, we will expect that most of the banks that acquired these banks must have carried due diligence on them.”

    On why banks alone were fingered in the deal, Uzodinma said that the Foreign Exchange Utilisation Manual prepared by the Central Bank as a regulation guiding import and export entrusted commercial banks quantum of responsibilities.
    He explained that banks purchase money on behalf of the importers.
    “So, once you are acting on behalf of somebody the offence or the inaction of that person is your own inaction. We are now calling the banks because they are supposed to be the gateway for us to enter into the stream.
    “So, by the time the banks who must have carried out Know Your Customer programme, they know the addresses, the places of these importers and they are the people that opened Form M for them.
    “They are the people that purchased foreign exchange for them. The regulation requires them to monitor to ensure that these importers pay the correct custom duties on the importation. Also, there is what we call Bills for Collection.  It is the responsibility of the banks to know, ascertain and confirm that the documents sent as Bill for Collection that will warrant the release of the forex to the exporter are genuine. It is contained in the manual,” he said.
    Uzodinma said that Minister of Finance, CBN governor, Minister of National Planning and Comptroller General of Customs have been invited to appear at the next sitting of the committee on the issue.
  • Reps to investigate 20 percent tax on imported medicines

    Reps to investigate 20 percent tax on imported medicines

    The House of Representatives is to investigate the circumstances surrounding the imposition of 20 percent tariff on a number of imported medicines.

    The lawmakers said the new tax regime is capable of making health care services inaccessible and out of the reach of the greater majority of Nigerians.

    The House has subsequently mandated it’s Committee on Healthcare Institutions and Services to investigate the issue.

    The decision of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion by Onwubuariri Obinna Kingsley (PDP, Imo), who noted that the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun has communicated the approval of the President of an Import Adjustment Tax list wherein 20 percent tax was imposed on medicines such as paracetamol tablets and syrup, chloroquine tablets and syrup, imported into the country.

    “We however know that until this Import Adjustment List, Nigeria had a zero percent  duty on imported drugs as a result of the recommendation of an Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee on Health that member states impose zero percent duty on imported drugs, given that the healthcare needs of the region cannot be adequately addressed by local manufacturing.

    “It is of great concern that the situation that necessitated the ECOWAS recommendation prior to 2013 has not abated, instead it has exacerbated.

    “We should be worried that the reintroduction of duty and imposition of a whopping 20 percent tax on imported medicines will aggravate the already deplorable condition of the nation’s healthcare delivery system and could lead to high death rates,” he said.

    The motion was unanimously adopted after it was put to a voice vote, while the Committee was given two weeks to carry out the investigation and report back to the House for further legislative action.

  • FG extends tenure of 2016 budget capital elements

    FG extends tenure of 2016 budget capital elements

    The Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Idris Ahmed has issued a Circular extending the tenure of the Capital elements  of the 2016 Budget until May 5, 2017 or the passage of the 2017 Budget, whichever is the earliest, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has announced.
     
    Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies have been urged to take note of the content of the Circular.
  • FG unveils management, board members of DBN

    FG unveils management, board members of DBN

    The Federal government has released the list members of the board and management of the newly licensed Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN).

    The Management team is led by Mr. Tony Okpanachi, a banker and erstwhile Deputy Managing Director/Deputy CEO, Ecobank Nigeria Limited.

    Before his appointment as Managing Director/ CEO of Development Bank of Nigeria, he was the Deputy Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria Limited. Prior to that, he was the Managing Director, Ecobank Kenya and Cluster Managing Director for East Africa (comprising Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Ethiopia). He was also at various times Managing Director of Ecobank Malawi and Regional Coordinator for Lagos and South West of Ecobank Nigeria.

    Mr Okpanachi will be supported by the Chief Financial Officer, Mrs. Ijeoma Ozulumba and Chief Risk Officer, Mr. Olu Adegbola.

    The Board members include:  Chairman, Dr. Shehu Yahaya (who was the interim MD of DBN and former Executive Director, AfDB); Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Uche Orji and Mohammed  Kalif, of the African Development Bank.

    Independent Directors of the DBN are former Group Managing Director/CEO of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr. Philips Oduoza; President and CEO, African  Finance Corporation,  Mr. Andrew Alli; Chairman, FBN Merchant Bank, Alhaji Bello Maccido; Founder/Managing Director, JNC International Limited, Mrs Clare Omatseye and the Managing Director, CEO Excel Professional Service Limited, Mr. Oladimeji Alo.

    The Finance Ministry had on Wednesday received notice from the regulator that it was free to commence operations of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) focused Development Bank of Nigeria.

    Speaking at a recent strategy retreat with the management team, board members, and other key stakeholders of DBN in attendance, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun reaffirmed the importance of the DBN’s mandate and assured them of the public sector support needed to ensure the DBN’s success.

    According to Adeosun, “despite limited access to financing, MSMEs contribute a significant 45% to the national economy.  If these institutions could have reliable access to working and investment capital at low cost, the multiplier effect on economic growth and job creation would be significant”.

     

  • Why we won’t reveal Buhari’s health spendings – Lai Mohammed

    Why we won’t reveal Buhari’s health spendings – Lai Mohammed

    …F.G sets up panel to smoothen Executive, Legislative relation 

    The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed on Wednesday said that disclosing how much President Muhammadu Buhari spents on his medical vacation in the United Kingdom may jeopardize national security.

    The President, who returned to Nigeria on March 10th, had spent about 50 days in the UK where he carried out some medical tests.

    He had also in June last year embarked on medical trip abroad.

    Even though the President’s health status and ailment is yet to be made public, the President had disclosed on his return to the country on Friday 10th March that he received blood transfusion during the vacation.

    The Minister, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, was reacting to the calls for the President to disclose the amount spent on his medical treatment abroad.

    He was with the Minister of Interior, Abdulraman Danbazzu and the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun

    According to Mohammed, it was too sensitive to disclose the amount spent on the President’s health.

    He said: “This matter has come several times and our position on the matter is quite straight forward.  What are the President’s conditions of service? What are his entitlements in terms of his wellbeing and health care? The state is supposed to take responsibility for these.

    “We believe that asking for how much has been spent on the health of the President is an issue that we should weigh very well both for national security and also for moral issues.

    “I don’t know why we must divulge such very sensitive information. I might be wrong but I don’t have experience elsewhere that the President of any country will be ill and be forced to disclose how much the state has spent on his health.

    ‘Yes, there is Freedom of Information Act but it is also carved in such a way that when such information is likely to endanger national security, I think it is an area that is not covered.” he said

    He also said that the executive is concerned that the relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government is not as smooth as it is supposed to be.

    Although he noted that it is a continuous struggle in any democracy for balancing between the Executive and the Legislature because each of them are creatures of the law.

    With the not too cordial relationship between the two arms of government due to issues concerning the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, the Minister said a committee is already working to smoothen the relationship.

    He said “We must strive at all times to ensure that there is that balance, amity and smooth relationship.

    “Just today at the Federal Executive Council meeting, the issue was discussed and a committee is already working on ensuring that we resolve all these outstanding issues.

    Speaking on the protest by unions in his ministry, Mohammed said that it is not unusual for unions to call for the removal of ministers.

    He said “They are complaining about welfare but there is a limit to what government can do within the available resources.

    “As much as we sympathise with them on the situation, the economy is simply not healthy enough to accommodate what it used to accommodate in the past.

    “If anybody is concerned and worried about expenditures in my ministry, they should go and check because it is open.

    “We have appealed to them several times but we met a culture that we cannot sustain.” he said

    The Minister promised that the Ministry will look into some of the grievances that are genuine when the economy improves.

    “We listen to them, they always meet with the Permanent secretary and directors. But once the resources are not there, there is little we can do. We will just continue to plead with them to be patient with us.” he added

    Dambazzau said that the Council approved the procurement of some water carrying vehicles for the Federal Fire Service.

    He said “This is in an attempt to further revamp the federal fire service which has experienced dearth of equipment for a very long time and that with the challenges we have in terms of fire incidents all over the country, the last time I spoke I told you the government is making every effort to make sure that the fire service is revamped so that we have the necessary euipment, training and personnel to be able to face the challenges.

    “Today as part of it FEC approved what is remaining of the 2016 budget, the procurement of 15 water tankers that have the capacity to be used as fighting trucks. This is costing the government N403 million out of the budget that was appropriated in 2016.

    ‘The totsl budget is about 5.5 billion naira for the procurement of firefighting equipment and we have already procured a lot from that.” he said

    The Minister of Finance, on her part, said that the Council approved the ratification for the establishment of the West African Tax Administration forum which is a platform to promote mutual agreement and cooperation among West African tax authorities.

    While disclosing that Nigeria is the host of the body, she said that Nigeria has already rectified the project.

    She said “The effect of it is that there will be better information sharing and cooperation between countries within West Africa on tax administration. This is really part of our tax reform efforts.

    “As you know Nigerians own properties in Ghana and other neigbouring countries, now for tax purposes they will be able to have access to that type of information.

    “Linked to that is the directive of the FEC to the SGF to remind companies that there is an existing provision in the law that companies are supposed to have on their letter headed papers the names of their directors and their registered offices but what we have seen is that many bodies that are transacting business with government simply have the names of the company and no details of who the directors are.

    “So for tax purposes it is quite difficult to trace them, so the SGF will be issuing a circular reminding agencies and ministries of government that it is the law and therefore they are at liberty not to treat any document that doesn’t comply with the law.

    “And equally the Accountant General is being advised that payment will only be effected to companies that are fully in compliance with the law just to make sure that all those who are doing business with government and making from government are paying the right taxes.

    “The other memo was the 500 million Eurobond, remember that the National Assembly had approved and council was also required to approve and that was done,” she stated.

  • Buhari orders CBN, Finance Ministry to pay states London-Paris Club refunds

    Buhari orders CBN, Finance Ministry to pay states London-Paris Club refunds

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday directed the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to act appropriately and with dispatch in releasing the second tranche of the London-Paris Club refunds to the states in order to ease their financial hardships.

    He gave the directive while addressing the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) made up of State Governors and chaired by the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Buhari, who met the governors behind closed doors, however, made a strong case for settlement of unpaid salaries and pension liabilities of workers in their states.

    The President in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “I will not rest until I address those issues that affect our people.  One of these basic things is the issue of salaries.

    “It is most important that workers are able to feed their families, pay rent and school fees, then other things can follow,” he said.

    President Buhari, who went round the Council Chambers to greet the governors one after another, praised the unity of the Forum of State Governors.

    He thanked them profusely for their display of “love and respect” to him.

    According to him, he was overwhelmed by his recent experience in which states, irrespective of political differences charged their citizens to pray in mosques and churches for his well-being and apologized to Governors for barring them from visiting him while he was in London.

    “I didn’t want government to move to London. I wanted it to remain here and I am glad it did,” he said.

    After narrating what he went through while on that vacation, President Buhari noted the suggestion by the Governors for him to add more rest, but insisted that he would remain relentless in the pursuit of the interest of the Nigerian people at all times.

    This, he said, was the only way to show his gratitude to the people who, he said, “had given so much to me.  I was overwhelmed by the celebration of my return all across the country.”

    The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Abdul-Aziz Yari of Zamfara State assured the President, on behalf of his colleagues, that they will continue to support his policies and actions which they had adjudged as being in the nation’s best interest.

    The governors of Imo, Akwa-Ibom, Osun and Abia States thanked President Buhari for saving the day for states through the first tranche of the London-Paris Club refunds while calling for the immediate release of the second one.

    They also commended the trust the President reposed in the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, whom they said did not disappoint when he acted as President.