July 9, 2015 – An aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi State, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari deserves commendation from all Nigerians for his timely intervention on the crisis rocking some states of the federation due to non-payment of workers’ salaries.
Abatemi-Usman, the immediate past Senator of Kogi Central Senatorial District made the remarks in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Michael Jegede in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, Buhari’s decision to wade into the issue to ease the sufferings of the workers portrayed him as a true leader who has the interest of the people at heart.
“It is indeed unfortunate that we found ourselves in a situation where many states in the country could not pay salaries regularly, thereby causing the workers to go through excruciating pain to survive and maintain their families for months. The bailout extended to the states through means devised by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is, therefore, an intervention that is very necessary in the circumstances we found ourselves.
“Rather than the eyebrow being raised in some quarters, we must all commend the President for this wonderful step taken to reduce the plight of the workers. Thank God clarifications have been made as regards the sources of the intervention funds, portraying Buhari as a man of transparency and accountability. By this singular action of the President, he has further shown that he was truly prepared to effect change in governance where the wellbeing of Nigerians would be a priority in his agenda,” Abatemi-Usman said.
The APC gubernatorial aspirant however noted that the funds made available by the President must be judiciously applied by the states to serve the purpose for which they are released, while warning that “steps must also be taken to prevent us from finding ourselves in this kind of precarious situation. I hope that we would have learnt so we don’t get here again,” he said.
