Address non-payment of salaries, Soleye tells Buhari

A former Minister of Finance during the military regime of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, Dr. Onaolapo Soleye, has called on the President-elect to address the failure of state governments to pay their workers’ salaries.

Soleye, in a statement on Thursday, urged Buhari to give the affected state governments an ultimatum to pay outstanding entitlements of their workers or face sanctions.

He said, “If Buhari wants to succeed in office, I suggest that he starts by addressing the inability of many state governments to pay workers’ salaries. It is shameful and a national disgrace as well as unethical and a great disservice for the state governments not to pay workers that they are using to execute their programmes.

“I urge Buhari to address the issue as soon as he assumes office. If possible, I want him to give state governments that owe workers an ultimatum within which to pay or face the wrath of the Federal Government.”

The former minister also advised the President-elect not to compromise his anti-corruption stance, urging him to ensure that governance is not business as usual.

Recounting his experience while working under Buhari in the 1980s, Soleye said, “He is a man who is highly religious, fears God and has absolute confidence in those working with him. Even as a military Head of State, he was not as dictatorial as many of his critics want Nigerians to believe.”

Soleye decried the high costs of governance and called for a drastic reduction.

He said, “I also want to canvass reduction in the cost of running the government by at least 50 per cent. I am of the opinion that we are wasting money in running government. I find it scandalous that our Senate President earns more than the United States President. That is outrageous and must be addressed. Although my suggestion may be met with stiff opposition from members of our National Assembly, I think this is the best for Nigeria.”