President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his disgust over the inability of some state governors to pay salaries of their workers.
Buhari, speaking at a meeting with State House workers at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, said the situation was shameful to him.
He promised to do everything to rid Nigeria of fraud and corruption.
“Twenty-seven out of the 36 states cannot pay salaries. This is a disgrace to Nigeria. It is a disgrace up till now that most of the states cannot pay salaries. What happened to all we have gotten over the years?
“We look up and down, left, right and centre, what have we saved? There was nothing because we developed a consumption culture that we were not supposed to develop. Most of your colleagues that have left service, I doubt if they are getting benefits. That is the situation we find ourselves in,” the President said.
He added that, “All fraud must stop. If they don’t believe us, they should go try and see those we caught red-handed with public funds. This will continue as long as this leadership is here.
“Whoever takes anything that does not belong to him or that he is not entitled to, it will be documented and the person will be taken to court. This is the only way I think we can bail ourselves out.
“I am asking you to dedicate yourselves more to your country because I said more than 30 years ago, that there is no other country we can call our home, but Nigeria.”