After Eliminating 40,000 Ghost Workers We Saved N8billion Monthly – presidency

AFTER getting rid of 40,000 ghost workers, the
Muhammadu Buhari administration is saving N8 billion
monthly, a presidential aide has said.
Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity to the President, stated this in a statement
issued on Monday on the state of the Nigerian economy.
“See what the current administration is doing to sanitise
the huge salary bill by eliminating payroll fraud,” Mr. Shehu
said.
“So far, the federal payroll has been rid of about 40,000
ghost workers. More than eight billion naira stolen monthly
has been saved.”
He said the Federal Government is also determined to
enforce fiscal discipline across the states to check
wasteful spending.
He said the Federal Government would force the state
governments to reform their spending and build savings
and investments.
Mr. Shehu said the reform would include blockage of
leakages that allowed government’s revenues to be
siphoned into private hands.
“The Federal Government is not limiting the reforms to the
centre, but forcing state governments to reform their
spending and build savings or investments,’’ he said.
He said that the ongoing probe into the finances of the
military authorities was part of the reform aimed at
checking corrupt practices in the military establishment.
“Look at what a civilian administration is today doing to
the military, investigating their finance and accounts that
the military could not do to themselves.
“We are also saving on wasteful expenses like First Class
Travel and Private Jets for official trips.
According to the presidential aide, government is also
increasing spending on capital projects, especially on
infrastructure needed to make Nigerian businesses
competitive and create jobs.
“Currently, there is focus on key sectors (apart from oil)
that can create jobs and or generate revenue such as
Agriculture, Solid Minerals and Manufacturing.’’
He said that if these things had been done when the oil
price was as high as $140 per barrel, Nigeria would not be
in the current predicament.
“We would not be suffering now if we had no cash reserves,
but we had regular supply of power, a good rail system,
good roads and good housing.
“Now that the oil has fallen as low as 28 dollars per barrel,
it is very difficult to do what is needed but they must be
done to save Nigeria.
“There is no other way if we want to be honest.
“If PDP were still in power they would have continued
deceiving people, by borrowing to fund stealing and
wastage and the problem would have simply been
postponed for future generations to face.”
Mr. Shehu also responded to criticisms that the Buhari
administration’s economic policies were not clear.
“There are many who say that this Government’s
economic strategy is unclear whereas the previous
government seemed well co-ordinated,” he said.
“I will make the confession that we, the officials hired to
communicate government policies, that includes myself,
have not done as well as we should have.
“The truth is that more than any other time before, there is
a clear direction and strategy for achieving growth and
development.
“Revisionists may not agree, but the truth of the matter is
that the previous administration only had one issue, which
was how to spend money (oil revenues and borrowed
money).’’
He said that the spending by the past administration was
focused on the wrong things and even though the economy
seemed to be growing it was not sustainable.
(NAN)