President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday directed the Minister of Finance, Mrs . Kemi Adeosun, and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to immediately release the second tranche of the London - Paris Club loan refund to states.
He said the presidential order should be carried out “appropriately and with dispatch. ”
The President , who returned to the country on Friday from his 49 -day medical vacation , also turned down advice by state governors to take more rest .
Buhari said he would not take any further rest until he had addressed all issues affecting Nigerians .
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity , Garba Shehu, the President spoke while addressing a meeting of the National Economic Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja .
The council , which is made up of state governors, is chaired by Vice -President Yemi Osinbajo .
Buhari, who had earlier released the first tranche of N388 bn to the state governments in December 2016, said the latest release was meant to ease their financial hardship .
He stressed the need for the state governors to ensure the settlement of unpaid salaries and pension arrears of their workers with the funds .
“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, ” the President was quoted to have said .
He, however , thanked the governors for their display of “love and respect ” for him.
Buhari said 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.
He apologised to the 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, Buhari noted the suggestion by the governors for him to take more rest , but insisted that he would remain relentless in the pursuit of the interest of the Nigerian people at all times.
This , according to him, 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 would 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 the President for saving the day for the states through the first tranche of the London -Paris Club loan refunds .
They , however , called for the immediate release of the second one .
They also commended the trust the President reposed in Osinbajo , whom they said did not disappoint when he acted as President .
Buhari had arrived the venue of the meeting chaired by Osinbajo at about 12 . 30pm while it was already underway.
He went round the hall to shake hands with the state governors and deputy governors standing in for their governors one after the other .
The governors also presented the President with a “get-well” card which they all signed.
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