The Economy Is Broke, We Can’t Pay 42 Ministers – President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his government and Nigeria can not afford to pay forty two ministers and that not all the minister nominees that have been screened will have portfolios.

More so, Mr President went on to say that the country Nigeria is ‘material and morally vandalized’.

"There use to be forty two ministers but I think we can barely keep half of that now because we can not afford it.  

"Others may not be substantive ministers but they will seat in the cabinet because that is what the constitution said and we can’t operate outside the constitution. We are reducing the number of ministries we can’t afford to pay."

Buahri in an interview with Channels TV and NTA in New Delhi, India, said that some of those who will work in the team he is putting together were introduced to him by others that he trust.

Buhari while reacting to the divide in the National Assembly over Rotimi Amaechi’s confirmation as minister said he did not walk into the presidency alone hence he can not work alone and that some of those having problems at the National Assembly he has never meet them.

"This is team work I said I know people but there are people that I accept from other people in our team that I trust without even knowing them. I did not work into the presidency alone. I have to depend on all the three tiers of government from all part of the country."

Backing his 36 Minister nominees Buhari said that he can not work outside the constitution and that ministers must be appointed in conformity with the constitution of the Federal Government in that ministerial appointment must reflect the 36 states of the country.

Though representing states, some of the ministers will not have portfolios but will be part of the cabinet.

Buhari in the interview also said that the country has no money to pay salaries as the government had to seek the Central Bank governor to look for ways to pay states workers’ salaries.

"Where is the money? Do you know the Federal Government has to help twenty seven states out of thirty six to pay salaries? Nigeria can not pay salaries, Nigeria had to summon the Governor of the Central Bank to see how it could pay salaries not to talk of projects, agreement signed with foreign countries, counter funding and so on. The country was material vandalized and morally so.’