Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State and Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) chairman has lambasted Femi Adesina over reports that President Muhammadu Buhari is not happy with governors over unpaid salaries.

Governor Abdulaziz Yari and Femi Adesina

In a statement released after some governors met with Buhari before he left for Turkey, Femi Adesina, Buhari’s spokesman, said his boss asked the governors how they were able to sleep when workers had not been paid.

“How can anyone go to bed and sleep soundly when workers have not been paid their salaries for months. I actually wonder how the workers feed their families, pay their rents and even pay school fees for their children.”

Be that as it may, Governor Abdulaziz Yari has denied such comments as coming from Buhari: “We briefed the members about our meeting with Mr President yesterday (Tuesday), which I’m surprised some of you turned it upside down.”

“You got the full briefing from me and then some of your people went and said they got from another source. I don’t know which source said the president is not happy with the governors. It is very unfortunate. We had a very fruitful meeting with Mr President and Mr President accepted all our requests.”

“The only thing Mr President said was that he, not being a technical person, we should wait for the minister of finance to return, and the chairman of the economic council to be around so that they can give him update and support on what he is going to say to us.”

“So, he said we should reschedule this meeting. I think this is what I told the press yesterday but I wonder how they turned it around. Please, we have to be serious with our job. We are working for Nigeria; we are working for our country, working for our people so we shouldn’t misinform the public and should be guided with the things discussed.”