BY MARY KUYE
Mrs Zainab Ahmed, the Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning has said that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Ministry to pay Nigerian civil servants their salaries promptly.
Ahmed said Buhari gave the directive on Thursday during a meeting with members of the Presidential Committee on the review of the Impact of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic on the Economy, held at the State House, Abuja.
She told State House Correspondents after their meeting, that the President further directed her that measures be put in place to protect the poor and the vulnerable.
According to her, the committee met with the President to update him on the developments instigated by the COVID-19 Pandemic globally and how much effect it has had on the nation’s economy.
The Minister added that besides ensuring prompt payment of civil servants’ salaries, Buhari ordered the protection of critical national assets.
Ahmed said: “Well, he has directed that we should make sure that salaries are paid, make critical infrastructures like roads, rails are protected, as much as possible use local inputs so that we retain value within our economy. And also make sure that we have measures that protect the poor and the vulnerable.”
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“This meeting was just to brief Mr President as the situation we are in keeps evolving on a daily basis. As the health crisis gradually expands, affecting states and also the lockdown that has been ordered to help curtail the expansion of the health crisis.
“The consequences of the lockdown is the additional slowing down of the economy and the measures that we need to take to mitigate the negative consequences of the slow trade and businesses”, she said.
