Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday acknowledged that times are hard, appealing to Nigerians to bear with the government.
Prof. Osinbajo, who spoke at a church programme in Ogere, Ogun State, said the government uncovered additional 5,000 ghost workers in the civil service.
The discovery has brought the number of ghost workers uncovered to 40,000 under the Single Treasury Account (TSA).
Represented by Pastor Seyi Malomo, chaplain of the Presidential Villa Chapel, at the 80th Tabieorar Festival of the Church of the Lord Prayer Fellowship Worldwide, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Osinbajo said he and President Muhammadu Buhari, shared the people’s pain.
He promised that there would be “full restoration soon”.
The annual spiritual programme, which attracted dignitaries worldwide, started at 4 pm on Monday, and ended at 5 am yesterday.
The Vice President said: “For instance, government has introduced major fiscal measures to save our nation’s hard earned income…Also , government is daily weeding out public sector ghost workers; over 40,000 so far. Before now, salaries collected by ghost workers on a monthly basis ran into billions of naira that could have been profitably used for the public. We have cut down and are still cutting down on frivolous expenditures”.
Reiterating that the administration inherited a badly-managed economy, high level insecurity and massive corruption, the Vice President said the government was tackling these challenges.
The presidency, he said, would re-lay the foundation to take Nigeria back to glory.
The Vice President explained that the government has returned to sustainable economic development with a focus on agriculture , adding that the initiative would address youth unemployment.
“We are gradually diversifying the economy by exploring alternative revenue options, particularly in the solid and natural mineral sector. Recently, we untied the legal knot that had kept a major economic sector comatose for years. As a result we should see results from the resuscitation of the Nigeria Iron Mining Company, Itakpe, and the Ajaokuta Steel , Kogi “, he said.
Earlier, the church’s Primate Rev Rufus Okikiola Ositelu called for special courts to handle corruption cases. He praised the bold actions of President Buhari in the fight against corruption.
The primate urged all levels of government to intensify efforts towards closing the infrastructure gap.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s festival “ Glory to Glory”, Ositelu said the Holy Mount Tabieorar was founded for distribution and impartation of God’s mercies .
He enjoined the congregation to focus on the ultimate goal of eternal life rather than present pains .
“As we face great troubles ,it is easy to focus on the pains rather than on our ultimate goal. Just as athletes concentrate on the finish line and ignore their discomfort , we too must focus on the reward for our faith and the joy that lasts forever . No matter what happens to us in this life , we have the assurance of eternal life when all suffering will end and all sorrow will flee away”, he said.
In attendance were top government officials, lawmakers, members of diplomatic Corps, traditional rulers, the General Secretary World Council of Churches (WCC), Geneva, Switzerland, Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, and Ecumenical Theologian , Bread for the World, Berlin, Germany, Rev. Prof. Dietrich Werner.