Why my government started at a slow pace – Buhari

      

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday explained why his administration took off on a slow note.Speaking during an interview at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the President said his predecessor, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan ordered each ministry to prepare handing over notes and then brief him but they refused at the last minute, saying he should not be allowed to take over the government before been sworn-in.
Buhari explained that no proper transition took place, adding that after his inauguration he had to take briefings from two ministries a day in order to make up for lost time.

The President also urged Nigerians to pass a verdict on the performance of his appointed officials so far, as that would afford him the chance to change them.
Buhari said, “I am waiting for the newspapers to tell me the performance of my ministers and whether I should make changes.”

Reacting to the issue of the 2016 budget padding, the President said though he had been in public life since 1975, he never heard of budget padding until he saw the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adeoye on television defending his budget before a National Assembly committee.
He said, “I went to the National Assembly and bowed and delivered the budget but I did not know that what I delivered was a shell. They removed what they wanted and added other things.”

He added that he refused to assent the passed budget by the National Assembly because all through his life, he has never signed anything that he did not understand.