I almost ran away after taking over from Jonathan – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said he almost ran away from the country after he took over government from former President Goodluck Jonathan and discovered that the nation’s treasury was empty.
Buhari spoke during a presidential parley and presentation of report on poverty reduction by Course 38 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, near Jos, Plateau State, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari said he was shocked to discover that despite oil price rising as high as $100 per barrel, nothing was left for him to start off his administration.
He heaped the blame on the past governments in the 16 years preceding his ascending the seat of power.
Those who had been in government then were former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua and Jonathan.
Buhari said they did not saving for the rainy day.
He said: “For 16 years and eight consecutive governments of the other party and you know that there was unprecedented revenue realized, the oil projection, which can be verified was 2.1 million barrels per day, 1999 to 2015, the average cost of each Nigerian barrel of oil was $100 per barrel.
“When we came, it fell to less $30 per barrel and is now laying between $40 and $50.
“Actually I felt like absconding because 27 out of 36 states in Nigeria cannot pay salaries and and we know they have no other source than to depend on salaries.
“And I asked: ‘Any savings?’
“I was told there was no savings.
“And I asked: ‘What have you done on agriculture, power, rails, roads?’
“Nothing.
“You know more than I do because you move around.
“I have not been moving around since after elections, but you do.
“How many of the Trunk A roads are still good enough?
“How many power do we have although there are some elements of sabotage?
“I was told the money was used to import food and fuel.
“I didn’t believe the answer and I still don’t believe it.
“Until now, substantial number of people in the East eat garri and groundnut, in the West pounded yam, cassava, vegetables, in the north tuwo, which is made from any of the grains, millet, sorghum.
“They eat it in the night and warm it in the morning and eat it and take fura da nunu in the afternoon.
“How many of those people can afford foreign food?
“Then they said I should check out the petroleum sector.
“The legislature dedicated 445,000 barrels per day and that is just 60 per cent of our requirements.
“I said ok what of the 40 per cent?
“The marketers that are bringing it just present documents.
“Papers are just stamped and monies are taken away.
“This is the type of things that the Nigerian elites are doing for our own country.
“When you go back, look at your colleagues and encourage them to be truly Nigerians.”