Nigeria Can’t Afford to Pay 42 Ministers, Buhari Declares

President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed that the Federal Government under his watch does not have the luxury to pay forty-two ministers.He also said that not all the confirmed ministers will be assigned portfolios, adding that his government will reduce the number of ministries.Buhari who spoke in New Delhi, India noted that he is working with a team introduced to him by others that he trusts and must work with.While stating that he did not walk into the presidency alone, he argued that, “This is team work, I said I know people but there are people that I accept from other people in our team that I trust without even knowing them.“Maybe those that are having problem in the National Assembly, I doubt if I have met him in my life but then I am working with others.“I did not walk into the presidency alone. I have to defend on all the three tiers of government from all part of the country.“I cannot work outside the constitution and that ministers must be appointed in conformity with the constitution of the Federal Government in that ministerial appointment must reflect the 36 states of the country.“And that these minister nominees though representing their states, some will not have portfolios but will be part of my cabinet.“We cannot work outside constitution, there must be a cabinet representative from each state.“There used to be forty-two ministers but I think we can barely keep half of that now because we cannot afford it.“Others may not be substantive ministers but they will seat in the cabinet because that is what the constitution said and we can’t operate outside the constitution.“We are reducing the number of ministries we can’t afford to pay.”