President Muhammadu Buhari has said he inherited a shameful Nigeria from the immediate past administration.
Buhari spoke on Monday when he met with the State House Press Corps.
Buhari took over on May 29 from former President Goodluck Jonathan who he defeated in the presidential election held on March 28, 2015.
Buhari, the first president to meet with the State House Press Corps since the country returned to civil rule 16 years ago, said he met an empty treasury.
He said it was distasteful that workers at the state and federal levels cannot be paid.
He, however, promised to put in his best to salvage the country from the brink of collapse.
He solicited the cooperation of the media in the march towards building a new Nigeria.
He said this tasks rest more with the State House Press Corps that will be covering his day-to-day activities.
At the meeting with Buhari were his media advisors, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu.
Here are some of the things Buhari told the State House Press Corps: “It is not by accident that I got the best of you to be the special adviser, one of the 15 aides I had to get clearance from the Senate.
“He is one of the best Presidents of the Guild that I can have as special adviser.
“I brought one of the best of you so that he can consistently defend me against you.
“Whether my job is a difficult one or easy, it is up to him, but I’m here to thank you in advance for what good and ill you are going to do to me.
“I have to quickly come and see you and welcome you to this place.
“I hope what happened of recent between the former president and one of you (the seizure of the accreditation of the Radio Germany reporter) will not happen between me and you.
“I hope we are starting and this culture developed of 100 days is bringing so much pressure with treasury virtually empty, with debts in millions of dollars, with state workers and even federal workers not paid their salaries.
“It is such a disgrace for Nigeria.
“I think Nigeria should be in a position to even pay its workers.
“This bad management that we find ourselves in, we really need your help to protect us from people before they march on us.”