Former Military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to do all it could to bring to an end the economic recession which Nigeria is currently grappling with.

Gowon made the call on Wednesday at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, in Osun State, expressing optimism that the team put up by the federal government can come up with a solution to the crisis.

“I have left government for a long time, so I may not really know what the problem is. The current administration should do whatever they can to solve our economic challenges,

“They should find a way to restore confidence in the citizens and the nation at large by fixing the economy,” he said.

Reacting to the current budget padding scandal rocking the House of representatives, Gowon sad, “ If that is true. If anybody is doing that, the person should be checked and stopped to ensure that such does not occur in the future.

“We didn’t do it during my time. We had Chief Obafemi Awolowo in-charge of our finance and he taught us to survive without borrowing. Such (budget padding) should stop, there is no point doing that”, he added.

The former military president admitted that the masses and businesses were going through a tough time.

He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to find a way to restore the confidence of the people in the economy and the country at large.