The Nigerian Governors’ Forum held its eight COVID-19 teleconferences yesterday, Thursday, May 14. After the meeting, the group issued a communique which bothers on salient issues concerning the states.
The communique was signed by the Chairman of the forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
According to the communique, the issues raise by the governors bother around the controversial infectious disease bill, the looted fund that was recently returned to Nigeria among others.
The West African Pilot News had highlighted the issues for you to read and understand in a quick glance.
Demanded the Suspension of the Control of Infectious Disease Bill
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum in its communique demanded that the National Assembly should suspend the proposed Control of Infectious Disease Bill, 2020 which was introduced by the House of Representatives.
The Governors demanded that an appropriate consultative process should be held before the House will continue with the bill.
The governors also posited that after receiving an update on the proposed bill, they agreed that there was no consultation with the state governments who are at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the forum resolved that the bill should be suspended until the House carried out appropriate consultation with the governors.
The Governors also constituted a three-man committee that will lead a consultative meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly on the proposed bill.
The group also mandated that its secretariat should review the bill comprehensively and bring out the implication of the bill on states.
Raised Concerns Over the Reduction of Revenue
According to Fayemi in the communique, the governors are worried about the rising trend of reductions from the revenues accruable to the Federation Account that is available for distribution to the three tiers of government.
The forum noted that the reduction is a threat to the fiscal capacity of the states as they respond to the demands of the coronavirus pandemic.
Demanded Share from the Recovered Looted Fund
One of the salient issues the governors also raised was about the ownership and distribution of proceeds from the recovered looted funds and accounts or investments funded at first-line charge from the federation account.
They agreed that the state governments should be recognized as shareholders in the distribution and decision making of the governance arrangement of all the federation funded investments. It added that the forum will engage the Federal Government on this.
Urged Members to Increase COVID-19 Testing Capacity
The forum also urged its members to increase the testing capacity of coronavirus in their respective states. This came as a result of their wariness on the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
The communique read in part “The worrying trend urgently calls for additional measures by state governors to ramp up capacity for testing, increase the availability of isolation beds to at least 300 per state, accelerate procurement of additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and training for health workers, as well as the continued enforcement of restriction of interstate movement.
“In line with the commitment made by the forum to intensify public-private collaboration for the delivery of palliatives from the private sector, governors are making warehouses available for the delivery of palliatives and have appointed state coordinators who will be responsible for the receipt and distribution of palliatives to vulnerable persons,” the communiqué read in part.
Congratulated Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari
The governors at the end of the communique congratulated the newly appointed President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari. The governors wished him well and look to a fruitful partnership to support the development of the country.
