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Tag: Nigeria Governors’ Forum

  • Why we can’t take position on Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers – Governor’s Forum

    Why we can’t take position on Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers – Governor’s Forum

    The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has clarified why it has not taken a stance on the emergency rule declared in Rivers State.

    On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu proclaimed a state of emergency in the south-south state, citing the prolonged political crisis and vandalisation of oil installations.

    The president suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state; Ngozi Odu, his deputy; and all house of assembly members; for six months.

    Tinubu also appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, as the sole administrator for Rivers state.

    On Thursday, the senate and the house of representatives controversially approved Tinubu’s request for the emergency rule.

    Several stakeholders, including the South-south Governors’ Forum, have condemned the emergency rule in Rivers.

    In a statement issued on Saturday, Abdulateef Shittu, director-general of the NGF, said as a group comprising members elected on different political parties, taking a position on the state of emergency could “alienate members”.

    “The Forum wishes to clarify that it is an umbrella body for subnational governments to promote unified policy positions and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in pursuit of sustainable socioeconomic growth and the well-being of the people,” the statement reads.

    “As a technical and policy hub comprising Governors elected on different platforms, the body elects to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.

    “In whatever language it is written, taking positions on contentious partisan issues would mean a poor sense of history — just a few years after the Forum survived a fundamental division following political differences among its members.”

    Shittu added that the NGF takes positions on governance and general policy matters of profound consequences, such as wages, taxes, education, and universal healthcare, among others.

  • NGF to meet Buhari on new revenue formula presentation to NASS

    NGF to meet Buhari on new revenue formula presentation to NASS

    Under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, governors from the 36 states of the federation have agreed to meet President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss the need to present a new draft of the review of the vertical revenue allocation formula to the National Assembly as a bill for enactment before his administration expires.

    Speaking with journalists at the end of the meeting of the governors in the early hours of yesterday in Abuja, Chairman of NGF and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, said:  “We also discussed the new revenue formula submitted to Mr President by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, and the need for us to approach Mr President on the need for him to present the new draft formula to the National Assembly before this administration winds up.

    “We are going to meet with Mr President as a forum and we’ll appeal to him to present that formula to the National Assembly.”

    Recall that the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission had in April 2022, presented report of review of the new vertical revenue allocation formula to President Buhari when it failed to meet the 2021 deadline.

    In 2021, the Chairman of the commission, Elias Mbam had said that the report would be presented to the President by December 31, 2021, but at the end of the day. the commission failed to meet this deadline.

    New formula proposes 45.17% for FG; 29.79% for states; 21.04% for local government areas, LGAs, as proposed by the RMAFC chairman.

    According to him, under special funds, the report by the commission recommended 1.0 per cent for ecology; 0.5 per cent for stabilisation; 1.3 per cent for development of natural resources, and 1.2 per cent for the FCT.

    The old revenue formula was designed during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    With the new formula, the Federal Government now has 52.68 per cent; the 36 states states, 26.72 per cent, while the 774 local government areas in the country got 20.60 per cent.

    The proposed formula, therefore, suggested an upward review for states and local governments, but a downward review for the federal government.

    Speaking further on the meeting of the governors that was earlier scheduled to be a valedictory session for 17 outgoing governors, but was put off for another day, Tambuwal said:  “It’s nothing unusual, it’s a normal meeting of governors where we discussed issues concerning the country, the sub-nationals and, of course, democracy and good governance.

    “Today, we discussed the guidelines by the NFIU on financial regulation, that is working on how to ensure that Nigeria is taking out of the grey list of the Financial Task Force.

    “We also discussed the issue of primary healthcare and the progress made so far during our induction course. Some states that have attained some milestones are going to receive awards for their performance.

    “We also discussed the issue of stamp duties being owed to both the federal and state governments and warehoused by the Central Bank of Nigeria and we are working to make sure it is released for disbursement to both the federal government and the states.”

    On his assessment of the NGF as the outgoing chairman, the Sokoto State governor said:  “As a forum and an institution of governance that we inherited from our leaders, the past governors, I believe a lot of achievements have been made, particularly as we made sure we maintained unity and cohesion, the non-partisanship of this platform and making sure that in all that we do, it is about Nigeria first and of course,our various states.”

  • Security votes: Govs EFCC, CBN to meet on Tuesday

    To resolve concerns around state security votes, the 36 governors of Nigeria have scheduled meetings with representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Central Bank of Nigeria, and other organisations.

    Aminu Tambuwal, the governor of Sokoto State, who serves as the organization’s chairman, made the announcement on Sunday.

    According to an invitation sent out by the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Asishana Okauru, the meeting, which was scheduled for Tuesday, April 4, will be virtual in order to guarantee the attendance of all important personnel in the matter.

    In a statement, the Director, Media and Public Affairs of the NGF, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, said, “Those invited to the meeting include the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, and the CBN.

    Bello-Barkindo further noted that “the meeting will also consider deepening the management and expansion of the cashless policy which took effect from the time of the redesigning of the national currency last year, to further the financial inclusion of all citizens in the ensuing scheme of things, going forward.”

    The NFIU Director, Modibbo Tukur, wrote a letter to the NGF Chairman on March 30 requesting the meeting, according to the NGF media assistant. The letter was addressed to the NGF Chairman and signed by Tukur.

    “Also on the agenda is a consensus on harmonising and updating the national tax collection and business entry standards and its requirements to help respond to the FATF and the EU grey listing in which Nigeria appeared,” the letter said.

    The letter further noted that all governors had been urged to prioritise the meeting because it had been discussed at the NGF emergency meeting on March 30 and it had been unanimously decided that a meeting with the aforementioned agencies was essential.

  • NGF meets today, discusses doctors’ strike

    Governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum, will today hold their 33rd Teleconference meeting to deliberate on pressing national issues.

    The meeting will focus on national poverty reduction and growth strategy, the second phase of Covid-19 vaccinations as well as the ongoing nationwide strike embarked upon by resident doctors among other issues.

    This was contained in a statement titled, “NGF Presser,” signed by the Head, Media and Public Affairs of the NGF, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

    The statement read in part, “The Director General of the NGF, Mr Asishana Bayo Okauru in the invitation to the meeting itemised the national poverty reduction and growth strategy, the second phase of the Covid 19 vaccination and other health updates, as well as the on-going strike by the Nigeria Association of resident Doctors, and the campaign for building a new mindset for a united Nigeria as some of the crucial issues to dominate the meeting.

    “The meeting which promises to be very heavy on solving critical national questions will also dwell on states’ participation in Nigeria Electrification Project and Solar Power Naija, in a presentation by the nation’s Rural Electrification Agency.

    “The Nigerian Security Minting and Printing Company will also address the Forum on how to leverage Modern Security Document Solutions

    “The Campaign on Building a New Mindset for a United Nigeria will be anchored by Ambassadors of Voice for Change led by Bala Ahmed and Zack Orji.”

    According to the statement, other items on the agenda include: an update on the refund of WHT and Stamp Duties, the Nigerian Postal Service Bill, 2021 and collection of Stamp Duties, and the recently signed Petroleum Industry Bill where the governors are expected to identify next steps among other issues.”

  • Governors, State agree to hold public hearing on 1999 constitution

    The Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly have resolved to hold public hearing on ongoing efforts to amend certain sections of the 1999 constitution.

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdul-Aziz Yari, and the Chairman, Conference of Speakers, Ismaila Kamba, made this known when they addressed newsmen at the end of an emergency meeting between the forum and the Conference of Speakers.

    The meeting was held on Tuesday at the old conference hall of the State House, Abuja,

    They stated that the meeting had agreed to approach the amendment of the 1999 constitution with maturity and the future of the nation’s democracy at the back of their minds.

    The communiqué read: “We, all the governors of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the platform of the Nigeria Governors forum and the Speakers of the states houses of assembly, under the auspices of the Conference of Speakers at the end of a consultative meeting regarding the ongoing efforts to amend certain sections of the 1999 constitution resolved as follows:

    “The meeting agreed to approach this amendment with maturity and the future of our democracy at the back of our minds.

    “The meeting agreed that the State houses of Assembly should consult all stakeholders and hold public hearing on all the items transmitted to them by the National Assembly in a bid to promote our democracy and strengthen its institutions.’’

    They also disclosed that the meeting agreed to constitute a committee to look at all the issues pertaining to the constitutional amendment and revert to members within a reasonable time.

    Yari, who fielded questions on the recently approved one billion dollars by the National Economic Council (NEC) to fight insurgency in the country, said the State Houses of Assembly would soon back up the approval through appropriate resolutions.
    “We (governors) agreed to forfeit one billion dollars of our own share of excess crude which we are going to back up with state assembly resolution at a later time.

    “This is not the first time a decision like this is being taken. It happened during former President Jonathan’s era when they took two billion dollars.

    “We all agreed at that time collectively in the same chamber to withdraw the two billion dollars to procure equipment for the military and also for logistics for the military because they were telling us whether it was true or false that our soldiers were being killed.

    “Some (of the soldiers) were on the social media saying that they were being killed like rats because they didn’t have the training and the equipment, that was what generated discussions at the same Chamber and there was no controversy, there was no opposition to the decision at that time.’’

    Also speaking on the issue, Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti, said his not in support of one billion dollars and will never be in support.
    “In my state we have agreed to go to court to contest this. It is our legitimate right, all accruals to the federation must be shared by the three tiers of government and for me to get justice I have to go to court,’’ he added.

    NAN