The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) will Wednesday hold its 23rd virtual meeting to address the increasing cases of COVID-19 pandemic with a view to working out adequate responses.
The meeting is expected to provide a platform for the 36 state governors to deliberate and agree on practical steps to curb further spread of the disease.
Head Media and Public Affairs of the NGF, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, announced this in a statement Monday in Abuja.
He said: “Alarmed by the intensity of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Nigeria’s tardy commencement of inoculation that is sweeping through countries globally, the 36 governors of the federation may finally come up with a definitive pronouncement, as they will be meeting to find the way forward for the country.
“The meeting which will be the first this year, 2021 by the governors, will as usual, be virtual in conformity with the COVID-19 protocols. It is the 23rd of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum teleconferences. The meeting commences 2.00pm prompt but Governors are expected to start logging on fat 1.00pm.
“The Governors’ PTF Committee, headed by Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, which is charged with the responsibility of liaising between the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and the Governors’ Forum, will brief the Forum on what it needs to know on the vaccines and the way forward.”
The statement further said Governor Okowa is expected to give a panoramic view of the second wave of the pandemic while the NGF chairman who is also governor of Ekiti state, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, will brief members on his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari as well as update the Forum on all pending matters that had remained inconclusive, flowing from the previous year’s meetings.
The pending issues, according to the invitation to the governors by NGF Director-General Asishana B Okauru, include ALGON and FAAC deductions, external debts reconciliation (2002-2018), Stamp Duty collections in respect of the governors’ letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation, and another response to the Ministry of Water Resources regarding the lingering Water Resources Bill among others. All disbursements of funds to states on the three tranches of PAYE will also be tabled.
