State Of The Nation: Governors To Meet Wednesday Over Financial Autonomy For State Legislature, Judiciary

The nation’s 36 Governors have scheduled a meeting for Wednesday to deliberate on series of burning national issues.

According to a statement on Monday by spokesman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, the meeting will examine the state of the nation, ongoing nationwide strike by legislative and Judiciary workers and planned sale of public assets, among others.

He said the virtual meeting, which will be the 30th teleconference of the forum but the seventh this year, is scheduled to commence by 2pm with members encouraged to start logging-in from 1pm.

Bello-Barkindo said the meeting will “address matters arising from a variety of challenges such as the ongoing conversation over the contentious Executive Order 10, the third wave of COVID-19, an update of the States, Fiscal Transparency, Accountability (SFTAS) report, among other things.”

He added: “The meeting will cover lessons for States and Actions for Governors on Sustainability as well as the adoption of SaaS E-procurement.

“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 (PTF) on Covid19 and the Governors’ Forum, will brief the Forum on health matters arising from the coming of the third wave of COVID-19.

“Furthermore, there will be a presentation from the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Sabo Nanono about the 2nd Phase of Farmers’ Enumeration.

“There will also be another presentation by the Director-General, Bureau for Public Enterprises, Mr. Alexander Ayoola Okoh on Unlocking Liquidity through Sale/Optimization of State-owned Redundant/Sub-Optimal Assets.

“Last but by no means the least, the Director-General of the NGF, Mr Asishana B Okauru will give feedback on the series of Executive Order 10 meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment: Dr Chris Ngige about the ongoing industrial action by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria.”