Governors To Meet Over Petrol Subsidy, COVID-19 Vaccines

The 36 governors under the umbrella of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) will meet on Wednesday to discuss the issue of petrol subsidy.

In a statement on Monday, Head, Media, and Public Affairs of NGF Secretariat, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, said the governors will meet virtually on Wednesday to deliberate the fuel subsidy and the COVID-19 vaccines.

Bello-Barkindo said the emergency meeting will be presided by the chairman of the forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.

He revealed that the chairman of the committee on subsidy on petrol, Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State, would brief his colleagues before any decisions on the supply and or retailing of the product were taken.

He added that various issues revolving around the COVID-19 vaccines roll out would feature prominently in the 28th teleconference meeting.

Bello-Barkindo said Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Chairman NGF Committee on COVID-19 would brief his colleagues on the situation with the vaccines rolled out and their attendant encumbrances.

He said: “On his part, the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, will update his colleagues on the outcome of his meeting with the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities.

“The educationists met the forum’s chairman last week and presented a number of requests which they believed would improve education at the subnational level.”

Bello-Barkindo added that the governors “would also listen to the activities of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum”.

He said the meeting, which would commence by 2 p.m. would also play host to three external presentations.

He said one of the presentations would be made by the new National Drug Law Enforcement Boss, Buba Marwa, on “Managing the Drug Crisis.”

“The Department for International Development (DFID) will be making a presentation on the NNPC Audit reports and what the states should know.

Bello-Barkindo added that the “last presenter would be speaking on trade facilitation in Nigeria through e-customs and a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) structure in partnership with the British High Commission”.