By Esther Yakubu
Following controversy over the control of infectious Diseases Bill, introduced by the House of Representatives, Nigeria Governors’ Forum committee would meet the leadership of the National Assembly on the proposed bill.
Indeed, NGF has set up a committee comprising the Governors of Katsina, Sokoto, and Plateau States – Aminu Masari, Aminu Tambuwal, and Simon Lalong, to lead a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly.
Specifically, the governors of the 36 states of the Federation have demanded that the bill be stepped down until all necessary procedures were followed.
The call to step down the bill formed part of the resolutions of the governors after the eighth teleconference meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) which held on Wednesday.
In a statement by the NGF Chairman and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, the governors noted that a bill of such nature needed proper consultation to gather the pulse of the public before its introduction into the chambers of the National Assembly.
The governors also directed the NGF Secretariat to comprehensively review the bill and its implication on states.
They also raised serious concern about the effects that the regular deductions from revenues accruable to states would have on their capacity to effectively respond to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NGF, therefore, resolved to review the 2020 budget and amend procurement guidelines to support e-procurement, as a way to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on states’ resources.
