Governors pledge support for FG’s gas expansion programme

TRACKING____Members of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) have resolved to collaborate with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to support the implementation of the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) through a state-wide adoption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The governors also promised to evolve measures to ease gas pipeline right of way applications and encourage the micro stove assembly for small businesses, including facilitating training for gas operators.

They gave the commitment at the NGF’s 12th COVID-19 teleconference held on Wednesday where Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva made a presentation on the NGEP.

In a communique issued after the meeting, the governors also resolved to collaborate with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to ensure the implementation of the 5% user charge on the pump price of petrol and the international vehicle transit charge to better fund road projects in Nigeria.

INGF’s members, according to the communique signed by the forum’s Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, also advocated for the need to revitalize Nigeria’s Mortgage Bank to support the government’s ambitious housing programme, and the importance of the N2 trillion Nigeria Infrastructure Investment Fund to stimulate the economy.

They endorsed the work of the sub-committee on COVID-19 headed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna State) and resolved to engage with the Vice President and Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC), Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to facilitate states’ representation in the implementation committee of the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP).

They urged state governments to ramp up testing to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus especially amongst those with pre-existing conditions and the elderly in view of the rise in the community spread of coronavirus cases with mild or no symptom,

The NGF equally resolved to endorse the work the sub-committee headed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta State) to consolidate measures to gradually open the formal and informal sectors of the economy.

The Okowa sub-committee was set up by the NGF to interface with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

“Although the second corruption survey focused on federal government agencies, members resolved to collaborate with UNODC to strengthen public complaints mechanisms across State MDAs given that state institutions, businesses and households are affected by bribe seeking among public sector officials.”