NGF pledges to provide support for performance assessment of states

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has pledged to provide appropriate health and security measures for the 2019 Annual Performance Assessment of States (SFTAS) programme expected to start from Sunday.

The body said this in a communique issued after its 14th teleconference meeting and signed by its Chairman, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti.

The communique said that the 36 state governments would ensure a seamless exercise by the teams from the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.

“The NGF Secretariat will provide Technical Assistance to the remaining five states yet to publish their Audited Financial Statement (AFS),” it said.

The communiques said that state governments with unresolved issues with their resident doctors should meet with the association at local levels to agree on workable solutions in the face of the current challenges in the country.

”Some of the issues include unpaid salaries for doctors and the non-domestication and non-implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act, 2017,” it said.

The communique also stated that the NEC Ad-Hoc Committee on Security and Policing met on Aug. 4 with heads of the security agencies to discuss and review the security challenges in the country.

“According to the Chairman, resolutions reached will soon be presented to Mr President,” it said.

The communique further said that all COVID-19 Task Forces in the various states would work closely with their Palliatives Implementation Committees to target the most vulnerable for the distribution of the CACOVID palliatives, particularly in local governments.

It added that the forum received further updates from Alhaji Aliko Dangote on behalf of the Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID) on the flag-off and distribution of its palliatives to states.

It noted that the flag-off started on Aug. 4 in Borno, Edo, Enugu and Kano States, adding that the launch was ongoing and would hold daily across one state each in the six geopolitical zones until Aug. 11, when it would be concluded in all 36 states.

The communique said states would also take cognisance of the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 infection and start preparing for preventive measures.

It said the group would continue to engage with the Federal government on the suspension of state counterpart funds required for accessing UBE funds.

“The forum had adopted the report of the National Economic Council Ad-Hoc Committee on COVID-19 chaired by the Vice President which recommended the immediate suspension of the requirement for state governments to provide matching funds to access grants like UBEC,” it said.

The communique said the Chairman of the NGF Sub-Committee interfacing with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, briefed governors on the measures discussed with the PTF on reopening the economy.

“His update highlighted concerns such as guidelines required to reopen schools; resumption of international flights, the need for increased testing capacity and sample collection centers in all local government areas in the country.

“It also highlighted on the disbursement of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and other health-related facilities; dissemination of guidelines for home care for COVID-19 cases and the non-availability of reagents in the country due to its high demand globally,” the communique said.

The communique also said the Forum discussed the collaboration between the NGF and the Centre for Values in Leadership
(CVL) to organise a Webinar on governance and security challenges in the country.

It said the Webinar would facilitate interaction between governors and the public to shed more light on some of the strategies deployed to tackle insecurity amidst the battle against COVID-19 in Nigeria.