Governors Meet In Abuja To Discuss National Issues

Governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) are meeting today in Abuja, to deliberate on pressing national issues.

The meeting is the fourth by the forum this year.

The meeting is expected to be attended by the 36 state governors who form the forum‘s membership.

The governors, according to a source at the NGF Secretariat will use the meeting to review their peer review exercise and their stand on the ongoing constitution amendment process.

The forum will also discuss the country’s security challenges with a view to proffering solutions.

Another issue that will likely come up at the meeting, according to the source, is the forum’s litigation against the Federal Government at the Supreme Court.

It would be recalled that the governors had challenged the Federal Government’s deductions from the Excess Crude Account to offset fuel subsidy. The state chief executives are asking the court to compel the Federal Government to adhere to the provisions of the constitution with regard to deductions from the account.

The governors had expressed uneasiness with the continued deduction of oil subsidy money from the excess crude account.

According to them, the deduction negates the principle of federalism and budgetary provision.

During their meeting on October 18, 2012, the NGF constituted a seven-man committee to engage and collaborate with the National Assembly on the ongoing constitution review process.

The governors are also opposed to granting autonomy to Local Government Councils.

The NGF is an umbrella association of the 36 governors of the federation, irrespective of party affiliation.