The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has constituted a seven-member sub-committee chaired by the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, to “comprehensively” review the current trend and advise state governments on the set of actions required to address challenges of the Covid-19 on the economy.
The NGF Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in a communiqué issued at the end a meeting on Wednesday night, said the members of the committee include governors of Kebbi, Ebonyi, Ogun, Nasarawa, Edo and Jigawa.
Fayemi said the decision was taken after an extensive discussion of the impact of the Covid-l 9 pandemic and falling oil prices in the Nigerian economy and the revenues of state governments. He said since the assignment was an emergency, “they (the committee) know the urgency of the situation and Malam El-Rufai committee will do this as soon as possible.”
The governors, who received an update on the Covid-l9 pandemic from the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, pledged to work with the ministry of health to set up functional test and isolation centres in every state in the country.
Asked if he is in tune with the call by the Senate on President Buhari to address the nation, Fayemi said, “There is a Covid-19 task force that has been put together by the federal government and that task force addresses the country almost on daily basis.
“We see the minister of health and secretary to the government of the federation briefing the nation. What the nation needs is information regularly delivered in order to keep the citizens well-informed about steps to take. It really should not matter who is addressing the conference on a daily basis,” he said.
By Muideen Olaniyi,
Daily Trust