Fuel increase: Governors to meet Labour over planned nationwide protest

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Governors on the platform of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF),  Ime the early hours of Thursday have resolved organised Labour over planned nationwide protest against the Federal Government’s proposed increase in the pump price of petrol.

This is even as they have commended the Senate for quick passage of the electoral bill,  stating that it would enable the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) prepared speedily for 2023 elections.

These were the highlights of the governors meeting which lasted for over four hours  (8pm to 12:50am).

The chairman of the NGF and Governor of Ekiti State,  Kayode Fayemi who briefed the press at exactly 12.50am said the way forward in the country as regards fuel price increase was a joint decision.

Fayemi said: “The Forum also discussed the issue around petroleum subsidy and concluded to engage the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress on how best to address this issue without causing any disaffection with a view to salvage the Nigerian economy for the Nigerian people at the end of the day.

“So we shall be engaging Nigeria Labour Congress as subnational leaders and with a view to ensuring that the outcome of our engagement will also be fed into the national discourse.”

Asked if the governors were not part of the planned increase, Fayemi said: “To the best of my knowledge the report you are talking about is not a report from the Governors, it wasn’t the report from the Governors’ Forum. The national economic council chaired by the vice president of Nigeria has been dealing with this issue overtime. And really it is not up to subnational to decide on what happens to pms prices, it is entirely exclusive responsibility of the federal government. However, we are critical stakeholders and we are members of the national economic council so we contribute to debate in the national economic council but ultimately whatever we contribute to, it is the decision of the national economic council, it is not the decision of governors, especially in view of the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, that’s taken out of our hands completely. It’s a matter for petroleum sector.”

On the position of the Governors on subsidy removal, he said: “well for us at the Forum, it is a matter that is going concern. We don’t have a definitive issue on it because it is left for the petroleum industry. It is not for us, NNPC is now a private company and the company should decide what it wants to do with the price of the product, it shouldn’t really be the business of the Governors.”

The NGF chairman also commended the senators for their statemanly behaviour, urging the House of Representatives to concur the position of the Senate for the ease of INEC job.

He said: “On the electoral Act, Governors’ commended the Senate of the Federal Republic for accelerating the removal of the contentious clause in the draft electoral bill and hope that the second chamber, the House of Representatives will also follow suit, so that the revised electoral bill can return to Mr. President for assent so that, that can then enable various institutions, particularly INEC to proceed at pace with the responsibility towards the various elections in 2022 and 2023.”

Fayemi said the Governors also discussed health issues particularly the omicron variant of COVID-19 and how to drive vaccination as well as more funding for the states.

He said: “We also discussed the health update, particularly the COVID m-19 infection and expressed happiness that the current omicron variant has been declining progressively. However, we also noted that there’s need for states led by us to ramp up the COVID-19 vaccination exercise.

“On nutrition, it remains priority of the government. Governors’ concluded that we need to increase our support for budgetary provisions for our nutrition.”

Governor Fayemi said that the governors received briefings from the WHO and other briefings that will aid the states.

He confirmed that the chairman of the EFCC on what he described as normal discussions.

Also,  the chairman of the NGF said that the governors received briefings on the easy of doing business in the states.

“We received presentation from the Presidential Enabling Environment Council (PEVEC) on the ease of doing business and discuss the next phase of the ease of doing business survey with the special adviser to Mr. President on ease of doing business, Dr. Oduwole and the Country Director of the World Bank.

“The presentation elaborated on the need to step up the reform towards increasing investment climate at the subnational level.

“Governors also reviewed the recently launched National Development Plan 2021-2025 with a view to ensuring that the national development plan is aligned into individual state development plan that have been produced or in the process of being produced to ensure synergy between the development efforts by the federal as well as state governments.”

On Power asset crisis, Fayemi said: “Well assets that we discussed relate to assets from the NIPP which belong to federal, state and local governments. And our view expressed is that you cannot dispose the assets without the concurrence of joint owners of the assets. And we are still on that, because the joint owners at the level of state are still making inputs to a Committee that was set up to review this matter and further engage the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, host of those assets and the Bureau of Public Enterprises.”