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Tag: Governors

  • Senate President, Lawan accuses S’West govs of inciting violence in their states

    Senate President, Lawan accuses S’West govs of inciting violence in their states

    Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has accused S’West govs of inciting violence in their states. He believes the recent ethnic clash at Shasha Market in Ibadan was sparked by the utterances of some governors from the Southwest.

    And he wants the brains behind the clash to be brought to book.

    But Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in reaction has said that the Senate President was mixing up the issues involved in the clash, while Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State said he would rather not engage those he branded as ‘crisis entrepreneurs and divisionists.’

    Speaking in an interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC yesterday, Ahmad Lawan asked government to investigate the cause of the Shasha market clash, identify the perpetrators of the violence and pay compensation to the victims.

    “What has happened in Oyo and other southern states of Nigeria has led to a lack of leadership,” he said.

    He added: “I would not only say that the governors, but they have an important right to protect the people, and the statements made by some of them have led to provoking the people of these states. They see their leaders as supporting them, they take this step.”

    He said the Senate debated the matter after its recess and condemned the actions of some political leaders for provocative remarks.

    According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari also sat down with state governors and told them that it was not permissible for any governor to make statements that would provoke violence and unrest in his state.

    “He told them that the Nigerian constitution gives every citizen the right to live wherever he wants to live, so no one should be allowed to say that he will expel others from his state because he is not a citizen of the state,” he said.

    “Yes, compensation must be paid, but make sure that people are not killed in vain, not just burnt goods and the victims of the shootings, that their cards are followed, or that compensation is paid to find the perpetrators.

    “The security forces should arrest them and take them to court to be punished. This is the only way to prevent others from doing the same in the future,” he said.

    Makinde: He’s mixing up issues

    Contacted last night to react to Lawan’s statement, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State said Lawan was mixing up the issues involved in the Shasha market violence.

    He spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, saying: “The Senate President’s statement has nothing to do with Shasha Market.

    “The incident was a disagreement between market leaders which had a trigger in a clash between two traders – one Hausa and one Yoruba.

    The four Northern governors who recently visited Ibadan on behalf of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) attested to the fact that the clash had nothing to do with ethnicity or religion.

    “The Baale of Shasha and the market leaders are on the same page on the genesis of the crisis.

    “It is possible that the Senate President got mixed up by referring to Shasha in his interview.

    “He should not have mentioned Shasha because it was not related to what he was talking about.”

    We’ll not engage ‘crisis entrepreneurs’, says Akeredolu

    Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State was terse in his reaction.

    His Special Assistant on New Media, Olabode Olatunde, said: “At the risk of being repetitive, the Governor Akeredolu-led Southwest governors will not go into the arena of media conflict with crisis entrepreneurs and divisionists.”

    The Shasha Market violence erupted on February 18 following an altercation between a Yoruba woman and an Hausa man.

    The matter quickly grew out of control, leaving many houses, shops and goods burnt.

    Some people were also killed.

  • Southwest governors, traditional rulers say FG must end open grazing

    Southwest governors, traditional rulers say FG must end open grazing

    South-west governors in Nigeria on Saturday met with its traditional rulers to demand the need for both state governments and the Federal Government to end open grazing.

    The support, according to the governors, could come in the form of government establishing designated grazing areas, setting up feeding mills among others.

    The chairman, Southwest governors forum, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, stated this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting of governors, traditional rulers and security chiefs, held at Oyo state governor’s office, Ibadan, on Saturday.

    In sum, Akeredolu said government at the various levels must devise ways to change the practice of open grazing by cattle breeders.

    Akeredolu said, “We discussed that as we are supporting other areas of farming, like rice farmers and others, the need for government to support cattle breeding is now. And one of the ways we can support cattle breeding is to change the ways and means that cattle breeders are adopting now.

    “So, you can find designated grazing areas where you can graze, you can have feed mills where you can feed, you do not have to trek with your herds from far.

    “But, things that will lead to open grazing in these modern times must be looked at and the state and federal government, in particular, should give support as much as we can to cattle breeders.”Present alongside Akeredolu at the meeting were Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) and host governor, Seyi Makinde.

    The roll call of obas present included the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji; Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Babatunde Ajayi; the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan; Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Alao.

    Also in attendance are Deputy Inspector General of Police, David Folawiyo; Oyo Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko; Garrison Commander, 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Adesoji Ogunsugba; top chiefs of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Air force.

    Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari; Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu and the Director-General of State Service, Yussuf Bichi, who were expected at the meeting, were absent.

    Their absence was attributed to bad weather which disallowed them from being able to board their flight from Abuja to Ibadan for the meeting.

    Speaking further on discussions at the meeting, Akeredolu pointed to concerns about the continued influx of foreign herdsmen, unchecked, into the country owing to the nation’s porous borders.

    Noting the tendency for foreign herders to be behind invasion of farms and clashes with farmers, the meeting held that there was need to tighten the nation’s borders.Akeredolu added, “We all agreed that our borders have become too porous and that we need to do something urgently to prevent foreign herdsmen from coming into this country without any form of caution because a number of them have come in with their herds and what they do is of concern to us. “We all believe that our borders need to be checked and we need to tighten our borders so that all those foreigners from Niger republic and those beyond bordering states don’t come in with their herds and destroy our farms.”

    On forest management, the Ondo governor said the Southwest governors aligned with the decision of the National Economic Council (NEC) that states should manage and preserve their forests.

    “We all agreed that the time is now that we support the decision of National Economic Council (NEC) about forest management and that they believe that all the states should be in a position to manage their forest and that will give enough room for you to determine who is there, what purpose are they serving, and where you have people illegally.

    “The state should be able to take some steps so that you can preserve our forest,” Akeredolu added.

  • COVID-19 not an excuse for poor performance, Wike tells fellow governors

    COVID-19 not an excuse for poor performance, Wike tells fellow governors

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has said no governor should use COVID-19 as an excuse not to invest in infrastructural development that can foster economic development and prosperity.

    Wike spoke during a facility tour of the ultramodern Government House hospital and Administrative building in Port Harcourt by the Senate Chief Whip and former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.

    He said Rivers would not join the league of states that hide under the guise of COVID-19 pandemic to deny their people basic infrastructures like roads acknowledged universally as a major contributor to higher economic productivity, growth and trade.

    He said: “Covid-19 cannot be an excuse to any government. COVID -19 is a bad thing, but it has come. It will go whether we like it or not. But people will also be alive.

    “Infrastructure must be provided, so you can’t say because of COVID 19 nothing will be done. At the time COVID 19 ends, what will the people be facing? Lack of basic infrastructure. So, because of COVID19, I am not going to be doing anything? I am not a party to that. I will continue to work whether there is COVID-19 or not.”

    Wike explained his administration had conscientiously been investing in high quality infrastructure that had positive economic value to stimulate job creation, boost foreign direct investment in the State.

    He said in the midst of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, the state government on Wednesday approved two additional flyovers at the cost of N 12.4bn to Julius Berger.

    According to him, investments in these projects have been made possible because of the government’s judicious application of State resources to meet the pressing needs of the people.

    He said: “You manage whatever you have for the interest of the people. Infrastructure brings investments. Part of the problem we have in this country today is the decay of infrastructure. We don’t have it and that also affects investment inflow. So, when these roads are there, you will see people will come in. You don’t expect private investor to begin to do road for you. It is not possible.

    “You want to do agriculture, there is no road. How can we do agriculture when there is no road? How will the produce be brought to the city, to the market? So, you must provide these basic infrastructures for investment inflow and that is what we are doing.”

    Wike applauded Senator Orji Uzor Kalu , a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for visiting Rivers State to assess what his administration was doing to improve the quality of life of the people saying such bipartisan collaboration was required for the country to move forward.

    Speaking after inspecting the Government House hospital and Administrative Building,Kalu said Wike’s deliberate investment in crucial infrastructural was commendable.

    He said: “All the facilities I have seen here is first class. This is what I can’t even see in Europe. The hospital I have seen, the doctors’ room, the conference centre is something else. I must commend Governor Wike. You see I am a bipartisan person. We need to commend anybody who has done a good job. He is PDP, I am APC.”

    He implored the Federal, State and Local authorities to urgently consider it worthwhile to emulate the Rivers State government by investing in ultramodern hospital like the one built by the Wike’s administration.

    According to him, this will help to curtail the huge foreign exchange expended on medical tourism.

    He said: “I advise every other State governor or the local authorities and national authorities to build hospitals like this. If you know how much we spend on medical tourism, you will pity this country.

    “We are not talking about party; I am talking about conscience and what I have seen. This is fantastic. I have never seen any private hospital in Nigeria or government owned hospital like I have seen in Government House.”

  • Insecurity: Governors, top government officials no longer safe in Nigeria – CAN

    Insecurity: Governors, top government officials no longer safe in Nigeria – CAN

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Saturday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to seek help from Israel, the United States, and other countries to intervene in the ongoing fight against insecurity in the country.

    The organisation said the decision became necessary because the incumbent administration is overwhelmed by the continuous security challenges in Nigeria.

    The President of CAN, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, represented by the Assistant General Secretary of CAN, Apostle Biodun Sanyaolu, stated this in Abuja during the inauguration of a new national chairman of its Youth Wing (YOWICAN), Belusochukwu Enwere.

    Ayokunke said that CAN was seriously worried because of the persecution of Christians who were affected by the security challenges in Nigeria.

    He said, “It is very obvious that Nigeria needs assistance. I’m not President Muhammadu Buhari, but I’m sure that he will be worried as well. He should be willing to seek help from anywhere because insecurity has reached a worrying point where nobody is safe.

    “We need help, let me use the opportunity to tell the President to reach out to Israel, the United States, and other countries that could be of help to Nigeria, the problem of insecurity is becoming overwhelming.

    “The insecurity, banditry, and kidnapping are against the human race. We are seriously worried at CAN because we are affected by the security challenges in Nigeria. The insecurity, banditry, and kidnapping are against the human race.

    “The President and leadership of CAN have spoken several times against the security challenges and it does appear that it is too overwhelming to the present government. We will continue to pray for the government because there is lack of security everywhere, from Adamawa to Lagos, Sokoto to Enugu, the highway is not safe.

    “Even when you’re in your house, you’re not safe. We are seriously worried, the onus is on the government to protect the people. And the first assignment of the government is to protect everybody, including the government officials because they too are not safe.

    “The governors are not safe, you know what happened in Katsina, the home state of the President. I’m sure the President too will be worried as much as we are.”

  • Governors, Miyetti Allah ban night grazing, illegal occupation of forest reserves in South West

    Governors, Miyetti Allah ban night grazing, illegal occupation of forest reserves in South West

    The Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MICBAN) have agreed to the prohibition of night grazing and illegal occupation of forest reserves in the Southwest region of Nigeria.

    In a communique at the end of a security meeting between the governors, MACBAN and heads of security agencies on Monday in Akure, it was also resolved that grazing by under-aged herders was prohibited.

    Governors in attendance at the meeting included Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, Mohammed Abubakar of Jigawa and Gboyega Oyetola of Osun.
    Others were Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former deputy governor of Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

    Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, and Chairman, Nigeria Governor’s Forum, who read the communique, said that free range grazing must be stopped to avoid conflicts between farmers and herders.

    Fayemi urged MACBAN to embrace and be committed to modern breeding process by creating grazing reserves and practice ranching to prevent cattle roaming about.

    The governor, who said MACBAN also suffers insecurity and kidnapping, expressed confidence in peaceful moves by the states to engender security and economic opportunities in the country.

    According to him, the order of Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State was misconstrued and misrepresented by a section of the media, “as he only ordered those occupying the forest reserves in Ondo State illegally to quit.

    “No one has sent anyone away from any state or region but all hands must be on deck to fight criminality,” he said.

    Recall that Akeredolu had issued a seven-day ultimatum last Monday for the eviction of herdsmen occupying the forest reserves illegally.

    However, some sections of the social media had misinterpreted the order, and reported that the governor had issued an ultimatum for Fulani herdsmen to vacate Ondo State.

    Earlier, Alhaji Muhammadu Kiruwa, National President, MACBAN, had urged his members to desist from grazing cows into farmlands, grazing at night and grazing by minors.

    Kiruwa, who assured of the cooperation of MACBAN at all time, directed executive members of the association in every state to work with all security outfits to tackle crime.

    In his remarks, AIG Olufemi Agunbiade of the Nigeria Police, Zone 11, Osogbo, urged people not to give crime any ethnic or religious colouration.

    “Crime does not have religious or ethnic affiliations. A kidnapper is a kidnapper,” he said.

  • BREAKING: Governors disown Yahaya Bello on ‘killer’ COVID-19 vaccine claim

    BREAKING: Governors disown Yahaya Bello on ‘killer’ COVID-19 vaccine claim

    Members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have dissociated themselves from the reported claim by Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello that coronavirus vaccines are meant to kill.

    The NGF, in a communiqué at the end of its virtual meeting on Wednesday, said: “On the ill-fated pronouncement made by a member of the forum regarding the Covid-19 vaccine in a national daily, the forum totally and categorically dissociated itself from the statement.”

    The NGF said it “will continue to be informed and guided by science and will ensure that every decision it takes retains public and professional trust and is not compromised by conflicts of interest..

    Details shortly…

  • Second wave: Governors meet Wednesday to discuss rising COVID-19 cases, deaths

    Second wave: Governors meet Wednesday to discuss rising COVID-19 cases, deaths

    The 36 state governors in Nigeria will hold a virtual meeting on Jan. 20, to discuss issues relating to the second wave of COVID-19.

    Mr Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, Head of Media and Public Affairs, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) said this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

    Bello-Barkindo said that the meeting would commence at 2p.m, adding that the focus will be on the second wave of the pandemic.

    He said that Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, heading NGF Committee charged with the responsibility of liaising between the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and the forum, would brief the meeting on COVID-19 vaccines and the way forward.

    According to him, Okowa is expected to give a panoramic view of the second wave of the pandemic.

    He added that NGF Chairman, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, would also brief the forum on his meeting with the President.
    “Fayemi will update the forum on all pending matters that have remained inconclusive, flowing from the previous year’s meetings,” he said.
    Bello-Barkindo said that the meeting would also discuss other issues like Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) deductions, external debts reconciliation (2002-2018) among others.
    “The governors will also be updated on the States’ Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) implantation in 2020,” he said.
    Bello-Barkindo said that the meeting would be in conformity with all COVID-19 protocols.

  • Governors will receive COVID 19 vaccine on national television – Fayemi

    Governors will receive COVID 19 vaccine on national television – Fayemi

    The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi, has announced that governors will take the COVID-19 vaccine on live television to demonstrate to their residents that the vaccine works.

    Governor Fayemi made this known on Friday to State House correspondents after a private meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari where security, the economy and vaccine management were discussed.

    He also noted that the president has agreed to convey to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the need to use influencers such as religious leaders, entertainers, and athletes to engender the confidence of citizens at the state and local level.

    This, according to the governor will help to address the cultural and religious concerns around taking the vaccine.

  • I’ll declare nationwide protests if Governors borrow from pension funds – NLC President

    I’ll declare nationwide protests if Governors borrow from pension funds – NLC President

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned state governors to stay away from pension funds or face massive protests.

    The warning came in a bit to stop state governors from borrowing N17 trillion from the pension funds purportedly for infrastructural development.

    The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, insisted that the governors have no authority over the funds.

    He made this known while speaking at the 47th National Executive Council meeting of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, in Abuja on Thursday.

    The Nigerian Governors Forum had last week endorsed the proposal of the Chairman of the National Economic Council Ad hoc Committee, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, to borrow N17trn from the pension funds for infrastructural development.

    But reacting to the proposal, Ayuba said, “The pension is not for borrowing, pension money is the retirement savings of workers, it cannot be borrowed. It’s like money in your savings account that nobody can borrow.

    “You must go through the bank and in this case, you must go through the PFAs and their guidelines; even the guidelines they want to play down but to the glory of God, the board of Pencom commission has been constituted

    “I stand here to represent all of you (workers), we are not going to agree; less than 5 percent of the states are keying into the contributory pension, yet they want to borrow the money. The bulk of the money is from the federal government workers and private-sector workers; so how do you want to borrow from where you have not sown?”

    Ayuba also noted that over 18 state governments were delaying the implementation of the new national minimum wage.

    He added that it was unheard of that the same governments would want to borrow the workers’ pension.

    “It’s not free money, and let me sound a bit of warning: any day that we hear the pension fund, our money has been borrowed, I will declare a protest and everybody is going to be on the street to protect our hard-earned money.

    “The money belongs to workers, we contribute that money so that when we retire, we can have something for retirement, so they have no say whatsoever; both the principal and the capital belong to us,” he said.

    Commenting on the fuel pump price, Wabba argued that it should not be determined by the market forces “whose sole aim was targeted at making profits even at the detriment of the masses.”

    He noted, “Anything you leave to market forces, citizens will suffer because the primary focus of governance is actually to defend the interest and welfare of our workers and even the citizens and therefore when you leave it to market forces, it is then about profit.”

    The National President, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Biobelemoye Josiah, condemned the Federal Government’s alleged involvement in scuttling strike actions through the use of some non-governmental organisations, stressing that workers have the right to embark on industrial actions to drive home their demands.

    He said, “In a plethora of cases, the courts have affirmed the right of the workers to embark on strike. Strike is a legitimate weapon available to the trade unions to ventilate their grievances, especially when the provision in section 41 of the Trade Dispute Act bordering on the number of days has been compiled with.

    “I would, therefore, appeal to the Federal Government to enrich our industrial relations practice through the interplay of the relationship between the management (Government) and the workers (Trade Unions) rather than scuttling the relationship through a third party interloper represented by the NGOs.”