COVID-19: NGF constitutes sub-committee, pledges functional isolation centres

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) sets up a seven-member sub-committee to review the trend of the coronavirus and global slide of petroleum prices as well advice state governments on required measures to address the challenges on the economy.

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state, disclosed this while reading the communiqué issued after the forum’s meeting held on Wednesday night in Abuja.

Gov. Fayemi said that the committee to be chaired by Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state is expected to submit its report as soon as possible.

The chairman also expressed the governors’ pledge to work with the Federal Ministry of Health to set up functional test and isolation centres in each state.

“The forum received an update on the COVID-l9 pandemic from the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire. Governors pledged to work with the ministry of health to set up functional test and isolation centres in every state in the country.

“After an extensive discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and falling oil prices, and the revenues of state governments, the forum constituted a sub-committee consisting of the governors of Kaduna, Kebbi, Ebonyi, Ogun, Nasarawa, Edo and Jigawa states.

“The committee is to comprehensively review the trend and advice state governments on the set of actions required to address challenges in our economy,” Gov. Fayemi said.

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Fielding questions on the call by the Senate that President Muhammadu Buhari should address the nation on the coronavirus, the Ekiti state governor said what the nation needs was regular information and not necessarily from the president.

“Every day, I noticed that we received address. There is a COVID -19 taskforce that has been put together by the federal government and that taskforce addresses the nation almost on daily basis.

“We have seen 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 informed about steps to take. Really, it should not matter who is given this conference on daily basis,” Fayemi said.

On other resolutions of the meetings, the NGF chairman said that the forum commiserated with the Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on the unfortunate Sunday fire incident in Abule-Ado in the state in which over 20 lives were lost.

Gov. Fayemi said that a delegation of the forum would visit Lagos on Saturday to support the Lagos state governor.

Others governors present at the meeting include the Deputy Chairman of the forum, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state and those of Kaduna, Edo, Imo, Taraba, Kano,Ogun, Osun, Adamawa, Niger and Nasarawa states.