Governors partner TCN to improve power supply
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has pledged to partner with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to improve power supply across the country.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi, announced this while reading the communiqué of the forum meeting held on Wednesday night in Abuja.
Fayemi said that the governors received a presentation by the TCN at the meeting which highlighted issues around inadequate transmission and sought governors’ commitment to improving power in the country.
Speaking on the federal government’s resolution to recover N614 billion loan facility from 35 states of the federation, Fayemi said that they were ready to pay, but there should be reconciliation of account.
“If you borrow, you pay. We are never averse to payment of loans under legal environment and we don’t want a situation that will put our financial system in jeopardy.
“However, governors believe that we are ready to pay, we also have a duty to ensure a reconciliation of account as far as moneys owed to states may be concerned,” he said, adding that “it is a storm in a tea cup when we read about governors refusing to pay. We don’t have such an issue, we are ready to pay.”
Earlier, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed had said that the federal government has resolved to recover N614 billion loan facility from 35 states of the federation.
The minister revealed this when she briefed State House correspondents on the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, at the State House, Abuja.
Mrs. Ahmed said that each of the affected 35 states received N17.5 billion as bail out from the federal government, revealing that the council has already agreed to constitute a team to finalise modalities for the commencement of the loan repayment.
In another development, Gov. Fayemi also said that the forum received a presentation from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), advising that the country should expect above average rainfall which has already caused severe flooding in several states.
He added that the forum also received briefing on the meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and from the inspector-general of police on the unlawful invasion of some governors’ residences.
He said that this was a direct violation of the immunity of the governors.
The forum was briefed by the chairman on the meeting between the forum and the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) with the governors’ pledging to continue to collaborate with journalists on issues of security, particularly when they work in hostile environments.
