The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) is to engage organised labour unions on the removal of fuel subsidy in the country.

NGF Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the end of the forum’s meeting which ended in the early hours of Thursday in Abuja.

Fayemi said that the 36 states governors met and discussed issues of national importance including removal of subsidy and Electoral Amendment Bill.

“We discussed the issue around petroleum subsidy and concluded to engage the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress.

“We will engage them on how best to address this issue without causing any disaffection, but with a view to salvaging the Nigerian economy for the Nigerian people at the end of the day.

“So, we shall be engaging the NLC as sub national leaders and with a view to ensure that the outcome of our engagement will also be fed into the national discourse,” Fayemi said.

Speaking on what was the input of the NGF in the proposed price of N302/litre as price of petrol, Fayemi said the matter was not a decision of the governors but the exclusive responsibility of the Federal Government.

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He said that even though it was the responsibility of the National Economic Council, the governors were contributing to the debate.

Fayemi also commended the Senate for accelerating the removal of the contentious clauses in the draft Electoral Amendment Bill.

He expressed hope that the House of Representatives would follow suit, so that the revised electoral Bill could be returned to Mr. President for assent on time.

This, according to him, will enable the various institutions, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to proceed at pace with its responsibilities towards the various elections in 2022 and 2023.

“We also discussed the health update particularly in relation to COVID-19 infection and expressed happiness that the current Omicron Variant has been declining progressively.

“However, we also note that there is need for states led by us to ramp up the COVID-19 vaccination exercise.

“On nutrition which remains priority of the government, the governors concluded that there is need to increase our support in terms of budgetary provisions for nutrition,” he said.

Fayemi disclosed that the governors received presentation from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) on Ease of Doing Business.

He said that the governors at the meeting discussed the next phase of ease of doing business survey with the Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole and the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria Shubham Chaudhuri.

“The presentation elaborated on the need to step up the reforms towards improving the investments and business climate at the sub national level.

“Governors also reviewed the recently launched National Development Plan 2021 to 2025.

“This is with a view to ensuring that the National Development Plan is aligned to individual state development plans 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,” Fayemi said.

TheStar