Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti is the new chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF.
He emerged as the new leader Wednesday night through a consensus and will lead his colleagues for the next two years.
Outgoing Chairman of the NGF, Gov. Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara, who made this known after a meeting of the governors in Abuja, said Fayemi was nominated by Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, seconded by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state.
He was then unanimously elected by the governors to guide the forum till 2021.
For the office of Vice Chairman, Yari disclosed that Gov. Aminu Tambwal of Sokoto State clinched the position.
Tambuwal, according to him, was nominated by the out-going governor of Lagos State, Akinwumi Ambode, and seconded by Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the governors reiterated their dissatisfaction with the recent guidelines of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU.
Yari, who read the communiqué, said the guidelines sought to restrict the powers of states and local governments to operate within constitutionally approved parameters.
The governors insisted that the new guidelines lacked legal basis under the NFIU Act and also ran contrary to constitutional provisions which put the State Joint Local Government Account under the legislation of the State Houses of Assembly.
“The guidelines will also be detrimental to the interest of States and local governments by crippling programmes such as the Universal Basic Education programme, Primary Health Care Under One Roof, as well as the payment of the salaries of teachers, medical doctor and health workers, among others, which are primarily funded by state governments,” he said.
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On the call by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors that State of Emergency be declared on the issue of insecurity, the out-going Chairman of the NGF said they had resolved to meet President Muhammadu Buhari for one-on-one discussion.
“The issue of security is under the mandate of Mr. President, we are supporting him because he is the Commander-in-Chief and we hope to come up with solutions with him,” he said.
In his acceptance speech, the new leader of the Governors’ Forum, Fayemi thanked his colleagues for the confidence reposed in him, pledging to build on the achievements of his predecessors.
“We will build on commitment with strong partnership with the Federal Government as federating unit and trash out issues as amicably as possible, in the overall interest of the country.
“Whatever we are going to do will be in the overall interest of the nation in ensuring that our States are continuously strengthened,” he said.
Fayemi lauded the out-going Chairman and the Secretariat for their commitment to States and Nigeria at large.
