The National Economic Council (NEC) Thursday held a valedictory meeting where members which included all State Governors, and some members of the federal cabinet praised the Chairman of the council, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Speaking on behalf of all the 36 State Governors and under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State commended the Vice President for managing the affairs of NEC with a sense of fairness and patriotism.
At the end of the meeting inside the Council Chambers in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he said NEC under his leadership rose to the challenges of our national survival even beyond the scarce economic matters.
“You remain indeed an asset, a reference, a rallying point for our country, as you continue to improve on issues of good governance and entrenchment of democratic action….
“On behalf of all of us, we thank you for your interventions, we thank Mr. President through you for his interventions especially at those very difficult times when states were battling a lot of challenges especially during the 2016 period when a number of states could not even pay salaries, bail-outs and such other interventions really helped all of us, various states to really discharge our constitutional roles per state,” said Tambuwal.
Earlier, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai spoke at the meeting, saying the eight years that VP Osinbajo chaired NEC showed the Council as the best of all the executive bodies spelt out in the Nigerian Constitution.
He was immediately joined by the Jigawa State Governor Badaru Abubakar who said “all of us” share the sentiments expressed by Governor El-Rufai.
Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade commended the Vice President “for your spirit of tolerance. I have borrowed from your maturity.”
Later at the media briefing on the outcome of today’s NEC, Governors Bala Mohammed and Hope Uzodinma of Bauchi and Imo States respectively, again lauded the VP in glowing terms.
In his response at the end of the meeting, Prof. Osinbajo expressed his appreciation for the gesture.
The Vice President, according to a statement issued by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, also presented a Legacy Document of NEC in the last eight years at the meeting.
NEC also had a section of the meeting to hold the Annual General
Meeting of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority as the Governors are the members of the NSIA Governing Council.
The Chairman, Board of Directors of the NSIA Mr. Farouk Gumel and the Managing Director/CEO Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq made presentations to the Council.
NEC then received the NSIA reports and approved management prayers to support NSIA to explore alternative sources of capital to further drive its mandates
Council also received presentations on the Ad-Hoc Committee of NEC on Flood Relief and from the NEC’s Human Capital Development unit.
According to the Jigawa State Governor who chairs the Ad-Hoc Committee 16 States have sent in the required report of the extent of damage ocassioned by flooding across this country during the last raining season.
He said however a further extension of one week would be granted States who have not yet sent in their reports.
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