The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has resolved to provide leadership to the COVID-19 response in their respective states by ramping up risk communication activities and community testing.
The NGF, through its sub-committee interfacing with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, has also promised to address concerns raised by states on the reception of new inmates amidst measures taken to curtail the spread of COVID-19 across correctional facilities in the country.
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The resolutions were contained in a communiqué released on Thursday but issued and signed by NGF Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State Dr Kayode Fayemi at the end of the 16th Teleconference Meeting held on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, where governors received updates on the status of pending COVID-19 interventions for States.
Governors were concerned by the delay in the release of the results of the SMART survey conducted for the Saving One Million Lives Performance for Results (SOML-PforR) Project.
The Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, who is the Chairman of the NGF Sub-Committee interfacing with the PTF on COVID-19, in his update, had highlighted the importance of continued and increased testing in all States as the economy opens.
Okowa called on States to take ownership of the COVID-19 response, especially with the expected winding of the PTF by the end of September 2020. The governor said low testing rates at any time will make it difficult to track the correct status of the pandemic in the country thus making it difficult to make important decisions like opening of schools, NYSC camps, holding elections etcetera.
The Forum also lauded the World Bank for the new initiative to support States in updating their property records.
Some States, the communiqué revealed, are already in advanced stages of developing a geographic information system (GIS) that will help them gather, manage and analyze geospatial data both for the purpose of spacial planning and property taxation.
It added that all State governments through their Internal Revenue Services will ensure the seamless implementation of tax relief programmes for businesses and taxpayers.
These programmes, which were released in some States since March 2020, are designed to reduce the financial burden of taxpayers in the country up till 2021 in some cases.
The decision was taken after the Task Team Leader for the World Bank States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme, Yue Man Lee, had provided an update of the SFTAS programme and near-term action for State governments.
His presentation actually introduced a new technical assistance programme by the World Bank to support States in updating the property records of at least 50% of properties that have electricity connections in Urban Areas by June 30, 2021.
Governors were also called to maintain vigilance to ensure that the structures put in place for routine immunization were not jeopardized by the COVID-19 pandemic in the light of Rotary’s recognition of the Forum’s role in ending the polio pandemic in the country.
The communiqué also stated that State governments were called to nominate focal persons that would interface with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on the actualization of the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP).
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, had addressed the Forum in July 2020 on the NGEP which is designed as a catalyst for Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves.
The plan, the communiqué said, will spur revitalization across gas-based industries in fertilizer, methanol, textiles and feedstock for industries among others.
The NGF Chairman had provided an update on the disbursement of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) facility to eligible States which had been approved by the Ministry of Health to safeguard government interventions in primary health care service delivery during the pandemic.
The NGF Legal Committee led by the Vice Chairman of the Forum, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State, updated members on consultations with the Attorney General of the Federation to resolve concerns on the implementation of the Executive Order #10.
A Technical Committee comprising members from all parties has been working to finalize an acceptable framework for the implementation of the Order.
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