Members of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum on Wednesday, held a meeting at the State House Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja.
Naija News reports that the governors met over the state of the nation’s economy, insecurity, and healthcare, among other issues.
The meeting comes weeks after the governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari in July and suggested 33 urgent steps to prevent the nation from economic collapse.
In a statement signed on Tuesday by the Forum’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, disclosed that the top of the agenda at the meeting would be the state of Nigeria’s economy and security.
Barkindo noted that the NGF is concerned about the economic hardship that Nigerians are faced with and it was time to brainstorm and proffer solutions.
The statement reads: “Several governors reasoned that it is high time to tell each other the bare truth by confronting each other on the situation and brainstorming on it. This formed the basis for resorting to an in-person meeting which since the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic has been relegated by the states’ executives”
According to PUNCH, no fewer than 25 governors were in attendance and some of whom were represented by their deputies.
The governors at the meeting include Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Babagana Zulum of Borno, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, Hope Uzodinma of Imo, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi and Gboyega Oyetola of Osun.
Also in attendance are the Deputy Governors of Kogi, Edward Onoja, Adebayo Lawal of Oyo, Moses Ekpo of Akwa Ibom, Cecilia Ezeilo of Enugu and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo of Bayelsa.
The Governors at their meeting on Wednesday, pledged to progressively allocate more resources to primary health care.
This was disclosed by the chairman of the forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.
He said, “Following the induction to the Seattle Declaration by 36 governors of Nigeria in November 2019, the Nigerian Governors’ forum representing the 36 states of the Federation, hereby, affirm our commitment to strengthen the primary health care system in the country.
“We, therefore, adopt and confirm our commitment in line with the Seattle Declaration as outlined below; improving the governance of the primary healthcare system as a sub-national level by fully implementing the primary health care under one roof policy, and providing active leadership for primary health care through regular engagement with relevant Primary Health Care stakeholders, and quarterly Primary Health Care performance review at the State Executive Council meetings.”
“Promote a progressive increase in primary health care funding by ensuring efficient budgeting that is aligned to annual operational plans, promptly releasing approved budget to the state primary health care board, and primary health care facilities and ensuring that there is a mechanism in place for basic health care provision, fund implementation and oversight at the state and facility levels.
“Recruit requisite health workforce to ensure that all primary health care facilities have the minimum staffing requirements appropriate for their level in line with the state’s minimum service package.”
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