The forum disclosed this in a communique issued on Saturday at the end of its virtual meeting held with the CBN governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, on Thursday night.

The committee, according to the communique signed by NGF chairman, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, was chaired by Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, with governors of Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Borno, Plateau and Jigawa states as members.

The governors said that while they were not opposed to the objectives of the Naira redesign policy, the apex bank should consider the peculiarities of households and states, especially pertaining to financial inclusion and under-served locations.

“We, the members of the NGF, received a briefing from the Governor of the CBN, Emefiele, on the Naira redesign, its economic and security implications including the new withdrawal policy.

“Governors are not opposed to the objectives of the Naira redesign policy.

“However, we observe that there are huge challenges that remain problematic to the Nigerian populace.

“In the circumstances, governors expressed the need for the CBN to consider the peculiarities of states especially as they pertained to financial inclusion and under-served locations.”

The governors expressed resolve to work closely with the CBN leadership to ameliorate areas that required policy variation, particularly the poorest households, the vulnerable in society and several other Nigerians that were excluded.

The governors also resolved to collaborate with the CBN and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, in advancing genuine objectives within the confines of the laws.

They, however, insisted that the recent NFIU Advisory and Guidelines on cash transactions were simply outside the NFIU’s legal remit and mandate.

Source: NAN

The post New naira notes: Governors set up committee to work with CBN appeared first on Frontpageng.

The meeting was called following the resignation of seven national deputy officers of the party, who accused PDP national chairman, Uche Secondus, of incompetence in handling the party’s affairs.

The resigned officers are also demanding the resignation of Secondus as the party chairman.

The chairman of the forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, on Monday disclosed this while briefing newsmen after the meeting of the governors held for about seven hours in Abuja.

Tambuwal said that the governors were committed to resolving the crisis.

“We discussed extensively on matters of the moment concerning our party and we have collectively resolved to continue to work together in unity.

“This meeting is continued tomorrow (Tuesday) with other stakeholders. Very soon Nigerians and indeed, all of you will hear our solution but we are working towards resolving all issues, as a family.

“By the grace of God we are going to achieve that,” Tambuwal said.

The meeting which was held at Akwa-lbom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, started at 11 am and closed at 5 p.m.

Secondus, who briefly attended the meeting in an interview with newsmen confirmed that he was not resigning his position as PDP chairman.

Governors in attendance were: Oluseyi Makinde of Oyo State; chairman of the forum and Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal; his Delta and Edo State counterparts; Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State.

Others are: Samuel Ortom of Benue; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia; Adamu Fintiri of Adamawa; Bala Mohammed of Bauchi; Udoh Emmanuel of Akwa-lbom and Douye Diri of Bayelsa.

The party’s board of trustees on Friday met and resolved to set up a committee comprising of different stakeholders including the governors forum.

Source: NAN

The post Leadership crisis: PDP governors to meet stakeholders today appeared first on Frontpageng.

The four-man panel in a unanimous decision upheld Tambuwal’s election after dismissing the appeal filed by the Appellant and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto for lacking in merit.

Justice Hussein Muktar who presided over the sitting that lasted over two hours delivered the lead judgement which affirmed the decision of the lower court that the appellant had failed to prove the allegations of over-voting.

Source:  NAN

The post Sokoto guber: Appeal court upholds Aminu Tambuwal’s election appeared first on Frontpageng.

NGF Vice Chairman and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, gave the advice while fielding questions from newsmen at the end of the forum meeting held on Wednesday night in Abuja.

He advised the federal lawmakers to respect the views of Nigerians on the bill.

“I am not sure I have heard any governor come out to say he is in support of death penalty for hate speech.

“I believe the National Assembly should hold a public hearing on that bill, so that due process of lawmaking is followed, so that the views of Nigerians not just the governors will be well captured on that bill.

“They should respect the views of Nigerians in whatever may be the direction of debate and the eventual passage or otherwise of that bill,” Tambuwal said.

Asked of the governors’ position on the Finance Bill submitted to the NASS by President Muhammadu Buhari  to increase Value Added Tax (VAT) from five to 7.5. per cent, Tambuwal appealed to Nigerians to show more understanding with the  Federal Government.

He said that the governors were in support of what would improve the revenue generation drive of both the federal and state governments.

“We are appealing to those who probably have no proper understanding of the contexts of those bills to kindly have a rethink of them and reflect on quantum of work ahead of us.

“As a country and states, we need a lot of resources to turn around infrastructure, to invest in education, healthcare and every sector of our national life.

“There is urgent need of more revenue in Nigeria. So, I appeal that we should show more understanding with the  Federal Government in that regard,” he said.

On the December deadline for the implementation of minimum wage issued by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, to state governors, Tambuwal said the various states were engaging labour unions on the issue.

“I am sure it is work in progress. Before December all the states must have finished working out the details on the issue of minimum wage across the federation.

“We are very much committed to the welfare and wellbeing of our workforce and therefore we shall continue to ensure we do our best on what needs to be done.”

Tambuwal said the forum received update on the outcome of its meeting in the US with Aliko Dangote Foundation, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Human Capital Development with focus on Primary Health Care, PHC.

He said that at the meeting, the governors and the two foundations expressed commitment to the Seattle Declaration aimed at promoting collaboration to transform PHC at the subnational level in Nigeria

This, according to him, included full implementation of PHC Under One Roof and meeting the requirements of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.

“To improve efficiency gains across governments and economic activities at the household level, the NGF is committed to initiatives to advance value added activities in agriculture, access to finance and women economic empowerment.”

Tambuwal disclosed that the governors also received update on the World Bank State Fiscal Transparency

Accountability and Sustainability, SFTAS, programme and discussed modalities to ensure its smooth and accelerated implementation.

“Following a presentation from the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation on the SFTAS Annual Performance Appraisal (APA) mission to states, members committed to working with the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) to ensure that the APA process does not experience delays.

“The forum also held a preliminary consultative session with the World Bank Country Director, Shubham Chaudhuri, and his team on the new Country Partnership Framework, CPF, for Nigeria for the period of 2020 to 2024.

“This also includes a planned Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Programme.

“Governors promised to hold a dedicated session to reach a consensus on what matters most for states and a common agenda to improve the wellbeing of all Nigerians,” he said.

Tambuwal said that in commemorating the anniversary of the Rights of Children, Peter Hawkins, the Country Representative of the United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, made a presentation to the forum where education of Nigeria’s children was unequivocally emphasized.

Asked if the forum was looking at ensuring each member state domesticate the Child Right Act, Tambuwal said many states had already passed the law.

“I believe some of the states that have challenges that have to do with religion, culture or others are dealing with them at the local level and addressing them.

“The peculiarity depends on the situation of individual state.”

The seventh meeting was attended by governors of Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Imo, Adamawa, and Kwara.

Other states such as Gombe, Enugu, Edo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Oyo and Ebonyi were represented by their deputy governors.

Source:  NAN

The post Hate speech bill: Governors warn NASS to respect views of Nigerians appeared first on Frontpageng.

President Muhammadu Buhari made the plan to immortalise the former president known on Sunday when he visited the family of the late former president in Sokoto State.

“The Federal Government will in due course institute a suitable memorial to the late former President,” Buhari said in his letter of condolence delivered to the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, during the visit.

Shagari died on Friday at the age of 93 and was buried in his hometown in Sokoto State on Saturday.

Buhari has since directed that the national flags at military, para-military formations and public buildings should fly at half mast for three days starting from Sunday.

In the condolence letter delivered to Tambuwal, Buhari praised Shagari and prayed that his soul should rest in peace.

The letter which Tambuwal read during Buhari’s visit reads:

“I received the very sad news of the passing away of Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“This, indeed, is a grievous loss, which will be felt throughout Nigeria, irrespective of any difference. The late Alhaji Shagari was a landmark figure being virtually our last link to the post-independence government of Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa , and the first elected Executive President of Nigeria.

“Please convey to his immediate family, the government and the people of Sokoto State my heartfelt condolences on the passing away of this great statesman.

“The Federal Government will in due course institute a suitable memorial to the late former President.

“May his soul rest in peace.”

The post Buhari reveals plan to immortalise Shagari, visits family in Sokoto appeared first on Frontpageng.

Saraki gave the assurance on Monday at the NILDS-UNIBEN convocation ceremony for 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 academic sessions.

He emphasized the importance of the institute to the success of the work carried out by the legislators.

According to him, the quality of trainings some of the professional permanent staff and legislative aides got from the instituted had been helpful.

He said the level of success achieved by the institute was seen in the number of students who had successfully graduated.

His words:   “It is long established that human capital is essential for boosting productivity, pivotal to economic growth and the resilience of economies. A country’s human capital is mainly built through the education system, which has major implications for the individual and society at large. At the individual level, getting educated and acquiring skills makes people more productive, and productivity gains inevitably translate into wage increases. At the macro level, a well-educated workforce drives economic growth, higher productivity, and advances the innovative capacity of a society – all of which lead to an increase in the standard of living.

“Without a doubt, the success of the work we do as legislators is hinged on a cadre of professional permanent staff and legislative aides. The main resource for continuity and sustainable change in a legislature is the legislative bureaucracy. A strong legislature needs highly professional and qualified staff whose loyalty is to the parliamentary institution.

“It is on account of this that the Governing Council of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) approved a series of specialised postgraduate programmes to be run in affiliation with the University of Benin. This was conceived as a means of training and equipping staff of the National Assembly and the legislature in Nigeria as a whole with the requisite skills and capacity to be more effective in driving change. These programmes include: the Master’s Degree in Legislative Studies, Master’s Degree in Legislative Drafting and Master’s Degree in Parliamentary Administration.

“It is most gratifying to see that the Institute has achieved remarkable success in this regard, as evidenced by today’s Convocation Ceremony. We are today celebrating a total of 79 students who have successfully graduated from the Institute’s various programmes in 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 academic sessions respectively. Glowing reports – from both students who have gone through the programme and benefiting institutions including several departments of the National Assembly – show that these programmes have indeed impacted positively on the graduating students.”

Saraki said it had become obvioius that the training by the institute had improved the quality of outputs of beneficiaries which include lawmakers, directors, committee clerks, legislative officers, legislative aides, administrative staff and other staff of the bureaucracy of the National Assembly.

 He added that the quality of trainings students got was enhanced by the quality of instructors.

“It is worth noting that the distinguished faculty at the Institute includes instructors who have worked in the legislature.

“In recent years, these have included the former Speaker of the House of the Representatives, Rt. Hon. Honourable Ghali Umar Na’Abba; former Chairman of the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega – as well several other former Chief Executive Officers of government agencies. Visiting research fellows from reputable international institutions including the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, have also been part of the faculty.”

 He called on the graduating students who work in the National Assembly to make the knowledge acquired in the institute show in the execution of their various activities.

“This mix of academic rigour and applied skills provides an education that will set you on the path to successful careers in the legislative arena. For those of you who are part of the bureaucracy of the National Assembly, I expect that you will bring the newly acquired knowledge to bear on your various assignments, for increased professionalism and productivity,” he said.

The post We’ll make NILDS unique regional asset –Saraki appeared first on Frontpageng.