The Nigeria Governors Forum has resolved to strengthen risk communication pillars of state COVID-19 task teams in line with proposals made as by the Presidential Task Force on the prevention of the spread of the disease.
Towards this end, state governors have also agreed to enhance collaboration with the National Orientation Agency, state orientation agencies, religious and traditional institutions, as well as civil societies.
This was contained in a communique signed by the NGF Chairman, Kayode Fayemi, at the end of the forum’s 13th teleconference meeting on Wednesday.
The governors also agreed to step-up the current efforts by taking key health and safety measures to the doorsteps of Nigerians in all 774 local government areas in the country.
It was also agreed that “state governments, through their ministries of finance, will utilise technical assistance available within the NGF Secretariat to publish their approved amended 2020 COVID-19-responsive budgets by 31st July 2020; maintain the implementation of a tax compliance relief programme for individual taxpayers and business to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis; issue emergency procurement guidelines; and adopt procedures to facilitate the participation of small and medium scale enterprises in state procurement by 30th September 2020.”
The communique also stated, “In the light of the proposed partnership with the CBN on the ABP, an official MoU signing will be held on Tuesday, 28th June 2020. The initiative will be followed by the establishment of a joint project team, engagement with stakeholders and launch during the 2020 dry season farming.”
Members of the forum also received briefings from governors and technical partners on the economic impact and possible response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
By John Alechenu,
The Punch