The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, says all hands are on deck to ensure that state governments access monies from the Universal Basic Education Fund.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, while briefing his colleagues at the 15th teleconference meeting, said that the forum is also awaiting advisory from the Attorney-General of the Federation on the call for a waiver on counterpart funds from the states, as a means of ameliorating the impact of the COVID-19 on state finances.
The law requires governments to provide 50 per cent of the money before they can access the fund. This condition has remained a big headache for most states, thereby denying them the opportunity to enjoy the incentive.
Twenty-nine states have also received funding from the Regional Disease Surveillance System Enhancement project to strengthen their public health response to COVID-19, with testing remaining a priority.
State governments have also been mandated to scale up risk communication campaigns in the 20 local government areas that account for 50 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in Nigeria.
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On financial autonomy for the state legislature and Judiciary, the Aminu Waziri led NGF committee interfacing with the Office of the Attorney-General, said it was working on a template acceptable to all parties for its implementation.
Editor: Tunde Orebiyi
