NIGERIAN Governors’ Forum (NGF) Chairman and Nasarawa State Governor Abdulazeez Yari was yesterday at the Presidential Villa, where he held a closed-door parley with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Their talk, it was learnt, centred on the modalities of the relief package approved for states by the Federal Government early in the month. The vice president and the NGF chair were believed to have discussed the modalities of the ‘bailouts’ which President Muhammadu Buhari approved about two weeks ago.
Yari’s meeting with the vice president was ahead of tomorrow’s National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
It was learnt that governors may likely ask for more bailout at the meeting as some of the states have not cleared the arrears of their workers’ salaries despite the relief packaged for them by the Federal Government.
The measures approved by the President include: the sharing of the $2.1 billion 2014 Income Tax/Education Tax remitted to the Federation Account by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLGN) Ltd; a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-packaged low-interest rate loans, ranging from N250 billion to N300 billion and the rescheduling of existing loans.
Speaking with State House reporters after meeting with the vice president, the NGF chair said he came to find out the update on the agreement for the “bailout” to be facilitated by the CBN.
According to him, he wanted to know how far the Presidency had gone with the CBN in sourcing the funds ahead of tomorrow’s NEC meeting.
He said: “Anyway, we discussed the special intervention funds. In our last meeting with the President, we agreed in the NEC that there will be a special intervention from the federal for the states that cannot foot their salary arrears to their workers.
“So, I followed up with the chairman of the NEC to know how far they have gone with the CBN. We have gotten…. and also the share of the money that is going to be shared to the three tiers of government.
“Because this issue of unpaid salaries is not only for the states, even the federal government is suffering the same thing.
“So, therefore, we follow-up to know how far they have gone with the CBN Governor and now we have gotten the brief but the CBN governor is out in Washington and immediately he comes back, we are going to take up the matter to see the end of issue of unpaid salaries to the workers.”
On Boko Haram attacks, Yari said that the government was doing everything possible to counter the insurgents, prevent their bombs and dislodge their suicide bombers.
He said: “You see, the issue of insurgency is something that is a problem of all. Now, Boko Haram members cannot be found in any forest, or in any local government among the occupied local governments in Borno, Yobe or Adamawa states. You cannot find them.
“So, what we are now suffering is a kind of guerrilla war, checking the bombs, dislodging the suicide bombings and what have you. But to see a group of 100, 200 as Boko Haram members to confront with our military, they cannot be found.
“The government and the security agencies are doing their best to ensure that peace is restored.
“Therefore, we are working and now it is the responsibility of our government to ensure security of lives and property of the people. And the issue of Boko Haram is number one that Mr. President is discussing with the President of the United States and the support he is going to give Nigeria to ensure that the insurgency comes to an end.”
On the lead poisoning in his state, Yari said it was aggravated by unemployment. The government, according to him, has organised miners into smaller groups to sharpen their skills in modern techniques to avoid reoccurrence of the disaster
He said: “You see, the issue of lead poisoning in the past is about education. Our youths are unemployed and they are looking inwards to the resources at their backyards; how they are going to get employed. So, they are doing the mining without directive.
“Since this happened in 2010, many international groups, friends and donors have been giving them supports like DFID, World Bank, World Youths Organisation, among others.
“If these guys cannot stop the mining, we should find a way of providing a better mining technique, as safety mining techniques so that this lead poisoning will not happen again.
“And we have been working tirelessly with these foreign supporters and lead poisoning has come to an end. “But, you cannot tell them don’t do it without giving them something to do. So, we put them in a kind of group and teach them the safe way of doing it and how to do it without being affected. So, the issue of lead poisoning is minimal or no more in the state.”
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