Govs Committee meet with Osinbajo, discuss economy, shortfall in monthly allocations

The three-man committee set up last week by the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) to interface with the Federal Government in its efforts to get out of the current recession, on Tuesday met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, putting the shortfall in their monthly allocation on the front burner.

A top government official who was privy to the discussions held with the Vice President said the shortfall in their allocations had become a worrisome issue as Nigerians think that the states get so much while
they cannot feel the impact. He said the governors asked for the quick resolution of the dwindling allocation and issues of deductions so that they could get funds to run the state.

BusinessDay exclusively reported last week that the NGF had constituted a three-man committee to interface with the Vice President who is by extension the head of the economic team. Governors of Akwa Ibom, Bauchi and Osun were nominated by the NGF.

The Federal Government deducted N32 billion for the month of April 2016 from the allocations of states from the Federation Account for different loans incurred.

Osun state was said to be the worst hit with N2.030 billion slashed from its allocation of N2.391 billion, leaving a deficit of N361 million.

N3.207 billion was deducted from Bayelsa’s allocation of N4.812 billion while a total deduction of N1.405 billion was deducted from Cross River.  N1.185 billion was deducted from Ogun state; N1.248billion and N1.067 billion was deducted from Plateau and Ekiti states respectively.

Deductions were also made from the bail-out funds granted the states by the Federal Government.

Fielding questions from journalists after the meeting with the Vice President, Akwa Ibom state governor Udom Emmanuel told journalists that at the State House they had come to put their heads together with the Federal Government to solve the challenges the country is facing as a developing nation.

“We were mandated by the governors forum to come and discuss some certain issues with the Vice President and that’s why you saw two of us here, we were supposed to be three but the third governor could not make it. so that is why we came to discuss some issues with the Vice President and it has been a very good meeting and we tackled some issues.

“Everything we do I keep reassuring Nigerians, we want to be together in Nigeria, so whatever we discussed it is in the interest of our citizens and we make sure we put our heads together to solve our challenges as a developing nation.

“Let me assure Nigerians that there is no developing country that doesn’t go through what we go through and how we can make efforts to face the challenges, that’s why you see us putting heads together, trying to appraise and try to find a solution that will be enduring,” he said.