…as Buhari goes abroad to woo investors 

Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

In a unanimous decision, Nigeria’s governors on Friday backed measures being adopted by President  Muhammadu Buhari to bail the economy out of recession and give Nigerians a new lease of life. The governor’s decision came a day after a crucial retreat for ministers and top government officials steering the economy and a number of suggestions coming out of the parley.

That was part of resolutions reached at Extraordinary meeting of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) held at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, NGF Chairman and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari said: “Also the governors resolved with a commitment to encourage the Federal government to continue along the line to bring the country out of recession.”

On the issue of insurgents, he said that members resolved that it must be treated as a matter of national emergency According to him, the forum also agreed to activate the states task force on polio or the primary health care, which is to be led by the deputy governors. The governors, he said, also expressed their commitment to paying their counterpart funding towards polio eradication.

He said that the governors are going to engage the Minister of Health in order to give urgent attention to the eradication of Lassa Fever in the country. In the meantime, President Buhari is expected to take his drive to win investors for the trouble Nigerian economy to the sidelines of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly beginning on Monday.

A statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Buhari would leave for New York at the weekend and would deliver Nigeria’s statement at the opening of the debate with the theme: “The Sustainable Development Goals: a Universal Push to Transform our World.” He will also attend a high-level summit, hosted by the UN, on “Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants”.

The summit, which is the first of its kind organised by the General Assembly at the Heads of State and Government level, is expected to come up with a blueprint for a better international response to enhance protection of migrants and refugees. While in New York for the annual gathering of world leaders, President Buhari will attend series of meetings as well as side events, which are of significant interest to Nigeria.