By Henry Umoru – Abuja

The thirty- six State Governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF will be meeting today, with the nation’s economy topping the agenda for discourse.

The Governors who will be holding the 17th NGF teleconference meeting since the outbreak of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic will be brainstorming on President Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order granting financial autonomy to the legislature and judiciary at the state level.

This is expressly contained in the invitation sent to Governors by the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mr Asishana Bayo Okauru, last night.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Grant businesses, individuals tax relief, get $2.5m, NGF, World Bank tell states

According to the statement, the governors will rub minds with the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, represented by its chairman, Bismark Rewane to x-ray the management of state economies, their challenges, opportunities, and policy solutions.

The statement signed by NGF Head, Media, and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Barkindo read, “Rewane had chaired the committee when it resolved the gridlock on minimum wage between states and their workers about a year ago. He will be making one of the two presentations scheduled for tomorrow’s meeting.

“The subnational economy will again feature prominently as it will become up again when the governors discuss their participation in a summit organised by the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, which is due to take place, a month from now, precisely on the 26th and 27th of October 2020.

“The NGF is partnering with the NESG to organise the Summit, which is more of an NGF-NESG roundtable than anything else because governors are featuring very prominently in each of the 26 segments of the roundtable and its plenaries.

“The two conversations are geared towards preparing the state governors for their Post-covid19 recovery plans and ensuring that, maximum impact of the reforms is felt by the subnational populace.

“The meeting will start at 2 pm but Governors are, as usual, allowed access into the virtual conference from 1 pm.

READ ALSO: Buhari, NGF security council, security heads, meet in Aso Rock

“Also, to feature in the meeting, are several updates. For example, apart from the regular updates on the SFTAS project, which is usually handled by the NGF SFTAS Program Manager, Lanre Ajogbasile and the Governor Okowa Committee, which is mandated to interface with the Presidential Task Force on the pandemic, the Conclusion of the CACOVID Flag-Off and Distribution of Palliatives will be revisited just as the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) Update will be given.

“Away from the economy and Covid19, the governors will receive information and discuss the security situation in the country, giving particular attention to Zamfara State. The Vice-Chairman of the NGF and Governor of Sokoto State Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is also expected to give an update on Executive Order #10.

“All the 36 governors are expected to join the meeting.”

Vanguard