States to partner with NNPC, MDAs to expand resources

Under this administration, states can now partner with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC as well as other ministries of the federal government to expand their resources.

States can now partner with the NNPC in the area of downstream business activities, even to some extend, distribution activities and refining activities, Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi told journalists after a marathon governors forum meeting.

At the meeting the governors also lauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s transparency approach to governance since he was inaugurated on May 29, as he had ordered that the different agencies brief the governors.

He said at the meeting the governors received briefings from different companies, which also include the NNPC and some international development partners, who showed them opportunities available for each state to leverage upon.

“I think that for the first time in the history of my own being a governor, this is a very commendable effort.”

“First and foremost, we now discover that many states can partner with the NNPC. We are having dwindling resources, can we not expand our resource net to be able to bring in money?

“For instance, each state can now partner with the NNPC in the area of downstream business activities, even to some extend, distribution activities and refining activities.

“The Ministry of Health also made presentation. We discovered also that state governments can partner with the ministry.

“In all, we are talking about nine stakeholders and development partners who are espousing on the opportunities available for the states to leverage upon. I think it is commendable” he said.

Some of the other governors who all spoke journalists at separate interviews at the end of the meeting of the Nigerian Governors Forum held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, lauded the President for his approach.

Others who spoke with journalists were Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole; Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi; Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulazeez Yari among others.

Oshiomhole said although the meeting was a usual governors meeting, the difference was that they received briefings from key government agencies like the NNPC and the Ministry of Finance on the advise of the President.

“We have heard different presentations. We spent some time looking at the issues of infant mortality, early marriages in many parts of the country and the role of government to reemphasise the need to spare some resources to address those issues.

“The GMD of the NNPC gave us an interesting presentation on the reforms that are going on in the NNPC.

“We now have a renewed confidence that we now have a corporation that is run like a business outfit, good corporate governance and transparency” he said adding that it was more of a stock taking meeting”.

Amosun also described the meeting as a good development, that state governors are being carried along in governance.

“The President in his wisdom met with the chairman of Governors Forum and he believes that many of the briefings that he had received should be extended to the governors so that we will have first class appreciation of what is on ground and his intention of how to drive the economy and the nation.

“I think is is good for us. We will be having NEC on Thursday. It is good that we are abreast with some of the things we shall be discussing there,” he said.

Yari who is also the chairman of the NGF also described the meeting as fruitful.

He said because of time constraint, all the presentations could not be taken.

He disclosed that the remaining presentations would be taken during the next meeting of the forum holding in November.