President Muhammadu Buhari today met with some representatives of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the nation’s security chiefs inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting is in continuation of efforts aimed at tackling the deteriorating security situation in parts of the country.
President Buhari was joined at the Council Chamber venue of the meeting by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; and National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.)
Others are service chiefs and heads of other security agencies.
State governors who are attending the meeting virtually include Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Douye Diri of Bayelsa; Babagana Zulum of Borno; David Umahi of Ebonyi; and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos.
President Buhari had on Monday met with the governors from the North East on the same matter.
In the same vein the Governor of Borno State Babagana Zulum in a visit to the Chief of Air Staff requested for the military to take over some local government areas in the state and tackle the security challenges they are currently facing.
Meanwhile, in a statement signed by Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, in his remark, asked the President to consider a bailout for states; especially as governors allowed the federal government to withdraw $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account for the procurement of weapons to fight insecurity in the country.
The governors had in April also asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend all fund deductions from states and restructure their debt repayments to help safeguard the liquidity of state governments and mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the economy.
“In their submissions anchored by their Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, the Governors highlighted the problems of poverty, unemployment, the trust deficit between the military and civilian populations and the inflow of small arms into the country,” as a bane.
“The Governors also pointed to the problem of coordination among military and security chiefs and played up their own security roles which included $1 billion they allowed the President to withdraw from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for weapons procurement two years ago.
“They, therefore, urged the President to consider a “bailout” for security for the States in view of the enormity of the resources they now expend in support of the military and the police,” the statement said.
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