The 36 State Governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), expressed overwhelming support on Thursday morning for President Bola Tinubu’s policy on the sale of petroleum products and crude oil in naira as part of ongoing efforts to alleviate the socioeconomic hardships facing Nigerians across the country.
The governors’ resolution was contained in a communiqué signed by the NGF Chairman, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, and presented by Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State at the end of the Forum’s meeting held in Abuja.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting with the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Dr. Mele Kyari, which concluded around 2:15 AM, Governor Uzodinma said, “We also received the Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, who briefed us on the total subsidy removal and the challenges facing the Corporation, as well as his plans to alleviate the suffering of our people caused by the increase in pump prices.
“We reviewed his presentation and interpreted some of the points he made. It is our hope that things will improve any moment now.
“We sympathize with our people. We know that there is hardship in the country, and we also appreciate the reforms being carried out by the President.
“Our prayer is that, as soon as possible, the relief we are looking for will come so that we can begin to leverage the benefits of the reforms and improve our general situation.”
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Speaking further on the full subsidy removal and efforts to eradicate long queues despite the high prices, Governor Uzodinma said, “This is something that is being looked at. If you look at the news, you will see that the Dangote Refinery has come up with the capacity to supply products.
“I don’t think any Nigerian, especially as an OPEC member producing crude oil, would be happy relying on imported petroleum products.
“So, we must encourage the homegrown solution that the President just introduced. We should support Dangote Refinery and repair our Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries to produce what we consume.
“We shouldn’t rely on the importation of crude oil. For me, it is an aberration ab initio to rely on the importation of petroleum products as an oil-producing country.
“Which other OPEC member country of our status is not refining its crude oil? We shouldn’t encourage this. I want to support buying petroleum products in naira, buying crude oil in naira, and refining it here.
“If you refine petroleum products locally, you will create jobs, reduce unemployment, keep people busy, decrease crime, and take pride in being an oil-producing nation.”
While discussing the security briefing presented during the meeting, he stated, “The new Director General of the Department of Security Services also briefed us on new strategies to address insecurity and the challenges facing the country, including combating kidnapping, banditry, and the activities of unknown gunmen. We committed to giving him support and collaborating closely. It is essential for us to work together at the subnational level to ensure Nigeria is secure and the environment is safe.
“But this also requires the private sector to operate effectively. We will collaborate with him.
“The Office of the National Security Advisor appointed a Director to liaise with the State Governments for closer collaboration. She appeared before us, spoke eloquently, and presented her plans. We committed to working with her. I believe things are getting better daily, and we pray that with these arrangements in place, the cost of living will decrease.
“The cost of doing business in Nigeria will also decrease and become more affordable.
“So, as the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, we are committed to supporting Mr. President and ensuring that the interests of our people are properly protected.
“It is our belief that Nigeria is a great country, and anything that brings or causes disunity among our citizens should be discouraged.
“We need to be united as a people. We need to support the government and work for the interests of our people while also protecting our national interests.
We should remain hopeful. Under the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President, with support from both the national government and all of us as citizens, there will be no better security than unity, working together, and believing in our country.”
While providing insight into the meeting regarding the proposed establishment of a world-class hospital in the country, Governor Uzodinma said, “We deliberated on issues affecting the country.
The Forum received a presentation from the African Medical Center of Excellence, funded by Afreximbank.
This world-class hospital will feature specialized techniques and modern equipment managed by first-class medical experts in areas such as oncology, cardiovascular issues, hematological care, and other comprehensive general medical research. The governors committed to supporting Afreximbank for this initiative.
“They will collaborate with King’s College Hospital in London, making it a referral center of excellence for all medical challenges.”
