The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has thrown its weight behind the recent decision made by Southern Governors to ban open grazing.

The governors met in Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Monday, where they discussed the growing insecurity in the country.

The position of the governors was contained in a statement made available to journalists on Monday.

The statement said in attendance were: Governors Nyesom Wike, (Rivers); Udom Emmanuel, (Akwa Ibom); Douye Diri, (Bayelsa); Samuel Ortom, (Benue); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, (Enugu); Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, (Delta); Ahmadu Umaru Fintini, (Adamawa); Godwin Obaseki, (Edo);. Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and the Deputy Governor Mahdi Mohd, who represented the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle.

Northern Leaders Kicks Over Ban On Open Grazing By Southern Governors

Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, who read the six point communique at the end of the meeting, called for the amendment of the country’s constitution to give room for state police and others.

The statement reads, “In the interim, Mr President should summon an immediate meeting of the Nigerian Police Council, which comprises Mr President and all State Governors and other critical stakeholders to evolve and implement strategies to combat the present threats to our union, especially with respect to policing.

“The meeting agreed that the Police Force still remains the appropriate institution to secure our democracy and should not be subjected to personal attacks. The welfare, training, equipment, funding of all security agencies should be given priority.”

Describing the ruling All Progressives Congress party as clueless, the communique also read, “The meeting supports the earlier position taken by the Nigeria Governors Forum, Northern Governors Forum and recently by the Southern Governors Forum to adopt ranching as the most viable solution to the herders/farmers clashes in Nigeria; the restructuring of the Nigerian federation to devolve more powers and functions to the States, and reform of various civil institutions to achieve efficiency and equity for all sections of Nigeria.

Southern Governors Forum: A Welcome Development

“The meeting enjoins all Nigerians to work together to achieve peace and harmony with one another, devoid of discrimination based on ethnicity, religion and other cleavages. To this end, the meeting called on the incompetent and rudderless APC Government to take bold and deliberate steps to de-escalate and lower tensions in our country, and concentrate on projects and policies that will enhance and promote national unity and cohesion.

“The meeting reiterated our earlier call for the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the Electoral Act that will ensure a free and fair election, including provisions for electronic accreditation and electronic transmission of votes.”

PDP GOVS: We Are Ready To Pay N30,000 Minimum Wage

Peoples Democratic Party governors have expressed their readiness to pay the N30,000 new minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.

But in a communiqué read by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Seriake Dickson, after their meeting at Bayelsa State Government Lodge in Abuja on Thursday night, they urged the President to present a bill before the incoming National Assembly to review the constitution to accommodate a fresh revenue allocation formula.

The PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus; Senate President, Bukola Saraki; and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, were present at the meeting.

The governors were Dickson (Bayelsa), Emeka Ihedioha (Imo), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Udom

Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).

Others were Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi.)

Dickson said, “We are very eager to pay the N30,000 new minimum wage to alleviate the plight of workers.

“We want to do so to alleviate the plight of the long-suffering Nigerian workers who have been underpaid and who are currently groaning about the economic hardship as a result of what has gone wrong with the economy since the APC government took over. We therefore call on Mr President to urgently present a bill before the incoming National Assembly to review the constitution to accommodate a fresh revenue allocation formula in the country.”

According to the Bayelsa State governor, the PDP governors deliberated on the alleged diversion of local government allocations by state governments and condemned it.

He said no PDP governor was involved in the diversion of council allocations and challenged the Federal Government to name the states and the governors who tampered with council funds.

Dickson said, “We maintain that PDP states do not indulge in such a reprehensible conduct. “In our case, we know the reverse is the case. The state governments, rather have been supporting, subsidising and funding the local governments. We call on the Federal Government and the agencies that have been making this allegation to name the state governments and possibly even tell us the date and the people who were in charge at the time the diversion took place because for us we do not indulge in it and we also want to join in condemning it.”

The forum also expressed its concern with the alleged politicisation of security apparatus in some states by the Federal Government.

According to the governors, this could be the reason behind the growing insecurity in some parts of the country.

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