By Uche Onyeali
Governors of the 36 states, under the aegis of Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, have reiterated their commitment to ensure tight security measures across the country.
The governors made the pledge in a communiqué issued after a meeting of the forum on Wednesday in Abuja.
The communiqué, signed by the NGF Chairman and governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and read by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, said the governors deliberated on issues, especially on the security challenges currently affecting the country.
“The forum received a communication from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, calling for heightened security preparedness across all states during the festive season, due to increased population movement, large public gatherings and heightened public safety risks.
“Governors are committed to strengthening inter-agency coordination, protect critical infrastructure and maintain a visible security presence in identified hotspots to ensure a safe and incident-free festive period nationwide,” the communiqué said.
The governors said they received notification from the World Bank confirming the effectiveness of the additional financing for the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus, NG-CARES, programme.
They said this would enable continued disbursement to states to support livelihoods, food security, public works and resilience-building interventions.
“Governors renewed their commitment to sustain implementation momentum, ensuring timely reporting and maximising fund utilisation to deliver measurable outcomes for vulnerable households.
“The forum noted the outcome of the third edition of the Primary Health Care, PHC, Leadership Challenge Awards held on December 12, which recognised 13 states for outstanding progress in strengthening the PHC system.
“Yobe State emerged the national overall winner, while Zamfara, Nasarawa, Abia, Rivers and Osun topped their respective geopolitical zones; Kwara, Gombe, Kaduna, Anambra, Bayelsa, and Ogun were the first runners-up.
“Governors acknowledged that the results reflect the value of sustained political leadership and peer-driven accountability, and commitment to build on these gains to strengthen primary health care delivery nationwide,” the communique disclosed.
