The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) Governors’ Forum has declared that none of its members is involved in the
alleged diversion of funds meant for local government administration in their
states.
While condemning the suppression
of local government through funds diversion, the governors challenged the
Federal Government to publish names of state governors found culpable.
This was part of the resolutions
made at the first post inauguration meeting of the PDP Governors Forum held at
the Bayelsa State governor’s lodge in Abuja Thursday night.
Reading the communique of the
marathon meeting on Friday morning, Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson,
the chairman of the forum, said the PDP governors condemned the issue of local
government funds diversion in strong term.
He said, “We dealt with the
allegation of alleged diversion of local government funds by state governments.
And we condemned it in very strong term, we as governors on the platform of the
PDP want to make it clear that no PDP governor is involved in this allegation
of diverting local government funds for whatever purpose.
“In our case, the reverse is the
case. It is the state government that have been supporting and subsidizing
funding for the local government. So we call on the federal government and
agency in charge to name the state governments and tell us the date and the
people who were in charged as the time when this diversion took place.”
The governors, also at the
meeting, declared their readiness to implement and pay the new N30,000 minimum
wage to workers in their states while calling on Federal Government to review
the current revenue sharing formula.
He said the PDP governors want to
do so “to alleviate the plight of the long suffering Nigeria workers who have
been under paid for long. And the workers who are currently groaning in
economic hardship as a result of what has gone wrong with the economy since the
APC government took over.”
Speaking on the suspension of the
operating license of AIT and RayPower FM radio stations by the Nigeria
Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday, the governors condemned the act and urged
the Federal Government to reopen the stations.
“The forum note the shocking
intolerance and act of repression against the media by the federal government.
This evening, as you are aware DAAR Communications we understand has been
closed down. And our position is that due process must be followed.
“If there are any allegation of
infraction, then due processes of the law should take place. Because when you
short down news outlet, when you harass and intimidate journalists, then you
are shutting down Nigerians from speaking their minds. And in democracy,
freedom of expression is cardinal component.
“So we condemn what has taken
place and we urge the federal government and its agency to forthwith, do what
is right. That is reopen the company and follow the due process of the law,” he
said.
The forum also commended the
judiciary for exhibiting uncommon courage and for professionally discharging
their responsibilities under the constitution to adjudicate dispute, adding
that they are doing so under a very difficult time.
The governors expressed deep
concern over the politicisation of the security apparatus in states by the
federal government and its agencies, essentially in states not controlled by
the ruling APC.
While believing that this is the
reason for the widespread insecurity in the country, the governors resolved to
take some of this issues up when they interact with the President Muhammadu
Buhari.
The forum congratulated the party
over an impressive outing in the last general elections, and congratulated
returning and new governors, National and State assemblies members both
outgoing and new, elected on the platform of the PDP.
The meeting had in attendance all
the 16 PDP governors except the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, who was
represented by his deputy.
Also in attendance were the
National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, the party’s BoT chairman,
Senator Jubril Walid, outgoing Senate President Bukola Saraki and his
counterpart in the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
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