The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) will meet with the UN Secretary General Ban K-moon on Aug. 23, to discuss successor programme to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Chairman of the forum, Gov. Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara, made this known when he read the forum’s communiqué in the early hour of Thursday in Abuja.
Yari said that the meeting, among others, would discuss sustainable development goals, successor programme to MDGs and envisage the role of state governors in its implementation.
“This is a follow-up to his May 2011 meeting with the forum,’’ Yari said.
The forum, according to Yari, appealed for more comprehensive power sector policy and strategy with a view to achieving a wholistic solution to the nation’s power situation.
He said that the appeal was sequel to the presentation made by the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) and exhaustive discussion on the operations of the National Integrated Power project at the meeting.
Earlier, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, called on the security agencies, especially, the Department of State Services (DSS) to focus on ensuring internal security rather than election matters.
Chief Olusegun Mimiko, the Chairman of the PDP forum, who read the forum’s communiqué, said PDP governors condemned the alleged involvement of security services in election tribunal.
Mimiko, who is the governor of Ondo State, said the involvement of security services on issues of election tribunal in Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Abia was against the spirit of democracy, the Electoral Act and the Constitution.
“A situation where INEC officials in PDP states are daily being arrested, questioned on election-related offences, even when the cases are ongoing in the tribunal spelled doom and eminent danger on our democracy.
“We insist that this trend must stop. No democracy survives without an opposition party and Nigeria will not be an exception,’’ Mimiko said.
He said there were clear case of under-voting in some states and financial transaction that was traced to a Resident Electoral Commissioner in APC-controlled states, but the DSS had not made any arrest in that connection.
“We advice the DSS to preoccupied itself with the task of ensuring internal security and not involve itself in electoral matters.
“Electoral matters should be left squarely with the electoral tribunal to adjudicate over,” Mimiko said.
The two forum, however, commensurate with the people and government of Borno over the sudden death of the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha. (NAN)
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