Governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have admitted the fact that there is hunger in the country.
Rising from a meeting in Abuja that lasted from Wednesday night to the early hours of yesterday, the governors said they were aware Nigerians were hungry but expressed appreciation of what they described as reforms of President Bola Tinubu.
The governors’ position came as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Mele Kolo Kyari, who briefed them at the meeting, confirmed that there was now total fuel subsidy removal in the country.
He also informed the state chief executives of the company’s challenges and plans to alleviate the people’s sufferings caused by the frequent increase in the petrol pump price.
Recall that the price of petrol has been increased thrice within a space of 60 days, inflicting more pains on the people.
Speaking with journalists at the end of the meeting, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State disclosed that it is the prayer of the governors that as soon as possible, relief should come the way of the people.
Uzodinma said: “We deliberated on issues affecting the country. The forum received a presentation from the African Medical Centre of Excellence, funded by African Bank, a world-class hospital, and specialized techniques and latest and modern equipment to be managed by first-class medical experts in special areas of treatment on oncology, cardiovascular issues, hematological cares, and other comprehensive general medical research.
“Governors are committed to supporting African Bank for this initiative. They are going to work with King’s College Hospital, London, and it’s going to be a referral centre of excellence for all medical challenges.
“We also received the supervisory officer of NNPCL, who briefed us on total subsidy removal, and the challenges facing the corporation, and his plans to alleviate the sufferings of our people, occasioned by the increase of prices.
“We saw with him, and also interpreted some of the presentations he made. It is our hope that things are going to be better any moment from now.
“We sympathize with our people; we support them. We know there is hardship in the country, 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 should come, so we can begin to leverage on the benefits of the reforms.
“The new Director General of the Department of Security Services (DSS) also briefed us on new strategies to stop the rate of insecurity, and all the security challenges in the country, how to fight cases of kidnapping, banditry, and activities of unknown gunmen.
“We also committed to giving him support. And to close the route. It will be very proper and a better image, working with this organization, to ensure Nigeria is secure and the environment is safe.
“But not only the government, but also the private sector to do their businesses. We will collaborate with them.
“The office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, appointed a director to liaise with state governments for closer relationships. She also appeared before us, spoke very eloquently, and presented her plans. And we are committed to also working with her. I think things are getting better. I will pray that with all these arrangements in place, the cost of living will come down.
“The cost of doing businesses in Nigeria will also come down and become more affordable. So, the Nigerian Governors Forum is also committed to supporting the President to ensure that the interests of our people are properly protected.
“It is our belief that Nigeria is a great country and anything that will bring or cause disunity among our people, our citizens, should be discouraged. We need to be united as a people. We need to support the government. We need to work for the interests of our people.
“Under the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President, supported by both the national government and all of us as citizens, there will be no better security than us being united, working together as a people, and believing in our country.”
Speaking specifically on what the NNPCL boss said, about subsidy removal, Governor Uzodimma said: “Yeah, it is something that is being looked at. If you look at the news, you see that Dangote Refinery has come up with the capacity to supply products. I don’t think you or I would be happy as a Nigerian, an OPEC member, producing crude oil, relying on importation for our people to use our petroleum products.
“We must encourage the home-grown solutions the President just introduced, encouraging Dangote Refinery. We should repair our Port Harcourt Refinery, repair our Wari Refinery, repair our Kaduna Refinery, and then produce what we eat, and eat what we produce.
“For me, it is an aberration and an issue to rely on the importation of petroleum products as an oil-producing country.
“Which other OPEC country of our status is not refining its crude oil? So, we shouldn’t encourage that. I think I want to support buying petroleum products in naira, buying crude oil in naira, and refining it locally.
“If you refine petroleum products locally, you will create jobs and keep people busy, you will reduce crime, and then you will also be proud to answer the name of an oil-producing nation.”
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