The 36 states governors on the platform of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum have set up a six-man sub-committee headed by the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as part of measures to tackle the coronavirus COVID-19.
Other members are governors of Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu; Ebonyi, David Umayi; Ogun, Dapo Abiodun; Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule; Edo Godwin Obaseki and Jigawa, Abubakar Badaru.
The chairman of the governors’ forum, Kayode Fayemi disclosed this at the end of their meeting, saying they are to review the trend of the COVID-19 pandemic and the falling oil price and advise states on sets of actions required to address challenges in the economy.
The Federal Government on Wednesday announced N1.5 trillion reduction in the 2020 budget to fit into the present realities. Recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari signed the approved budget N10.59 trillion budget on December 17, 2019.
Minister of Finance Mrs. Zainab Ahmed said the government was working on a worse case scenario of oil benchmark of $30 per barrel at 2.18 million barrels per day.
President Buhari had set up a committee to assess the impact of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Nigeria’s 2020 budget, with respect to the recent decline in the price of crude oil in the global market.
By Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye,
The Sun