Governors of the 36 states of the federation on Wednesday night discussed the signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the financial autonomy for the judiciary and legislature. This is even as the governors have pledged to continue to treat sexual and gender-based violence as a priority.
Ekiti State governor and chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi disclosed this Wednesday night after a virtual meeting of the forum.
According to him, “ We the members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), at our meeting held on the 16th June 2021 deliberated on a number of issues of national importance particularly the signed Memorandum of Action (MOA) by major stakeholders and witnessed by the minister of labour and employment as chief conciliator to address the ongoing Industrial Action by mem bers of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).”
He also lamented that by June 2020 only 14 states had domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act.
The NGF chairman briefed members on several activities of the Forum including the meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum (NGWF) which took place on June 10, 2021 to commemorate the first anniversary of the declaration of a state of emergency against gender- based violence.
“Acknowledging the commendable role of the NGWF and alluding to some of the appreciable milestones over the period.
“For instance, on June 2020 only 14 states had domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, while as of June 2021, twenty-seven states (including FCT) had passed the law with several others at advanced stages in the process of passing this law,” he said.
He urged his colleagues to support the efforts of the NGWF and continue to treat sexual and gender-based violence as a priority.
The Forum also received an update on the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic from the chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, in the company of other members of the PSC.
The SGF commended the state governors for rising to the challenge of the time by providing exemplary leadership and resources to curb the impact of the pandemic in the country.
By Jonathan Nda- Isaiah,
Leadership