The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors on the platform of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) have revealed that the forum is studying the Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led committee report on restructuring to enumerate areas of constitutional amendment to be sent to the National Assembly for legislation.
The forum further noted that apart from restructuring, the ruling party governors were considering other issues like security, economy, education, health, and others to be addressed in such a way that will bring good governance in all the APC states.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting of the PGF Steering Committee on good governance on Monday in Abuja, Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, represented by his deputy, Phillip Shuaibu, along Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi and Deputy Leader, House of Representatives, Peter Akpatason, said the synergise with the National Assembly members has become necessary for them to address issues of governance and constitutional review that will be accepted in all APC states.
Shuaibu said they intend to find ways of synergising with the governors, the legislative arm of government and the party to drive its own manifesto and issue of governance in their various states.
He further added that the committee agreed that budgeting is critical and that all APC states should be on the same page especially when it comes to the issue of project and the development of their states. “When we have that synergy between the governors and the legislators, both at the national ad the state level, that will be the drive for us not to duplicate projects and be on the same page and help to drive the policies of the party and create the acceptability of the party.
“At the end of the day, the legislative arm and the governors are the political class and each time election comes, the issue what you want to achieve is there and the only way you can drive this process is only when there is collaboration and understanding of what you stand for,” the committee said.
Speaking similarly, Senate Leader, Abdullahi said they met to review some of the recommendations of the report received by the party from the El-Rufai committee on restructuring and find ways of making the recommendation actionable.
“We also set up a subcommittee to come up with key areas requiring legislative and constitutional amendment especially on issues of governance both at the state and the federal level.
“The committee will work to bring out the areas that will be submitted to the party National Working Committee and the approval of the President, the areas so recommended will be submitted to both the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Constitution review.”
Deputy House Leader, Honourable Peter Akpatason, said: “We are trying to reduce a whole lot of issues together to have a more compact position that reflects the party’s agenda for taking Nigeria to the next level focusing on critical issues that Nigerians are concerned about and to properly align with the developmental efforts of the nation.”
