A coalition of civil society organisations, Tuesday, rejected what it termed as “unsolicited” counsel by the Nigeria Governors Forum to the Federal Government on how to rescue the nation’s economy from an imminent collapse.
In particular, the CSOs expressed concern over one of the governors’ suggestions that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), reduced the one per cent grant legally due for the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure to 0.2%.
This, they said, was in a bad light, considering the strategic importance of the Agency which was established to stimulate linkages between Science and Technology, academic and the industrial sector of the economy.
Consequently, the coalition, under the aegis of the Concerned Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria, therefore, urged the governors to stop being lazy, look inward and source funds for the development of their various states instead of always running to Abuja to seek funds from the Federal Government.
This was contained in a statement issued and obtained by The PUNCH in Kaduna on Tuesday.
Signatories to the statement include: Abdulsalam Mohammed-Kazeem, President, Unified Nigerian Youth forum; Aliyu Mohammed-Sani, President, Arewa Youth Federation, Elizabeth Uche, Convener, South East Youths for Sustainable Growth and Development, Abdulmajeed Oyeniye, Speaker, Oodua Youth Parliament; and Gabriel Emmanuel-Abela, National Coordinator, South-South Youth for Peace and stability.
According to the organisations, governors must look inward to generate funds and stop their attitude of over-dependence on the Federal Go not sow.”
The CSOs also urged the National Assembly to throw out any bill aimed at reducing the Agency’s grant from 1.0% to 0.2% in view of the importance of the agency to nation’s economy.
The statement partly read, “The attention of The Concerned Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria has been drawn to the 33 unsolicited advices the Nigeria Governor’s Forum gave to the Federal Government on how to rescue the nation’s economy from imminent collapse.
“In one of the counsels, the governors called on the Buhari-led administration to reduce the 1% grant legally due for the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure hereafter refer to as the Agency to 0.2%. They also called for the amendment of the Act in 2022 Finance Bill.”
“We condemn the call in its entirety and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to not only discard their counsel into the dustbin of history, but to conclude plans in ensuring that the grant is increased from the now 1% to 2%, because NASENI’s actions towards science, innovation and technology is timely and it will stand challenge of time, hence the imperative need for the upward review of the grant.”
