Govs Approve Common Template for Implementation of Executive Order 10

By Chuks Okocha

The 36 states governors yesterday approved a template for the implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order 10 and financial autonomy for the state legislatures and judiciaries.

At the end of its meeting yesterday, the governors in a communique signed by the chairman of the forum and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said that they have approved a common template for the implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASUN) on the implementation of financial autonomy for the state legislature and judiciary.

The governors said that the template was developed following a meeting of the State Attorneys General and Commissioners of Finance which held on June 25, 2021 at the directive of the Forum.

Also, the communique said that the governors expressed concern on the certain clauses of the amended Nigerian Postal Service Bill, 2021 and Stamp Duties Collection approved by the Senate

The amendment of the bill seeks to remove the powers to administer and collect stamp duties from the relevant tax authorities (Federal Inland Revenue Service or State Internal Revenue Service, depending on the nature of the transaction) to the Nigeria Postal Service.

The governors said that the amendments by the Senate was against the provisions of Section 163 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires that Stamp Duties on transactions between a company and an individual should be paid to the FIRS and returned to the state of derivation.

However, the governors resolved to engage with the National Assembly on the matter.

On the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the governors said that they are in full support of the unbundling and commercialisation of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) but raised concern with the proposed ownership structure of the NNPC which places ownership on the federal government.

The governors recommended that given that the corporation is owned by the three tiers of government, the new incorporated entity (NNPC Limited) should be owned by a vehicle that holds the interest of the three tiers of government, adding that the institution that is positioned to carry out this mandate is the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

The communique said that this amendment as well as the proposed three per cent share of oil revenue to host communities and 30 per cent share of profit for the exploration of oil and gas in the basins will be responded to at relevant channels, including the National Assembly and the National Economic Council (NEC).

On the same of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Assets, the governors said that they will take a position on the planned privatisation of assets of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), which were listed by the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) without due consultation with state governments who are shareholders of the company.

They said that NDPHC is incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act as a private limited liability company with shareholding fully subscribed to by the Federal, State and Local Governments with a mandate to manage National Integrated Power

Projects (NIPP) in the country.

On the launch of the Governors Forum Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative, the governors said that they put their weight behind the launch of its Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative (PISI) set up to tackle insecurity, conflicts and violence in the country.