Health Development: States to access $500m from world bank..

By Edward Jaleyemi
ABUJA –  Over $500 million is currently waiting to be accessed by the Nigerian States from the World Bank coffers for the development of health facilities, Chairman, National Governor Forum, NGF, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari has said.

This came the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu also briefed the forum on various reforms so far carried out by corporation to reposition the Nigerian economy.

Yari who is also the Governor of Zamfara State spoke to State House Correspondents at the end of the Forum’s meeting at the Banquet Hall of the presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday

According to him, the meeting was called at the instance of the President Mohammadu Buhari to enable the Governors to get first hand information of the reforms and the lofty expectations thereto.

He also stated that some agencies such as United Nations Population Fund, UNPF, World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health made presentations.

He said: “Today, this meeting met with heads of so many agencies which made presentations to us. Some of them were ordered by Mr. President to do the presentation so that they make us understand where they are and what they up to.

“There are funds from the World Bank which States cannot access because we don’t know how to move it forwards a result of lack of expertise. Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health briefed us on how we can access the $500million in that area. Secondly, we use to complain on the NNPC, but with the fact we have got today it is different in the sense that the NNPC is going to be a different Organisation.

“It is going to fund the economy fully in the sense that there won’t be any question of pipeline breaking or the stealing of oil. We have taken care of that especially we are looking at instead of using the military only, why don’t we use technology to safeguard our pipelines.”

He explained that some other agencies were supposed to make more presentations but for time constraints, saying that they would be taken in November.

“We are supposed to take eight but because of the time constraints, we were only able to take two. We have taken United Nations Population Fund, UNPF. We have taken the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health on human development. And we have also taken the GMD NNPC. By November, we would take those that we are not able to take such as National Mathematical Centre and the National Communication Commission on the issue of digitalization and also NASENI.

“We decided to stand those ones down till November. This is for the betterment of Nigeria. They have briefed us about the way forward”.

The governor also underscored the impotence of the presentations.

He said: “This kind of exercise therefore is going to continue. We are going to continue with other departments so that we can understand and see how to move the nation forward.

“No, it is not only this one. There have presentations on the issue of bunkering; pipeline vandalization and the issue of gas pipelines and also how to make the company to be profitable as a mono product company servicing the economy through oil exports.

“He briefed us and we shared with him on how we can develop the corporation because it is not the corporation, it is also developing the Nigerian economy by extension.”

Also speaking, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomohle expressed gratitude to President Buhari for initiating the meeting.

“It is our usual governors forum. We have heard different presentations. We spent some time looking at the issues of infant mortality, early marriages in many parts of the country and the role of government to reemphasise the need to spare some resources to address those issues.

“The GMD of the NNPC gave us an interesting presentation on the reforms that are going on in the NNPC.

“We now have a renewed confidence that we now have a corporation that is run like a business outfit, good corporate governance and transparency.

“Having listened to all the presentations, we are excited that the President is providing the right leadership and GMD is at home with the issues. We all can do better in giving attention to things that we take for granted.

“It is a usual stock taking which is good for our democracy. By comparing notes, I think it is good for all of us”, he said.

In the same vein, Governor Abiola Ajumobi of Oyo State stated that it was now safer to for States to partner NNPC in the light of the reforms.

“We must first and foremost commend the President for the initiative in bringing us together to interact with various companies, that is NNPC, international development partners who are showing us all the opportunities available for each state to leverage upon.

“I think that for the first time in the history of my own being a governor, this is a very commendable effort.

“First and foremost, we now discover that many states can partner with the NNPC. We are having dwindling resources, can we not expand our resource net to be able to bring in money?

“For instance, each state can now partner with the NNPC in the area of downstream business activities, even to some extend, distribution activities and refining activities.

“The Ministry of Health also made presentation. We discovered also that state governments can partner with the ministry.

“In all, we are talking about nine stakeholders and development partners who are espousing on the opportunities available for the states to leverage upon. I think it is commendable.”

His Ogun State Counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun also thanked president Buhari for the meeting, saying that Governors were now better informed on the affairs of the NNPC.

“The President in his wisdom met with the chairman of Governors Forum and he believes that many of the briefings that he had received should be extended to the governors so that we will have first class appreciation of what is on ground and his intention of how to drive the economy and the nation.

“I think is good for us. We will be having NEC on Thursday. It is good that we are abreast with some of the things we shall be discussing there”, he said.