Tobias Sylvester
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari against giving money to Northern state governors in the name of fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The group gave the advice in a statement issed by its spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman in Kaduna, where it noted the the governors would abuse such funds if released to them.
The CNG also accused the northern governors of paying lip service to the fight against coronavirus. The statement reads:
“CNG frowns on the incoherent response to the COVID-19 by most northern state governments that only pay lip services to the issue of provision of equipped isolation and treatment centres and palliatives to communities affected by their lockdown orders.
“We frown on the focus of the northern governors on demanding funds from the federation account in the pretext of fighting the spread of the pandemic.
“In this regard, CNG recalls the scandalous controversies that trailed the squander of bailout grants for the settlement of salary arrears by most state governments.
“We urge the Federal Government not to succumb to the states’ demand for funds for fear that they would not be put to judicious use as with the salary bailouts.
“And if the Federal Government is disposed to granting the funds to the states, the Northern group stressed that mechanism should be set up in form of committee comprising of credible elders and community leaders in each state to monitor the process of the disbursements and ensuring the judicious use of the funds for the purpose they are meant.”
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