By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
Secretaries to State Governments (SSGs) of All Progressive Congress (APC) controlled States, have called on the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) to enact and strengthen a legal framework for the implementation of Security Trust Fund.
This is part of a communiqué issued after the 12th quarterly meeting of Secretaries to Government of All Progressives Congress States, which was jointly signed by the Director General of PGF, Salihu Moh Lukman and Barr. Muhammad Ubandoma Aliyu, who is the secretary of the SSGs, as well as Secretary to the Government of Nasarawa State.
According to the communiqué, the SSGs also said resources should be continually mobilised for management of security challenges, adding that APC States should strengthen the Security Committees at the Local Government Levels and ensure that all stakeholders, especially traditional and religious leaders, take more responsibility and are made to be more accountable to government in responding to security challenges.
Part of the communiqué reads “Following all the presentations and recognising the commitment of APC as provided in the party manifesto, the meeting resolves as follows:
“APC controlled States would prioritise adequate support for working nursing mothers, including the adoption of six months maternity leave for nursing mothers to enhance Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF);
“Issues of Maternal and Child Nutrition should be integrated into the Primary Healthcare Delivery Services;
“APC controlled States would strengthen coordination of initiatives to fast tract implementation of Maternal and Child Nutrition programmes with a focus on health, education and agricultural sectors;
“Undertake to strengthen regular processes of information sharing on issues of security management among APC controlled States to facilitate synergy of initiatives and proactive responses;
“To continually mobilise resources for management of security challenges, APC controlled States are enjoined to strengthen the legal framework for the implementation of Security Trust Fund;
“Finally, the meeting noted with strong commendation the renewed offensive by Nigerian Security Agencies against criminal elements across the country. Accordingly, reaffirmed the commitment of APC State governments to continue to work with the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that every part of Nigeria is safe”.
At the 12th quarterly meeting which was held in Nasarawa State and declared open by Governor Abdulahi Sule, also resolved to continually share information, ideas and knowledge through its quarterly meetings and the PGF Secretariat, to promote synergy across the member States and facilitate greater cooperation for sustainable development.
The objective of the meeting, with the theme ‘Setting Enabling Framework for Implementation of PGF Policy Briefs’, was to review the status of the implementation framework for promoting maternal and child nutrition in APC controlled States and provide necessary guidelines to enhance the engagement of stakeholders.
