ILORIN—Governors of All Progressives Congress,
APC, controlled states, yesterday, complained
about dwindling allocation to their states and
wondered why their Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, colleagues were not sharing their concern.
The APC governors who met in Ilorin, Kwara
State expressed concern about a possible secret
funding for the PDP states. The governors, who
vowed to meet President Goodluck Jonathan
over the issue, also resolved to allow internal
democracy to guide the selection of a
presidential candidate for the party.
The summit of the APC governors under the
aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum, PGF,
in Illorin, however, did not rule out the adoption
of a consensus presidential candidate, but
insisted that it must be done within the ambit of
internal democracy.
The meeting of the APC governors was also a
valedictory session for former Governor Kayode
Fayemi who stepped down as governor of Ekiti
State last Thursday. The APC governors praised
Fayemi for what they described as his exemplary
strength of character.

At the meeting yesterday were Rochas Okorocha
of Imo State; Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Ibrahim
Geidam (Yobe), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ishaq
Ajimobi (Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Rabiu
Kwankwaso (Kano), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara)
who was the host and Dr. Fayemi.
Chairman of the PGF, Governor Okorocha, who
briefed newsmen at the end of the session which
lasted several hours, expressed concern over
what he described as the dwindling monthly
allocation to the APC states.
He said: “This issue has become a very serious
concern to us as governors and we felt that
issues that affect the lives of our people must
never be politicised. We refuse to accept the
fact that this nation is broke and thank God that
the Federal Government has confirmed that the
nation is not broke. If the nation is not broke,
what is due to states should be given to states.
“This idea of cutting what should go to states
does not in any way promote democracy and
democratic dividends. And so, we as progressive
governors, call on the Federal Government to
look into the issue of dwindling resources and
convince us why the states should not get what
is due to them.
“We demand to have a meeting with the
President on this issue of dwindling resources as
quickly as possible,” he stressed.
Cash crunch aimed at APC states
Expressing concern that the cash crunch was
partisan and directed at APC states, Okorocha
wondered why the PDP governors were not
complaining.
“We do not know why our colleagues in the PDP
are not talking of this matter. If they are not
talking, it is either they are not affected or
somehow they are getting something from the
back door which we do not know. I think the
President or the Federal Government should act
quickly to quell the present ugly situation which
this terrible condition of dwindling resources
points out to us by making sure that the states
get what is due to them, at least to pay salaries
of their workers.”
Giving the backing of the governors to the APC
leadership’s efforts to ensure smooth
nomination of candidates for various elective
positions and the prospects of a consensus
presidential candidate for the party, he said:
“Our forum is in full support of consensus as
one of the ways to produce our presidential
candidate or any candidate in the party as long
as it is done with respect to internal democracy.
“There will be no imposition of candidate in our
party. Our forum has not adopted any candidate
but we shall encourage consensus and dialogue
within the leadership of the party and aspirants
to see how we come up with a candidate. But
where that is not possible, like true
progressives, we shall have free and fair
primaries.”
Governor Okorocha, on behalf of his colleagues,
also lauded the former governor of Ekiti State
“for a commendable show of character and a
successful tenure in office, having handed over
the office of the Ekiti State Governor on
Thursday October 16, 2014.
Valedictory seesion for Fayemi
Lauding Fayemi, Okorocha said: “You had great
vision for the state with the achievements you
recorded, history cannot say that you were
without a purpose. Your humility and display of
sportsmanship after the announcement of a
result different from what majority of Nigerians
expected and would have preferred to be
outcome of the June 21, 2014 election leaves
us, your brothers and colleagues, in admiration
of you.
“In a free and fair democratic system, the voice
of the people is sacrosanct. It is the thrust on
which the foundation of good governance,
transparency and accountability is built. It is a
voice that must be respected. But whether the
voice that supposedly spoke on the election day
is really the voice of the people is another
matter. The people of Ekiti, whom you served so
well and so honourably, will live to tell. Needless
to say that you have carved your name in gold in
the annals of Ekiti State, in our great party and
the political history of Nigeria.
“JKF,(John Kayode Fayemi) you have shown to
the world what it means to be progressive and
your conduct, both in and out of office will
always be a point of reference so we enjoin you
to continue in your good stride, never forgetting
your strength of humility, hard work and
steadfastness in fighting for the good of the
people and the eventual development of our
country Nigeria.”
Responding, an elated Fayemi said: “I am elated
and full of gratitude for the support and
solidarity that you extended to me as a member
of this forum and as a former governor of Ekiti
State. That I had served as a governor is even a
rare privilege but to have served alongside you
as a member of this forum is a greater
opportunity as a Nigerian. This group has played
a critical role in the formation of our party
because it was our maiden meeting in Lagos
that gave us the name progressive. I shall miss
this body greatly”.
Fayemi, however, assured the forum that he
would forever remain a progressive, and shall
continue to make his impact felt in the country,
Ekiti State and APC.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of
the Economy Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala last
Tuesday assured that Nigeria is financially sound
and has been meeting its local and international
financial obligations despite dwindling revenue
from crude oil export.
The Minister who gave the assurance at a press
conference in Abuja said: “Despite the dwindling
revenue of the nation due to falling crude oil
prices and decrease in output, the nation is not
broke”.
She said, “right now, we have fluctuations in the
price of crude oil and when that happens, it
means that the money that comes into the
coffers is a little bit small. Does that mean that
the country is broke? If we are not able to pay
salaries to people or meet other obligations
then we can say the country is broke but we
have not got there. Nigeria is not broke.
“We may have to cut down on some of our
expenditures. We may have to mobilize more
revenue; we have to look at the fiscal policy; we
have to look at the monetary policy –all of these
have to come together and we are looking at
them right now in the Ministry of finance.
“I want to assure Nigerians that we are putting
in place contingency plans so that our economy
remains stable.”
According to the minister, the current realities
of falling oil prices and reduction in quantity of
production have made the diversification of the
economy more imperative now than ever.
She added that in spite of the global economic
challenges the Nigerian economy remained
resilient, growing at about 6.5 per cent, making
it one of the fastest growing economies of the
world.
Her team at the Ministry of finance, she added
had been working round the clock to ensure that
the real sectors of the economy, especially,
agriculture and power, among others received
the needed impetus to boost productivity and
provide jobs.





source: www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/fg-starving-apc-states-funds-govs/

loooolllllllllllllllllllllll, A bad workman will always complain about his tools or blame someone else for his woes