State police, autonomy for local governments, revenue allocation and excess crude account are among the issues that would dominate state governors’ meeting today in Abuja.
The meeting is scheduled to fine-tune their position on some pending issues ahead of the constitution review.
Following an earlier briefing by the leadership of the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) led by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, the governors are yet to decide on some of these issues.
While the governors, at their last meeting, were favorably disposed to devolution of some powers by the federal government to other arms of government, they, however, failed to reach a consensus on the establishment of state police.
From the outset, the governors had taken different positions on the issue of state police.This much was revealed by the governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, who hinted that the governors were yet to reach a consensus on the matter. He also stressed that the federal government was carrying too much load than it could bear.
According to Chairman of the Forum and Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Ameachi, in a communique after the meeting, said that the forum “extensively deliberated on Devolution of powers, revenue allocation, local government autonomy, land use act, National Youth Service Scheme Act and security”.
Declining to elaborate on the issues when questioned by newsmen, he said that discussions on the issues were still ongoing.
However, on the alleged illegal deductions from the excess crude account by the federal government, the governors are expected to strategise ahead of the outcome of Supreme Court decision on the matter.
The governors had dragged the federal government to court over the deductions claiming that it was unconstitutional.