The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has accused the federal government of refusing to consult with it before concluding to privatise the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) assets.

The NGF disclosed this in a communiqué signed by its chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, after its 32nd teleconference meeting.

The forum stated that it would take a position on the planned privatisation of NDPHC assets as listed by the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) because it was done without consultation with the governors, who are also shareholders of the company.

“NDPHC is incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act as a private limited liability company with shareholding fully subscribed to by the federal, state, and local governments with a mandate to manage National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) in the country,” said the governors.

During the meeting, the 36 governors threw their weight behind the NGF Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative (PISI) to tackle insecurity, conflicts, and violence in the country.

The forum stated that the PISI launched on July 8 heralded a milestone for the NGF to build a more inclusive and collaborative platform to drive an urgent country-wide response to security challenges in the country.

The communique also noted that Mr Fayemi briefed the governors on the inauguration of the National Steering Committee (NSC) of the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (NPRGS), chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with a mandate to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

It added that governors were urged to nominate focal persons who would consolidate policy strategies by state governments to end poverty in the country.

The focal persons would be inducted into a technical working group, chaired by the Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa and co-chaired by the Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, the communique revealed.

The forum also acknowledged receiving an update from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the recent rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases and called for consensual action to prevent a third wave in the country.