The Nigeria Governors’ Forum says embattled Governor Nasir El-Rufai has called for the deregulation of the petroleum industry.

The forum said this in a communiqué issued on Wednesday night after its 30th teleconference.

It added that Mr El-Rufai, who gave a briefing on the appropriate pricing of petrol in the country, noted that between N70 billion and N210 billion was estimated to be spent every month to keep petrol price at N162 per litre, “a situation that is completely unsustainable.”

The statement also noted that Mr El-Rufai also briefed his colleagues on the labour crisis in Kaduna.

It said, “The NGF noted that it stands with the governor of Kaduna state in his quest to improve the productivity of workers and their rights for a better quality of life. NGF recognises that what is happening in Kaduna state will reverberate in each of the states.

“The forum encourages the governor of Kaduna and all other governors to remain steadfast in the pursuit of human rights protection while ensuring that actions taken do not undermine the safety and security of lives.

“NGF appeals to both parties in Kaduna state to resolve the issues in the interest of the state as the protection of human rights for the collective good of all citizens and growth of our dear country, Nigeria, is what matters most.”

The teleconference was the seventh in 2021. 

The NGF also agreed on the need to continue maintaining COVID-19 public health guidelines and vaccination protocols to ensure that transmission of the virus is kept at the lowest level possible.

The communiqué noted that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the NGF Chairman, Sub-Committee interfacing with the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, provided an update to the forum on the activities of the PSC.