Obaseki Proffers Peer Appraisal to Engender Uniform Reforms across APC States

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said much as there are peculiarities in All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled states across Nigeria, there is need for synergy for peer review to replicate success stories of the party across the country.

The governor said this during the 5th Progressive Governors’ Forum Quarterly Meeting held from March 8 to 9, in Benin City, the Edo State.

Obaseki, who was represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, noted that there was need for states under the control of the APC to harmonise policy implementation strategies to make the impact of social welfare programmes felt across the states.

He added, “We have just concluded the local government elections where we recorded a 100 per cent victory. We are indeed pleased that our people accepted our policy reforms with their popular votes at the polls.

“However, the need to carry out internal appraisal as a party cannot be over-emphasised and that is why this meeting is important.”

He added that though there may be peculiarities, the need to engender uniform policy reforms across states controlled by the APC was necessary to equally distribute the governance imprints of the state on everyone who voted for the party

The SSGs in APC-controlled states in Nigeria at the meeting discussed strategies to implement a two-year plan to institutionalise a framework for security trust fund, universal basic education and primary health care programmes in APC-controlled states.

Director General, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Mr. Saliu Lukman, said the meeting would help finalise actions to drive prototype executive bills at state assemblies in states controlled by the APC, as this would help create enabling laws to drive the policies.

He said the programme is to be implemented with support from the UK’s Department of International Development (DfID) in the North and Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) in South West, Edo and Imo states.

He said the PGF is leading efforts to deepen development efforts and make recommendations to state governors on how to strengthen governance.

In a presentation on Primary Healthcare: Agenda for Change, Technical Adviser to the Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Chima Anoka, said there was need to coordinate healthcare mandates at the state level to achieve the desired results and meet set targets.

According to him, “The states have to coordinate the primary health care programmes in order to guide against relapse in areas they may have gained some traction. Also, it is imperative to do ensure that the state governments lead the way due to resource mobilisation and coordination.”

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