By Abdullahi Mohammed
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum held its meeting at Transcorp Hilton on the 18th May 2015, as one entity for the first time in two years.At the meeting , the two warring faction decided to sheathe their swords and once again stand as united body
Monday’s meeting was attended by 16 governors, two governors elect and 3 deputy governors .It was chaired by Rivers state governor Rotimi Chuibuke Amaechi .The meeting which was began 8pm Monday lasted till early Tuesday day morning
Amaechi while reading the communiqué said at the end of the meeting said “we the members of Nigeria Governors Forum ( NGF) at our meeting today at Transcorp Hilton Abuja deliberated on a number of issues and resolved as follows:”
” We are here by reconciled and re united as a single umbrella association of the 36 states governors of Nigeria regardless of the party or region”.
He reiterated” we are now reconciled and reunited, we have passed the stage of 16 is greater than 19..”.
He congratulated the in coming president ,general Muhammadu Buhari and praised the incumbent president, president Goodluck Jonathan .
” The forum congratulate president elect general Muhammadu Buhari for his victory in the recent presidential election, which held on March 28th 2015, and president Goodluck Jonathan for his statesmanship in accepting the outcome of the election”.
On the excess crude account,Governor Amaechi took another swipe at the finance minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala .He said, “ there is need for the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy Dr Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to provide explanation for the accrual to this account from June 2013 to April 2015 which is estimated at over 20 billion dollars ”
Amaechi announced that “The induction program for new and returning governors would be held in June 2015. It is aimed at equipping new and returning governors with knowledge of global best practices establishing and running their offices, to establish a governors ‘ forum academy to be christened the NGF leadership academy which will be responsible for capacity building of governors and other officials holding offices”
” The academy would be overseen by the NGF secretariat.”
Governor Abdullaziz Yari emerges NGF chairman
Governor Amaechi also announced that ” Governor Abdullaziz Yari of Zamfara state emerged as new chairman of NGF by consensus for one year period, May 2015 to May 2016 . “.
Speaking on the absentee governors Amaechi said ” the issues of the other governors, they are fully part of this meeting, over 20 governors came for the meeting . Accept my apologies , you know we hardly get up to 23 but here 20 governors attended, that is a very good attendance.”
In his acceptance speech,Yari commended the process and all the 36 states governors especially the ones in attendance.
” It is an honour to be the chairman from May 2015 to May 2016. (It’s) not because Abdullaziz Yari is better than any of the 36 states governors , but it is a collective agreement and consensus that I should lead this forum and coming together is from bitter experience we had after our disintegration”
” Therefore we tasted a bitter experience ..and during my period I will work harder I know the situation of the states as a ranking governor. I know I have the experience, I know what is happening on the showing of experience from my colleagues and I know the suffering we are in the states and (therefore) we are going to work ..for the betterment of our respective states in collaboration with the working with the presidency,” Yari said .
This is the greatest record of the NGF meeting-Akpabio
Governor of Akwa Ibom state and chairman PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio also bared his mind on the turn out at the meeting.
“And if I may add, in the previous election or selection of NGF chairman in the past we never had up to 14 governors in attendance, so this is greatest record we ever had,” Akpabio noted.
On the previous meetings, he said ” when I came in 2007 we were about eleven and in 2011 when governor Amaechi emerged as a Chairman in Kwara , there were only twelve. There were seven governors and 5 deputy governors or thereabout.You’ll agree with me that (this turnout) has never happened before”
The other governors in attendance were Gabriel Suswam ,Benue state, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta state, Ramalan Yero Kaduna state, Abdullafatah Lawal , Kwara state, Adams Oshiomole, Edo state, Babangida Aliyu Muazu, Niger state, Rauf Aregbesola, Osun state, Kashim Shettima, Borno state, Ajimobi Abiola Ibadan state, Saidu Dankingari ,Kebbi state, Isa Yuguda Bauchi State,governor elect Umar Ganduje Kano state,governor elect Emmanuel Udom Akwai Ibom, deputy Governor Architect Awoniyi , deputy governor Nasarawa state and the deputy governor Imo state.
