Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi on Sunday
warned his Plateau State counterpart, Mr. Jonah Jang, against
impersonating him as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Amaechi was reacting to media reports on Saturday
that Jang had invited the NGF members to a meeting scheduled for Monday (today)
in Abuja.
Jang, who lost out to the Rivers State Governor
during the May 24 governors election, had in a statement said that
the NGF forum meeting would hold at 6pm.
In the statement in which he addressed himself as
the NGF chairman, Jang stated that after their meeting, the governors would
meet with President Goodluck Jonathan at 9pm in the Presidential Villa.
He explained that the governors would meet “in
view of the impasse arising from the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee
meeting.”
State commissioners for Finance had on Thursday
stormed out of the FAAC meeting in Abuja because of N60bn unpaid arrears.
But on Sunday, Amaechi distanced himself from the
meeting announced by Jang, saying the he (Jang) should not tarnish the
integrity of governors.
The Rivers State governor said, “As the chairman
of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum elected by my colleagues to safeguard their
integrity and that of the forum, it has become imperative for me to request my
brother, Governor Jang, to remain within the confines of decorum and cease to
impersonate me and to stop parading himself as NGF chairman.
“There is only one chairman of the forum, duly
elected by a vote tally of 19: 16 on Friday, May 24, 2013. For the avoidance of
doubt, I, as chairman of the NGF have not called for any governors’ forum
meeting for Monday, June 17, 2013.
“Governor Jang is my brother and a friend and I
harbour no ill feelings against him; but it is important that he stops
this impersonation, as it could threaten all the good work we all have done
together.”
Amaechi explained that the only meeting he was
aware of was that between all the governors and Jonathan today.
“The only meeting scheduled for Monday June 17,
is a meeting of all governors with His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan
scheduled to hold at 9pm at Aso Rock Villa.” He therefore enjoined all the
governors to “please ensure attendance at this meeting with Mr. President.”
He reminded Jang that a legal action that had been
instituted against him (Jang) by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde
Fashola (SAN), asking him to stop parading himself as the chairman of NGF.
“As leaders elected by our people,
Nigerians are closely watching us. We must comport ourselves according to the
dictates and principles of democratic and lawful practices and norms,” Amaechi
added.
He, however, reassured his colleagues that the
leadership “crisis in the NGF would be resolved and the forum would be reunited
as one family committed to the country.”
Amaechi stated that the forum would continue to
support the President’s “vision for a Nigeria that safeguards the
rights of all its citizens to good governance and democratic norms.”
But in a swift response, Jang insisted that the
NGF meeting would hold as scheduled on Monday.
The governor, who spoke through the Sole
Administrator of his NGF faction, Mr. Osaro Onaiwo, added, “The meeting
would hold as scheduled and the agenda is the Federation Allocation
Accounts. After that members would proceed to the Presidential Villa to
have a meeting with President Jonathan.”
Source:
Punch
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