AUGUST 3, 2013
Factional Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Jonah Jang
Crisis is currently rocking the Governor Jonah Jang faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Saturday PUNCH’s investigations showed that some governors in the faction are grumbling over happenings in the forum.
A governor, who belongs to the faction, said that they were not happy with what he called the “over-bearing influence of one of us.”
The NGF has been divided into two factions since June 24 when it held its election with one faction led by the Plateau State Governor, Jang, and another headed by his Rivers State counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi.
The governor told our correspondent that with what is happening, it might be difficult for the forum to meet its target.
He said, “As I speak, the strategic committee, which we named ‘Think Thank Committee,’ has not been able to meet.
“Members of the committee, which is headed by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, have not met even once.
“Apart from Akwa Ibom, other states in the committee are Delta, Katsina, Abia and Bauchi.”
Besides, the governors were said to have been divided over several letters written to different embassies by its Sole Administrator, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu, informing them about the “change in the NGF leadership.”
In the letters, Onaiwu informed the embassies not to attend to letters written by the Director General of the NGF faction, Mr. Bayo Okauru, saying that he (Onaiwu) had taken over his (Okauru’s ) job.
However, at a hurriedly called meeting of the forum, which was held at the Benue Governor’s Lodge in Abuja last week, majority of the governors were said to have frowned at the attempt to make their disagreement international.
It was said that while a few governors were behind Onaiwu, majority of them said what he did was wrong.
At a point, one of the governors was said to have asked who employed Onaiwu since he had not been given any employment letter.
A governor at the event said, “We resolved that it was wrong for him to have done all those things without our consent and moreover, we have not employed him as our DG.
“We know that we are making moves to resolve this matter and at the end of the day, we would all come together under one umbrella. That is why we scolded him.”
It was also gathered that President Goodluck Jonathan was under an intense pressure to recognise Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the chairman of the NGF.
Amaechi defeated his co-contestant for the position, Jang, with 19 to 16 votes during the chairmanship election.
However, because Amaechi was not the candidate of both the Peoples Democratic Party and the Presidency for the position, President Jonathan has been relating with Jang as the chairman of the forum.
Jang, with the support of the minority of the governors, decided to open a factional secretariat at the Maitama District of Abuja instead of Asokoro, where the NGF secretariat is located.
The recognition of Amaechi is one of the issues raised with the President when he was met by five governors in Abuja nine days ago.
The governors have been going round the country, meeting influential people to discuss the crisis in the country and the PDP
The governors are Aliyu Babangida (Niger), Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja showed that the President was already thinking about the proposal, which some of the aggrieved governors had allegedly given him as a prelude to having peace in the PDP.
One of the governors, who craved anonymity, said that they were aware of the pressure and that they were waiting for the President to brief them.
However, Onaiwu said he was not aware of the pressure on the President to recognise Amaechi.
He said Jang was still doing his work and that he was being accorded the needed recognition.
He said, “I’m not aware of the pressure as you said and I can tell you that Governor Jang is being accorded the needed recognition anywhere he goes.
“I’m also not aware of the crisis in the forum as you alleged. We are moving on. That insinuation might be the handiwork of our detractors.”
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