Jang-led NGF meets in Abuja: The Governor Jonah Jang-led faction of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) met yesterday at the party’s secretariat located at Erie Crescent, Off Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, with nine governors in attendance and six represented by their deputies. At the end of the meeting, the forum set up a five-member committee to streamline the proposed constitutional amendment. Daily Sun gathered that the group, also discussed how to reconcile the polarised forum. Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF), Obong Godswill Akpabio, while speaking before the commencement of the meeting, confirmed the reconciliation agenda of the group when he said: “Top on the agenda in today’s meeting is reconciliation of all members and how to move the forum forward and of course, peer review.” Similarly, his Katsina State counterpart, Shehu Shema, re-echoed the need for reconciliation, saying other issues that would be discussed include constitutional amendment and the need for the governors to suggest areas that would be amended in the interest of Nigerians. Present at the meeting were Governors Martin Elechi, Jona Jang, Seriake Dickson, Theodore Orji, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Gabriel Suswam, Ibrahim Shehu Shema and Olusegun Mimiko of Ebonyi, Plateau, Bayelsa, Abia, Delta, Benue, Katsina and Ondo and states respectively. Others were the acting Governor of Taraba State, Garba Umar; Nuhu Audu Bajoga, Tha’anda Jason Rubainu, Yomi Awoniyi, Emeka Sibeudu, and Efiok Cobham (deputy governors of Kaduna, Gombe, Kogi, Anambra and Cross River states). While Suswam attended the meeting for the first time since the parallel secretariat commenced, Enugu State Governor, Sullivan Chime, did not attend the meeting, nor send a representative, thereby reducing the number from 16 to 15. Reading the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Governor Jang, his Ondo State counterpart, Mimiko said the forum reviewed the ongoing constitutional amendment and constituted a five-man committee to streamline the proposed amendment with Governors Shema, Orji, Uduaghan, Dickson and himself (Mimiko) as members. Mimiko said the forum was briefed by Governor Suswam who was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on the ASUU strike, saying the forum commended the committee for the job done so far and encouraged them to continue in that regard. He said the forum also appealed to ASUU members to show understanding and co-operation with the committee with a view to ending the strike in the interest of the nation. Mimiko also said the forum was briefed by Governor Uduaghan on the issue of crude oil theft which had adversely affected the revenue earnings of the federation, adding that the forum commended the committee for a job well done. The Ondo state governor said the forum also commiserated with Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State on the death of his father and prayed for the repose of his soul.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 09:15:35 +0000
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