THE perceived rift between President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, is set to take a dramatic turn tomorrow, as both parties test their mights in Abuja.
Information at the disposal of the Nigerian Tribune confirmed that the Rivers State governor, who is leading a faction of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), had fixed a meeting of his faction to clash with a mid-term dinner to be hosted by President Jonathan on the same day.
Amaechi’s invitation to governors for the NGF meeting, scheduled for tomorrow, was sent out on Monday afternoon, with details of the agenda being received at the government houses of governors loyal to his faction.
In a release signed by Chidinma Oyenalim and sent to the media, the venue of the meeting was fixed for the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge at Asokoro, Abuja, and set to begin at 8.00 p.m.
It was, however, gathered that the president had, weeks ago, fixed the same day, at 8.00 p.m for the mid-term dinner with governors.
The dinner with the president, Nigerian Tribune gathered, was meant for all governors, as the invitation went to all the 36 state governors.
“The stage is set again for another clash between the Rivers State governor and the presidency, as the governor is said to have fixed the meeting of the NGF at the same time President Jonathan had earlier fixed to host all the governors for a mid-term dinner. Both events are scheduled for Wednesday night,” a source said.
One of the governors loyal to Amaechi faction said on Monday that the invitation for the NGF meeting had been received and that he was, however, set to attend the dinner with the president.
“There is a limit to personal interest as against national interest. The task that we have is to keep Nigeria one, protect its integrity, while also attracting certain projects and appointments to our state,” the governor said, adding that he would attend the dinner called by the president, because he had no quarrel with the president, though there are problems within the NGF.
However, another pro-Amaechi governor told the Nigerian Tribune that he would be at the meeting called by the Rivers governor.
“We have confirmed today the invitation for the NGF meeting and we will be there. We have to support him since we put him there,” the governor said.
Sources also confirmed the agenda of the Amaechi-led NGF meeting to the Nigerian Tribune.
A copy of the agenda indicated the items to include chairman’s briefs on the new, fresh and subsisting litigations; update on Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), Excess Crude Account (ECA) and Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF); polio eradication initiative; Post-NGF election disagreement; NGF and its partners and its strategic plan.
Meanwhile, Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has faulted the call by the president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr Okey Wali, for the proscription of the NGF, saying the call negates the provision of the constitution on Freedom of Association.
While declaring open the 2013 Law Week of the NBA, Benin branch, on Monday, the governor said “recently, I watched the president of the NBA, saying in Yenogoa, Beyelsa State, that the NGF should be discarded. I think the factor of location influenced his conclusion. He betrayed his oath to defend Nigerians on the right to associate.
“One of the fundamental rights of every person, including governors, presidents, is the right of association. If presidents have the right to African Union, to United Nations, to all the other formal and informal gathering, how can the president of a learned community suggest that the NGF be proscribed on account of difficulties, whether 16 is more than 19, although he is unable to provide the answer.
“If we unlearned people don’t know, the learned people should know. Then if learned people don’t know that 19 is more than 16, then I suggest that all of you should be proscribed.”
Oshiomhole said when a nation was led by characters who would not stand by the truth, then that nation was doomed.
“I want to submit that the environment and the overall circumstances, known and unknown, that led the NBA president to call for the freezing of the right of governors to associate borders on corrupt practice,” he added.
According to him, “anybody who keeps quite in the face of compelling facts is not doing the nation any good. In any case, I do not need the governors’ forum to do what I have to do. All I need is the Edo forum.”
The governor reiterated his opposition to the revenue allocation formula, saying “we must give Abuja less money.”
He said Nigerians should stop lamenting that 14 years after, Nigeria’s democracy was not delivering to the people, saying that the beauty of democracy was that the people had the power to hire and fire.
“Since Nigerians know the party that has been at the helm since 1999, it is in their hands to decide if they still want the party in power or not,” he said.
NGF can’t become opposition to FG —Jang-led faction
The Governor Jonah Jang-led NGF has reviewed its activities, warning that it would not allow the NGF to be an opposition platform to the policies of the Federal Government.
“Governor Jang is committed to ensuring that the forum is not used as an organ of open defiance and opposition to the policies of the Federal Government, but, instead, one that will work in synergy with all tiers of government for the common good of our nation.
“This new approach is already yielding positive results, as evidenced by the amicable settlement of the federation and excess crude accounts sharing imbroglio that has lingered for too long,” the Director-General of the faction, Osaro Onaiwu, said.
According to a statement issued by Onaiwu, in Abuja, on Monday, the NGF set up a committee led by Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State to work out ways to resolve the disagreement.
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