Governor Jang was said to have called for the emergency meeting of the state governors today to discuss last week’s crisis over the Federal Allocation Account meeting where the 36 state finance commissioners walked out on the Minister of State for Finance. A statement issued by Director of Press Affairs to Governor Jang, Mr. James Mannok, stated that, “In view of the impasse arising from the Federal Allocation Account Committee meeting, an emergency meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum has been convened.” The statement said after the meeting, slated for 6pm at the NGF Secretariat, No. 2, Nana Close, Off Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, the 36 governors would be expected to meet President Goodluck Jonathan on the same issue at 9pm same day. Governor Jang, who had earlier said the governors should put the incident of the controversial NGF election behind, also pleaded with them to attend the meeting promptly. But Governor Amaechi, who insisted he won the NGF election, also yesterday called off the meeting of the forum summoned by Governor Jang, warning him to desist from parading himself as the chairman of the forum.
Amaechi said the forum on Thursday, May 23, 2013, elected him as the chairman in a vote tally of 19-16 against Jang and as such, he remains the only NGF chairman. The Rivers State governor said as chairman of the NGF, elected by his colleagues to safeguard their integrity and the forum, it has become imperative for him to request that Jang should remain within the confines of decorum and cease to impersonate him. The governor, in a statement from Rivers State’s Government House, Port Harcourt, explained that, “On Saturday June 15 and Sunday June 16, reports in the media credited to my brother governor, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, announced that he has called for a Nigeria Governors’ Forum meeting. Ordinarily, I would have ignored these reports as I do not imagine that as governors who hold our people’s mandate through the democratic process of free and fair elections, we would do anything to impugn our integrity.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I, as chairman of the NGF, has not called for any Governors’ Forum meeting for Monday, June 17, 2013. 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. All governors should please ensure attendance at this meeting with Mr. President.” The Rivers State governor reminded Governor Jang that there was a legal action that has been instituted against him (Jang) by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State to stop him from parading himself as the chairman of NGF, adding that “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.” Governor Amaechi reassured Nigerian governors that the storm rocking the NGF and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) “shall pass and we all will be reunited as one family committed to our nation’s unity and supporting Mr. President in his vision for a Nigeria that safeguards the rights of all its citizens to good governance and democratic norms.”
He acknowledged Governor Jang as his brother and friend and said he harboured no ill-feelings against him, but added that it was important that he (Jang) stopped the “impersonation, as it could threaten all the good works we all have done together.” The pro-Amaechi governors, represented by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, went to court to stop Jang from parading himself as the chairman of the NGF. The suit was filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in his capacity as a member of the forum. Fashola is asking the court to declare that Jang is not competent to be called the elected chairman of NGF and to stop him from parading himself “as the elected chairman of the NGF in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.” The writ of summons was jointly filed by a former Lagos Attorney General, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), and former West African Bar Association President, Femi Falana (SAN). Fashola in the writ maintained that 35 governors participated in the election that returned Amaechi as the NGF chairman, and then asked the court to also declare that the first defendant (Jang) was not competent to relocate the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum from No. 1, Deng Xiaoping Street, Off AIT Junction, Asokoro Extension, Abuja, to No. 2, Nana Close, by Ene Crescent, Off Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, or to any other place as purportedly done by Governor Jang.
Those joined in the suit included the Director-General of the NGF, Asishana Okauru; the Sole Administrator purportedly appointed by Jang, Osaro Onaiwu; the registered Trustees of the NGF vested with the power to administer and manage the trusts of the NGF.
