Amaechi, Jang clash Again

The prying eyez of Gov. Amaechi

The war of words were Rekindled again between the Factional Chairman of Nigeria’s Governors Forum (NGF), Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, leading a group of 19 governors.

Jang and Amaechi renewed the NGF crisis after the former scheduled a meeting of governors for Abuja yesterday.

The Rivers governor kicked against the meetings, describing
his Plateau colleague as an impostor, desperately trying to portray himself as the leader of the NGF.

Amaechi, who trounced Jang by 19 votes to 16 during the May 24 election of the NGF to emerge the group’s Chairman, warned Jang to desist from further acts of impersonation, saying he might be compelled to take action against him.

Jang was said to have called the meeting of the NGF for Abuja today, during which very sensitive national issues are expected to be discussed. Critical Issues such as the local government autonomy that was killed by the Senate in the constitution amendment process but endorsed by the House of Representatives and dwindling earnings to the Federation Account  from oil arising from unabated theft in the Niger Delta.

Amaechi, in a message sent to News agencies asked his fellow governors to ignore the meeting and wait for a formal notice of meeting from him, as the Chairman of the group.

The Rivers governor said that the NGF, under his leadership, had not scheduled any meeting for today and that issues to be discussed would be made known to them when a meeting date was taken.

Amaechi said: “Again, I want Nigerians to know that Jang is an impostor, having tried to steal my victory. He was not elected by the majority of governors, who were in attendance during the election on May 24.

“On what basis does he summon a meeting of the NGF? Nigerians should tell Jang to respect himself and desist from impersonating me”.

Amaechi disclosed that he was in touch with the leadership of the National Assembly on the issue of constitution review and that the NGF would take a decision on most of the issues deliberated upon by the NASS.

Meanwhile, the indications abound that  many of the 36 governors might not attend the Jang group’s meeting because of the controversy generated by recent events in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the NGF.

None of the five PDP governors from the North, who are uncomfortable with the leadership of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is likely to attend the meeting by the Plateau governor, whose leadership is seen as a ploy by the Presidency to weaken the Amaechi’s leadership of the NGF.

One of the five governors, Murtala Nyako, of Adamawa State,  who was contacted through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Ahmed Sajoh, said there was no way he could attend any meeting called by Jang since he did not win the election of the NGF.

Nyako said: “As far as we are concerned, Jang cannot call a meeting of the NGF because he is not the Chairman and there was no time that we elected him as such. That is our position.”

We can only pray that our leaders would sheath their swords and go back to proper governance as it should be.