Absence of northern govs stalls debate on state police, others
A MEETING of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) held on Tuesday in Abuja could not deliberate on matters of national interest because of the absence of some members of the group.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Rivers State Chibuike Amaechi, while reading out the two-line communiqué on the meeting said: “Forum deferred debate on the issue of constitutional amendment until after the fasting period when all members would be back from the Umrah (lesser hajj).”
Attendance at the NGF meeting that was expected to tackle the disparate opinion of the northern governors on the creation of state police which was made public after their meeting in Abuja last month, against the supposed initial collective decision of the NGF, was not impressive as the key players in the Northern Governors Forum were represented by their deputies.
Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Niger State Babangida Aliyu who was said to have gone to Saudi Arabia on Hajj was represented by the Deputy Governor Ahmed Ibeto. So were most governors of the core northern states like Jigawa, Yobe, Borno and Bauchi, represented by their deputies. The governors of Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Adamawa and Kebbi were present.
According to sources, the NGF could not come to agreement because the deputies were not mandated by their bosses to speak on “delicate issues especially those that affect the geo-political zone” because “they are too sensitive to be handled by the deputies”.
Though it was gathered that the northern governors had a meeting among themselves and taken a consensus position before coming for the main meeting, most of them declined to comment on the matter when asked. It was clear that most of the issues discussed at the meeting were not conclusive and therefore not to be divulged. The presence of the Minister of Finance Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also gave credence to the fact that “it is not all that were discussed were written out in the communiqué”.
When asked to comment on the decision of the NGF to defer discussions on the constitution since it is a matter of pressing national interest, the governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, did not offer much comments as he simply said: “All that needs to be said has being said.”
What gave rise to the issue of state police is the rising insecurity in the country, which a state controlled security apparatus is believed will manage better.
But the northern governors who hitherto had supported the establishment of the state police have taken a detour after their last meeting.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Rivers State Chibuike Amaechi, while reading out the two-line communiqué on the meeting said: “Forum deferred debate on the issue of constitutional amendment until after the fasting period when all members would be back from the Umrah (lesser hajj).”
Attendance at the NGF meeting that was expected to tackle the disparate opinion of the northern governors on the creation of state police which was made public after their meeting in Abuja last month, against the supposed initial collective decision of the NGF, was not impressive as the key players in the Northern Governors Forum were represented by their deputies.
Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Niger State Babangida Aliyu who was said to have gone to Saudi Arabia on Hajj was represented by the Deputy Governor Ahmed Ibeto. So were most governors of the core northern states like Jigawa, Yobe, Borno and Bauchi, represented by their deputies. The governors of Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Adamawa and Kebbi were present.
According to sources, the NGF could not come to agreement because the deputies were not mandated by their bosses to speak on “delicate issues especially those that affect the geo-political zone” because “they are too sensitive to be handled by the deputies”.
Though it was gathered that the northern governors had a meeting among themselves and taken a consensus position before coming for the main meeting, most of them declined to comment on the matter when asked. It was clear that most of the issues discussed at the meeting were not conclusive and therefore not to be divulged. The presence of the Minister of Finance Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also gave credence to the fact that “it is not all that were discussed were written out in the communiqué”.
When asked to comment on the decision of the NGF to defer discussions on the constitution since it is a matter of pressing national interest, the governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, did not offer much comments as he simply said: “All that needs to be said has being said.”
What gave rise to the issue of state police is the rising insecurity in the country, which a state controlled security apparatus is believed will manage better.
But the northern governors who hitherto had supported the establishment of the state police have taken a detour after their last meeting.
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