19 govs not interested in Gov. Jang

Nineteen out of the nation's 36 governors
were absent when Plateau State Governor,
Jonah Jang-led faction of the Nigeria
Governors' Forum opened its secretariat
in Abuja on Thursday.
The secretariat is located at Nana Close,
Maitama.
Signs that things were not going to work
well started manifesting when words went
round that Vice President Namadi Sambo,
who was supposed to be the guest of
honour at the event, would not come and
did not send any representatives.
The acting Sole Administrator of the
faction's secretariat, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu,
had told our correspondent on Tuesday
that the vice president would inaugurate
the secretariat.
Aside Jang, governors that were at the
event, were those of Kogi, Taraba,
Kaduna, Cross River, Katisina, Abia,
Anambra, Delta and Ebonyi.
Others included Ondo, Benue (deputy),
Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Gombe (deputy) and
Bayelsa.
Others stayed away from the event.
While unveiling the secretariat, Jang
said two governors sent their apologies.
He, however, did not mention their names.
Flags of political parties that produced
governors were hung outside the premises
of the secretariat.
These are Peoples Democratic Party, the
Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress
for Progressive Change, the Labour Party
and the All Nigeria Peoples Party.
Some aides of the governors were seen
discussing the refusal of majority of the
governors to be at the event.
They said the number of those who
attended might have confirmed the number
of votes Jang scored at the Governors'
forum, which was held in Abuja on Friday.
While Jang scored 16 votes, Governor of
Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, scored
19.
But the Jang faction insisted that since
their candidate was endorsed by the
majority of the governors before voting,
then he should be considered the winner
of the election.
Speaking with journalists after a tour of
the secretariat in company with other
governors, Jang said he was impressed
with what he saw.
He also said he would embark on
reconciliation, adding that the opening
of the secretariat was a new beginning in
the Forum.
Jang said, "I want to thank you very
sincerely for honouring our invitation to
come for the opening of the secretariat
of the NGF today.
"We have not had any formal meeting
(today), we went round and saw what they
have in the secretariat.
"We want to take this opportunity to
congratulate Mr. President on the 14th
year if Nigeria's democracy and the
presentation of his mid-term report,
which he presented at the International
Conference Centre on Wednesday.
"We wish him good health, we wish him
everything and we support his
transformation agenda."
He disagreed with the notion that the
opening of the factional secretariat was
not a sign that the Forum was already
collapsing.
He said, "Who said so? When did we just
open the secretariat? You know we have
been meeting at individual's governor's
lodge before and we decided we should be
meeting on a new real ground so that we
are not under the influence of any
governor.
"Every governor would be coming here for
meeting and I wish to say that we are
working hard to reconcile each other. You
heard what I said in Jos and that we will
be doing our politics for the nation.
"We are appealing to our colleagues to
work together for the glory of the
country."
Also speaking at the occasion, the
Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake
Dickson, said it was wrong to use the NGF
for personal ambition.
He said the Forum was also not to be used
to promote an agenda or an alternative
government.
The governor said, "It (the opening of
the factional office) is a new dawn in
NGF; this is what we ought to have done
in the first place.
"This Forum must not be used to promote
personal ambition; it should be used to
promote somebody's ego.
"This Forum is there to serve as a non-
partisan body for development and
responding for critical issues. That is
the new spirit here now.
"We are poised to make a new beginning
and to serve a message that this Forum
should not be used for personal
aggrandisement, this Forum does not exist
to be used to as a platform or a tool for
antagonising the President and people in
authority.
"This Forum is not to be used to promote
an agenda or promoting an alternative
government."
Asked about the poor attendance of the
event by the governors, Dickson said
there was nothing new about it, adding
that "the meeting in Kwara State where
Governor Amaechi was elected was attended
by seven governors and six deputies. That
makes it 13."