At a time when the controversy sparked
by last weekend’s disclosure that
President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly
entered into an agreement with some
state governors to spend just a term of
four years in office is still creating
ripples, over 200 political heavyweights
in the country have teamed up to form a new political group. The group started
out as G-37.
At the weekend, Sunday Vanguard was
reliably informed in telephone
conversation with one of the conveners
that the group, which “seeks to set itself apart from the fray of merger and
needless sundry confrontation, would
fashion a new path to Nigeria’s glory”.
Yet to come up with a formal name, the
group is said to have been holding
meetings and consultations as a non-
partisan political organisation with the
aim of instituting good governance in the country.
Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji
Uzor Kalu, is said to be the arrowhead of
the group.
Five formal meetings of the group have
been held while “a plethora of
consultations are going on across the six geo-political zones of the country”, a
source based in the Federal Capital
Territory, FCT, Abuja said.
At the group’s last meeting on
Wednesday, February 20, 2013, “it was a packed house as scores of politicians
were in attendance.” The meeting was held in Maitama, Abuja.
Among those in attendance were
Senator Gbemisola Saraki, who is the
vice chairman of the group, Basorun Akin Osuntokun, the secretary; a former
Chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu; one
time minister, Odein Ajumogobia, SAN; a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George; Ambassador Fati
Abubakar; Nigeria’s former High
Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador
Musiliu Obanikoro; a former Minister of
Aviation in the administration of former
President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Chris Uche, SAN.
A member of the group told Sunday
Vanguard that the main focus of the
group is unity.
“At a time that Nigeria’s centenary is
here, we need to first of all ensure that
we are united as a people before politics comes in”, the member said.
“The way the country is going”, he
continued, “gives cause for concern
because we can only play politics when
there is peace and unity”.
The group already has committees put in place to ensure a synergy of purpose.
Some of the committees include
Mobilisation, chaired by Fani-Kayode,
with Senator Grace Bent as deputy; the
Finance Committee, chaired by Fafa Dan Princewill; Media, chaired Senator
Emmanuel Onwe, with Prof. Mahmud
Jega as vice chairman; while Nuhu
Ribaud heads the Committee on
Strategy and Research.
Some other members of the group
include Lawal Shuaibu; human rights
activist, Uba Sani; Senator Umar
Argungu; Olusegun Awolowo; and Hon.
Uche Ekwunife.
LINK:
www.vanguardngr.com/2013/02/single-term-agreement-controversy-kalu-ribadu-saraki-el-rufai-ajumogobia-obanikoro-200-others-float-new-group/