Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi yesterday called on governors to ignore a meeting called for today in Abuja by his Plateau State counterpart, Governor Jonah Jang.
He said Jang should remain within the confines of decorum and cease to impersonate him and parading himself as the chairman of the governors forum.
The governor, in a statement in Port Harcourt said: “On Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16 reports in the media credited to my brother, 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 peoples’ mandate through the democratic process of free and fair election, we would do anything to impugn our integrity.
“However, as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum elected by my colleagues to safeguard their integrity and that of the forum, it has become imperative for me to request my brother and governor, Jang to remain within the confines of decorum and cease to impersonate me and to stop parading himself as NGF chairman.
“There is only one chairman of the forum duly elected by a vote tally of 19:16 on Thursday, May 23, 2013.
“I, as chairman of the NGF, have not called for any governors forum meeting for Monday June 17, 2013. The only meeting scheduled for Monday is a meeting of all governors with his Excellency, President Jonathan scheduled to hold at 9pm at Aso villa”.
Amaechi further reminded Governor Jang of the legal action instituted against him by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State from parading himself as the chairman of NGF and warned that Nigerians are watching the actions and activities of the governors.
But in a swift reaction, Jang insisted he is the authentic chairman of the NGF and vowed to go ahead with his meeting scheduled for today at his faction’s secretariat in Maitama.
Acting Director General of Jang’s faction, Osaru Onaiwu told Daily Trust last night that the meeting convened by Jang today would not be shelved.
“We have sent invitation letters to all the 36 state governors and we are expecting not less than 20 to attend by 6pm,” Onaiwu said.
He said the meeting would not discuss political issues but dwell on state funding as a follow up on the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting held last Thursday.
“After our meeting the governors will then proceed to meet with the President by 9pm tomorrow (today),” Onaiwu said. http://dailytrust.com.ng/index.php/top-stories/57037-amaechi-to-jang-stop-impersonating-as-ngf-chair