By Sidney Madumkwem
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum is an organization that came into existence in 1999 with the inauguration of democracy on the May, 1999.
Membership is exclusively for the 36 serving state Governors of the federation. From the original concept of the organization, the forum was meant for rubbing minds, exchanging of ideas and comparing notes among members, with the prime purpose of rendering services to their respective states. It is one single organization held in high esteem and once the organization holds its meeting, Nigerians are anxious to listen to its communiqué even when such meeting ends in the dead of the night. it is a forum vociferous, outspoken on certain nagging issues without bias or subjectivity, no matter the ethnic or religious background of its Chairman. That was then.
Today, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum has taken a dangerous position, being a putty in the hands of ethnic jingoist Governors. Eagle-eyed Nigerians for sometime now watch with bated breath the dimension the activities of the forum has degenerated.
Last week, the Governors’ Forum came hard on the suspicion that the President was on the verge of imposing a State of emergency on troubled states in the North and advised against it.
But in a swift reaction and like a Blacksmith hitting a hot iron, President Goodluck Jonathan clamped down a state of emergency on Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States in the North East zone. Although, to many Nigerians, the emergency rule was not comprehensive in the true sense of the term. Some Nigerians called it an emergency rule with human face, to some it is a quasi or half- measure emergency rule because in the President magnanimity, the democratic structures are allowed to function, even though the constitution is very explicit on the application of a state of emergency. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared without reservation, a state of emergency in Plateau State during the tenure of Joshua Dariye and in Ekiti State during Governor Ayo Fasoye tenure, at a time insecurity in the two states was even infinitesimal, when compared to the destruction of lives and property as witnessed in Bomb, Yobe and Adamawa States.
As to the position of NGF against the imposition of a state of emergency, the questions begging for answers are: what does the forum stand to benefit being at cross-purposes with the President? Was the action of the NGF patriotic and pro-democratic viz-a-viz the destruction and embarrassment the Boko Haram Islamists are bringing to the nation?
Agreed that the NGF is a pressure group, but the denial of the forum that it is a trade association is unacceptable to Nigerians. it is best described as a political party because of the over-bearing influence and hidden agenda of some Governors, who wish to use the platform for pursuing their presidential ambition.
Every intrigue has a point of leakage. With discordant voices and acrimony coming from the election Friday 24th May 2013 of the Chairman of the NGF proved analysts right that the leadership of the Forum under Governor Rotimi Amaechi is acting a script.
How come the forum under Governor Rotimi Amaechi spoke in unison in condemnation of a state of emergency declared by the President, when the President, against popular opinion, granted amnesty to the insurgents? Was the forum unaware that Borno, Yobe, Adamawa were under siege? Was Nigerian Federation not faced with imminent danger of invasion? Was there no actual breakdown of public order and security in these states before the declaration of emergency?
Under the nose of governors, the legislators and the elders, the Boko Haram killed, destroyed and plundered Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Kaduna and some other places. Banks, churches, communication networks regarded as sacrosanct were desecrated. President Goodluck Jonathan is portrayed as destroying the North when Governors and legislators were elected to rule their various states. The same governors, who with their well-equipped informal security outfits could smoke out, impound or arrest truck loads of alcohol, destroy without police intervention but now incapacitated of dislodging the modus operandi of the insurgents. Unbelievable!
The NGF has exposed its under-belly. If there were opposite number Boko Haram organization rampaging in the South of South-East, South-south, would NGF under the leadership of a Governor from the North have opposed the imposition of a state of emergency in these two zones mentioned? What a double-standard? Many Governors would have stampeded the President to declare a total state of emergency on the South-east and South-south.
I am not from Bayelsa State, the home State of President Goodluck Jonathan. Neither am I one of his ministers or advisers or a card-carrying member of his party, PDP. As a journalist and a stakeholder in the Nigerian project, I have taken time to study the configuration called Nigeria. I have also taken pains to study events surrounding the enigma called Jonathan and telepathically and inspirationally, I have come to the irreversible and irrevocable conclusion that there is something and more about Jonathan beyond Northern and Southern comprehension.
One common denominator of these governors, who are opposed to the President and who insist that the North must produce the President’s successor is that they are playing God and going about 2015 without a tinge of conscience. Again the Governors that are making hullabaloo about 2015 are all in their second term tenure. The question Nigerians ask is, if Amaechi, Sule Lamido Babangida Aliyu were in their first term, would they have sacrificed their second term ambition in pursuit of a higher office? Everything revolves on vaulting ambitions. While I concede to the fact that the democratic space is wide to accommodate the presidential ambition of Sule Lamido of Jagawa State, Rablu Kwankwaso of Kano State and the Chief Servant and strongman of Niger State, Aliyu Muazu Babangida and the second fiddle role of Rotimi Amaechi, whó is operating behind the scene in his aspiration of being a Vice- presidential candidate of one of the Northern Governors, perhaps the Niger State Governor, the NGF must not be used as a platform to portray the President in bad light, weaken him before Nigerians as anti-North, wicked and incapable of arresting insecurity across the country. Aliyu and his co-travellers know that it would be easy to read in-between the lines that it is anti-PDP and anti party activity, so they must masquerade their ambition under NGF, with sympathy from about ten opposition party Governors.
Dr. Aliyu Muazu Babangida is not a politicians of little means. The Chief servant of Nigeria State is a vocal and vociferous voice on issues of national concern and not because he is the chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum. I like him for his outspokenness. He does not like to blow hot and cold. Aliyu does not equivocate. He is passionate about protecting the interest of his constituency- the North and this he did not hide during his federal service stint.
But unfortunately, Aliyu seems to be ignorant of the fact that ethnic card agenda, religious sentiments and other primordial tendencies were at the root of the country’s backwardness.
The NGF for the past months has been an instrument to oppose even issues that are of national interest, including the recent declaration of a state of emergency. Intrigues, conspiracy, disrespect and disregard, coupled with utterances that are provocative coming from some members of the NGF are actions to undermine the president and cannot be divorced from narrow interest of some members of NGF.
Aliyu Babangida was quoted as saying during a meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum in Abuja to his anti-Amaechi colleagues, that the Rivers State Governor Rotimi would be returned as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, adding “let me tell you, ten (10) of you and even twenty (20) of you and Jonathan cannot remove Amaechi. Go and tell him”.
The outcome of the NGF election can be best described as a blessing in disguise, for it has uncovered horse-trading attitude of some Governors. It is another way of exposing those governors that are above the law and who feel that they can challenge the Presidency with impunity.
Whether Jonah Jang or Amaechi finally takes up the chairman ship of the NGF, Governors and Nigerians must have realized who are indeed undermining the nation’s fledging democracy.
