Sunday warned his Plateau State
counterpart, Mr. Jonah Jang, against
impersonating him as the chairman of the
Nigeria Governors' Forum.
Amaechi was reacting to media reports on
Saturday that Jang had invited the NGF members
to a meeting scheduled for Monday (today) in
Abuja.
Jang, who lost out to the Rivers State Governor
during the May 24 governors election, had in a
statement said that the NGF forum meeting
would hold at 6pm.
In the statement in which he addressed himself
as the NGF chairman, Jang stated that after their
meeting, the governors would meet with
President Goodluck Jonathan at 9pm in the
Presidential Villa.
He explained that the governors would meet "in
view of the impasse arising from the Federal
Allocation Accounts Committee meeting."
State commissioners for Finance had on Thursday
stormed out of the FAAC meeting in Abuja
because of N60bn unpaid arrears.
But on Sunday, Amaechi distanced himself from
the meeting announced by Jang, saying the he
(Jang) should not tarnish the integrity of
governors.
The Rivers State governor said, "As the 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, 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 Friday, May
24, 2013. For the avoidance of doubt, I, as
chairman of the NGF have not called for any
governors' forum meeting for Monday, June 17,
2013.
"Governor Jang is my brother and a friend and I
harbour no ill feelings against him; but it is
important that he stops this impersonation, as it
could threaten all the good work we all have done
together."
Amaechi explained that the only meeting he was
aware of was that between all the governors and
Jonathan today.
"The only meeting scheduled for Monday June 17,
is a meeting of all governors with His Excellency,
President Goodluck Jonathan scheduled to hold at
9pm at Aso Rock Villa." He therefore enjoined all
the governors to "please ensure attendance at
this meeting with Mr. President."
He reminded Jang that a legal action that had
been instituted against him (Jang) by the Lagos
State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN),
asking him to stop parading himself as the
chairman of NGF.
"As leaders elected by our people, Nigerians are
closely watching us. We must comport ourselves
according to the dictates and principles of
democratic and lawful practices and norms,"
Amaechi added.
He, however, reassured his colleagues that the
leadership "crisis in the NGF would be resolved
and the forum would be reunited as one family
committed to the country."
Amaechi stated that the forum would continue to
support the President's "vision for a Nigeria that
safeguards the rights of all its citizens to good
governance and democratic norms."
But in a swift response, Jang insisted that the
NGF meeting would hold as scheduled on
Monday.
The governor, who spoke through the Sole
Administrator of his NGF faction, Mr. Osaro
Onaiwo, added, "The meeting would hold as
scheduled and the agenda is the Federation
Allocation Accounts. After that members would
proceed to the Presidential Villa to have a meeting
with President Jonathan."
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