The allegation by Senate President Godswill Akpabio that N30bn was recently gifted to state governors each by the federal government to ameliorate inflation and the high cost of food in their respective states has angered the governors and also exposed increasing disorder creeping into the management of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat.
The NGF Secretariat is the technical and administrative arm of the Forum which oversees its daily operations, giving direction and focus to the NGF by effectively engaging partners, stakeholders and quickly responding to issues like Akpabio’s spurious allegation, in collaboration with its chairman.
The Senate President had on Tuesday, February 21, 2024, during the plenary claimed that “unverified report” available to him indicated that apart from the first tranche of funds given to the governors, an additional N30 billion was also given to them through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Akpabio reportedly further alleged that protests over hardship in the country are being sponsored by persons whom he did not name.
It was learnt that sensing trouble, Vice-President Kashim Shettima quickly reined in angry governors from responding given Akpabio’s political and party status.
It could be recalled that after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s February 15 meeting with governors of the federation at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, it was followed by the monthly National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, presided over by Vice-President Shettima.
It was at this meeting that the Vice-President appealed to governors not to react to Akpabio’s gaffe. The matter was discussed extensively at NEC, and many of the governors were livid.
Incidentally, the Vice-Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), also the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, who did not attend the meeting, reacted saying that the Senate President lied.
Openly declaring Akpabio’s claims as totally untrue, Governor Makinde said Oyo State did not get any N30 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) or the federal government.
The governor spoke last Thursday while commissioning the newly-renovated multi-billion Naira Iseyin Central Mosque facilitated by legal icon, Ahmed Raji (SAN) in Iseyin, Oyo State and also warned that leaders should instill confidence and hope in the citizenry in this trying time rather than playing the blame game.
Given the seamless interface previously existing between between the Forum and its Secretariat, a response choreographed by the Secretariat in close collaboration with the Forum’s chairman, currently, Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulfata, given the enormity of Akpabio’s phantom allegation, would have enlightened the masses who believe they are being shortchanged by their governors.
It could be recalled that a subsisting internal crisis in the NGF Secretariat has unsettled critical processes and birthed significant dissonance in its operations.
This became clearer in an emergency virtual meeting with over 20 governors in attendance. The one item agenda meeting was to address the on-going food insecurity in the country, but it accorded a few governors the opportunity to address the forums Chairman and Governor of Kwara State on his leadership of the Governors.
Bauchi Governor, Bala Mohammed, who is also the leader of the PDP Governors, wondered why the NGF secretariat did not promptly respond to Senator Akpabio. He, however, added that the Chairman’s leadership of the Forum was commendable.
But the Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, spoke strongly on the void and directly told the chairman that the NGF secretariat since abandoned its mandate to pursue other things.
He told the Chairman that there is no secretariat for governors anymore as the one currently in existence is serving the interests of past Chairmen and not this one. Specifically, Uzodinma said the secretariat is doing the bidding of some former governors.
The NGF Secretariat management was appointed in January 2009 under the leadership of Asishana B. Okauru to run the Forum’s Secretariat, supported by two other Executive Directors in charge of Administration and Finance and Strategy and Research. Okauru is now exceeding fifteen years on the saddle.
A national newspaper also gleaned that with the support of International Development Partners, the NGF Secretariat has evolved into a policy think-tank as well as a one-stop resource centre for the 36 states.
But that goodwill, it was learned from reliable sources, is being needlessly frittered away by administrative ineptitude and draconian style, leading partners to question the integrity and credibility of their interface with the NGF.
To address the food crisis, a six man committee was set up to quickly provide answers from the governors perspective. The committee comprises of Governors Soludo of Anambra, Alex Otti of Abia, Reverend Alia of Benue, Uba Sani of Kaduna, and Sanwo-Olu of Lagos among others. (Adapted from Thisday report)
