By Chesa Chesa
Members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
The agenda of the Thursday meeting was not made known to State House Correspondents but it is believed to connected to the protests against bad governance and hunger planned by some Nigerians beginning August 1st.
The Chairman of the PGF and the Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma led the team of governors to the President’s office along with the Chairman of the Nigeria’s Governors Forum, Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman of Kwara State.
Also sighted was the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shuaibu, and Benue State Governor, Fr Hycinth Alia, Uba Sani of Kaduna State, Ebonyi State Governor amongst others.
No statement has yet to be issued since the parley ended.
Also at the Aso Rock to meet with Tinubu were prominent traditional rulers, including Sultan of Sokoto, Ooni of Ife, Dein of Agbor and Emir of Zaria.
Speaking to journalists afterwards,
Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, cautioned the youths planning to embark on national protest as a result of hardship and hunger in the country not to allow it to be hijacked by miscreants.
The Ooni, has also applauded President Bola Tinubu for giving the royal fathers the sense of belonging by bringing them together to the seat of power.
According to him, “people that are out there to protest, it’s their civic right, but let them put a face to it and don’t let it be hijacked by people that have ulterior motives. That is our stand.
“We condemn such acts fully, we traditional rulers are not engaged in people, especially the youth, coming out to start looting, to start breaking down law and order. We are parents, we are traditional rulers, we are closer to them, we are going to go back home and continue to engage them.”
Asked what the meeting with the President was all about, he said, “Today (Thursday), it’s a new twist and a new spin from the political leadership of our dear country. For the very first time, the traditional rulers were properly engaged in terms of the plans of government and governance, their achievements so far, and where they’re having challenges.
“This is long awaited. We’ve been waiting for it, but today we’re very excited because we’re closer to our people and we can bring those feedbacks back home.
“Stewardship from the Federal Executive Council, directly to the traditional rulers, it has never happened in our nation before, never. This is the first time we’re all experiencing it. We have traditional rulers that have been on the throne for 40, 50 years.
“Today is the very first time we will be addressed properly by the Federal Executive Council. So there is a proper bridge and close of governance from the governed and the people that are in charge of government.
“So it’s a very beautiful take home for us because we don’t lock our palaces, we are more exposed to the people that we actually rule over. So it’s a different twist and spin from our dear President and I want to use this is medium, on behalf of all traditional rulers, to appreciate him, no leader in Nigeria has ever done it. So for us, it’s all encompassing.”
Also speaking to journalists, the Dein of Agbor, His Royal Majesty, Benjamin Ikenchuku Gbenoba, advised the young ones not to do anything that would destroy the country.
He said the power and strength of the country lie with the youth and pleaded that those planning the August 1, national protest to give the traditional rulers the opportunity to work with the government to address their grievances.
Asked the take home message from the meeting, the Dein of Agbor said, “The take home message for me, hearing from Mr. President directly, I can see the passion. But at the same time, I think the government is finally understanding we are at the precipice.
“Our youths are our future and I think today we’ve demonstrated that the government, with the officials, we do have the hearts of the nation in our minds, we will listen to our youths because they lead the future.
“The power, the strength of Nigeria is certainly with the young people. We feel your pain, I’m a young person myself. It’s been 24 years I’ve been back and it’s been 24 years that I’ve started seeing the nation going in a very unpalatable direction, but by God’s grace, I think if you give us the chance, this protest, I know that it’s catching very high in your neck, but if you give us the chance, let us not destroy our own country.”
