Can Amaechi save Governors’ Forum?

By Sam Egburonu.

Amaechi

Since the exit of Bukola Saraki and the emergence of Rotimi Amaechi as the helmsman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, the fortunes and image of the group have been subjects of debate. But with the current disagreement over state police and other national issues, NGF seems mortally threatened, writes Sam Egburonu  

Until the military emerged from the blues and hijacked the Nigerian political power, following the 1966 military coup, governors in the country were only ceremonial leaders. This status has since changed as governors are today elected chief executive officers of their states.

Besides wielding immense political power in their various states, the governors have, through the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), also tried to control the central polity. 

During the headship of the former governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, the forum achieved high level of unity and literarily dominated the political scene as it became obvious that its voice on any issue of political importance could not be ignored.

Currently, however, open disagreements amongst members and the leadership suggest that all is no longer well within the forum.       

The coming of NGF

Before independence in 1960, governors for the original three regions and the Governor-General for the federation exercised ceremonial powers and were seemingly satisfied with that constitutional role. Only the Premiers for the regions and a Prime Minister for the federation had executive powers. 

Even then, there was no express provision in the constitution for the Premiers or governors to constitute themselves into a special pressure group for exclusive political interests and none of them tried to openly arrogate to himself such power.

Also, because of its unitary and command structure, military governors that served all through the military era were directly answerable to the Federal Military Council under the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. There was therefore never a time such governors reportedly constituted themselves into a unique power bloc that directly challenged the Federal Military Government on sensitive national issues.

Even at the return of civilian democratic government in 1979, when elected governors became chief executives of their states in a federal arrangement, wielding enormous powers, they could not immediately constitute themselves into a power bloc. Being elected into office on party platforms, it was, however, thought they would be answerable to their respective political parties and, therefore, could not be in any association or forum.

At first, governors elected under the platform of a party worked more as a family. For example, it was common to hear of meetings of governors elected under a party, like the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) or even the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Later, opposition parties began to meet and work together against alleged corrupt practices of the NPN-led federal government. This was the situation until the military took over power again.

However, since the return of civilian government in Nigeria in 1999, governors have not only assumed immense power for themselves and the office but have gradually evolved into the most aggressive power bloc through the Nigerian Governors Forum. 

But as Mike Ukaegbu, a lawyer explains, the forum may have managed to assume immense power but it remains only a pressure group. “Nigeria Governors Forum has no place in the constitution. It is only an informal meeting of state chief executives which has no force of law. Therefore, any decision, observation or action made by this group has no legal backing and whenever such decision contradicts the constitution, it must be considered null and void and of no effect,” he said.

Its many battles

Though criticized by many, the Nigerian Governors Forum has become a voice to be reckoned with whenever any critical political decision is to be taken in Nigeria. Aware of this fact, the forum has taken on the federal government when it matters most, sometimes having its way.

For example, when the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was about to leave office, and the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) set out to shop for its presidential candidate, NGF, under the leadership of the then governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, allegedly played significant role in the emergence of two governors, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan as presidential candidate and running mate respectively. At the height of the crisis that enveloped the country just before eventual death of then President Yar’Adua, NGF also played decisive roles as an influential stakeholder.

Besides these, the forum’s decisions on virtually every public issue have been viewed seriously both by the federal government and other Nigerians.

Also, some of the governors use their advantaged position, as controllers of the state resources, to hijack state power, determining who would contest and win elections and who would be given appointments at state and federal levels.

They did not stop there as their have informally emerged as one of the major stakeholders that can dare challenge or disagree with the federal government on any major issue. One of the well celebrated economic issues governors have openly disagreed with the federal government is resource control.  

Another of its united battle against the federal government is on the issue of deductions from the Federation Account. It had accused the federal government of illegal deductions of funds used in offsetting oil subsidy payments from the Federation Account and resolved to head for the Supreme Court to seek redress.

Rising from a meeting in Abuja, the governors also constituted an Economic and Security Intervention Committee to meet President Goodluck Jonathan on an emergency economic intervention plan focusing on agriculture and other economic regeneration.

A communiqué read by the chairman of the forum and Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, reads in part: “The forum deliberated extensively on the continuing illegal deductions from the Federation Account towards offsetting oil subsidy payments, Excess Crude Account and other unconstitutional withdrawals by the federal government and unanimously resolved to go to court to seek legal redress … On the recurring insecurity in the country, Forum sympathised with the government and people of Plateau State on the recent loss of lives and property and appealed to the federal government to urgently commence the recruitment, intensive training, equipping and proper deployment of security agents across the country. Forum also called on the customs and immigration services to tighten security at the nation’s borders.

“The Forum resolved to constitute an Economic and Security Intervention Committee, with membership from Rivers, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Abia, Plateau, Adamawa and Zamfara States, to meet with Mr. President on an emergency economic intervention plan focusing initially on agriculture and other economic regeneration programmes for employment generation in the northern states.”

This added to the current battle over state police have attracted flacks and applause from critics and followers. While majority of Nigerians are praising NGF for its position on state police, federal government top officials are worried and seemingly happy at the reported disagreement within the forum.

Some government aides believe that the governors are overstepping their bounds. A source from the presidency, for example, told The Nation this week that NGF is arrogating to itself a role the constitution did not give it. Instead of paying attention to governance, the governors, said the source, are trying hard to portray the federal government as the problem of Nigeria. “This should not be the case. If everybody does his work well, the current security challenge would be easily overcome. But everybody is looking for a scape goat and the governors seem to have seen it as an opportunity of acquiring more power. But we know some of them are already abusing the enormous powers they currently wield,” he alleged. 

Can Amaechi cope?

Following the open disagreement between majority of northern governors and the leadership of Nigerian Governors Forum, there are insinuations that the current chairman of the forum, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State may have lost out in the power play and may no longer be able to mend the broken fences. 

Following the inability of the leadership of the forum to resolve the matter during last Tuesday’s meeting in Abuja, and the decision to postpone the matter until after the Ramadan break, The Nation learnt that many regional and caucus meetings have been held to arrive at sectional positions before the next meeting. A source, close to one of the governors in the North-Central geo-political zone, however, said that the zone may never be able to come up with a united position. He told The Nation that aside Governor Jonah Jang, who has openly said he was not part of the meeting where northern governors allegedly agreed to opt out of the earlier decision, many other northern governors actually want state police but cannot say so now. 

Jimi Agbaja, a top politician in Lagos corroborated this fact. He told The Nation that from what is happening within the Nigerian Governors Forum, “It has become clearer that people are looking more at ethnic or sectional interest rather than the general interest.”

He, however, disagreed with the view that the disagreement is a pointer that Amaechi may have lost out and may no longer be able to effectively lead the forum. “I don’t see this development as a proof that Amaechi has lost or is losing control. No! It is just that something happened after the initial decision and this has to do with northern or sectional interest,” he said, adding, “But for me, I vote for state police and I do not intend to render apologies to anybody on this matter. I do not see why a state should make laws but cannot enforce it. What we should be talking of today is how the states would relate with the federal government.” 

The debate and the numerous stakeholders’ meetings continue as the nation holds its breath.