By Henry Umoru, Assistant Politics Editor
FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information and South South leader, Edwin Clark, has accused the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, of being a threat to the peace and stability of the country.
Clark, who noted this in his 688-page autobiography, Brutally Frank, also said governors were ignorant of their powers under the federal system and that in recent times, most of them had assumed what he described as arbitrary and oppressive powers over their political jurisdictions which are not reactive.
In Chapter 20 of the book, titled ”Governors Forum, a threat to the Peace and Stability of the Nation from Pages 471 to 504, Clark took a swipe at the governors, saying the powers given them by the 1999 constitution, such as using their executive powers to control the state judiciary and legislature, in violation of the constitution.
According to him, the governors acquire such illegal powers through the parties they belonged to.
He said they lobbied state chairmen of their parties to their side, and even try to influence the national chairmen of their parties to make their control easier and at the same time, get extra powers over their fellow party members.
Clark said: “The Nigeria Governor’s forum, NGF, is a coalition of elected governors of the country’s 36 states. It is a non-partisan platform that was created to enhance collaboration among governors of states in Nigeria.
“There is no doubt that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum is copied from the American system whereby American governors meet to compare and exchange ideas and policies i.e., they have a peer review mechanism.
”The first chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum was Abdullahi Adamu, former governor of Nasarawa State. He is standing trial in the high court, Abuja, on alleged corruption amounting to N15billion for over 15 years and the case is yet to he heard.
“It is, therefore, appalling to note that a man standing trial in the high court for 15 charges on money laundering has now become the most competent, transparent and honest person to be appointed over and above more than 10 candidates that applied to be considered for the post of the national chairman of APC.
”This is no doubt contrary to President Muhammadu Buhari’s popular song that if the Federal Government does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. He was of course, the preferred candidate of Mr. President.
”No doubt, it is quite certain that President Muhammadu Buhari had elimination of corruption as one of his agenda in his manifesto. Today, the All Progressives Congress, APC, which is out to fight corruption elected him on consensus as national chairman, after six other contestants were forced to withdraw against their will.
“Architect Obong Attah, Governor of Akwa-Ibom took over from Abdullah Adamu, and was in charge of the forum from 2004 to 2006. The forum was not very active during that time. After him was Lucky Igbinedion (2006-2007, and he too was a guest of EFCC.
”His case was tried at the Federal High Court, Enugu. He entered into a plea bargain and was sentenced accordingly.
”But the then Chairman of EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, a retired AIG, alleged somewhere in the United States of America that Chief Lucky Igbinedion did not keep to the terms of the plea bargain, and was, therefore, shocked that the judge fined him N3 million which was not part of the bargain.
”She further said he brought the money to pay the fine from the boot of his car. After Igbinedion, the next chairman was Senator Bukola Saraki (2007-2011).
“However, it seems the NGF performs more functions, some of which are in excess of their constitutional authority, particularly in the fourth Republic where the NGF almost assumed the power of a political party under the Nigerian electoral laws.
”They must have registered themselves under CAC, whereby they can now sue or be sued. Some of the functions they now perform are not only excessive but illegal and unconstitutional.
“The activities of NGF took a new dimension when Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari took over the chairmanship (2015-2019) as a government institution with full powers and authority.
”It was during his tenure that he and his group were required to pay part of the Paris Club refund to some legal consultants who were alleged to have worked for some local governments that were claiming $440,000,000.
” I observed with keen interest that with the change of baton to Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, the Governors’ Forum was somehow involved in all forms of uncomplimentary activities, including allegation against the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum for allegedly spending money, or refund from the Paris Club.
”There was also an accusation against him that he built a gigantic hotel from illicit wealth. Happily, the scandalous image of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum seemly changed with the assumption of office of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State who piloted the affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in more decent ways.”
Govs ignorant of their powers under the federal system of govt
“I have watched with dismay and disappointment the attitude and behaviour of the governors of 36 states of Nigeria who are members of the Governors Forum, irrespective of their political parties.
”However, this situation is worsened by the state governors forming themselves into two associations: APC governors call themselves the Progressive Governors’ Forum, while the PDP Governors, call themselves the PDP Governors’ Forum. This is very discriminatory.
“Their interest does not only clash but is also contradicting. For instance, I have seen members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum dancing around the President in Aso Rock, and coming out to announce one statement or the other, to show they are in control of the federal government.
”Some of them even accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to Daura in Katsina State during the APC membership revalidation exercise, at a time their states were being attacked by armed bandits.
”The attacks of the bandits mean nothing to the governors since it does not affect them or their families who live on tax payers’ money. On the other hand, children of the masses are being abducted from schools and their parents made to pay ransom before they are released.
”Sometimes, the kidnappers even kill their victims after ransom has been paid. For instance, there was a case of a medical doctor who was relaxing in his house with his wife and two children when kidnappers struck.
”The doctor ran out to call the police, but before they arrived, the kidnappers had taken his wife and two children away. Thereafter, they demanded a ransom of 5 million naira which was paid because the doctor did not want to lose his wife and children.
”The kidnappers returned the two children to their father but kept back their mother to demand for more money. Regrettably, the kidnappers phoned the husband to go to the roadside to collect the body of his wife.”
