South-East Governors Forum Crisis Deepens As Okorocha, Obiano Shun Meetings

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Sunday, May 8th, 2016

By IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu

The lingering leadership crisis rocking the South- east Governors forum has worsened,as governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and his Anambra state counterpart, Willy Obiano, for the second time in a week, shunned their meetings held in Enugu.

AFRICAN EXAMINER recalled that the two governors, elected under the platform of All progressive Congress APC, and All progressive Grand Alliance APGA, were conspicuously absent during the forum’s last week’s sunday and today’s (Sunday) meeting which took place in Enugu.

Our correspondent reports that the south east governor’s forum has been without

a chairman since 2015, after ex- governor of Abia state, Theodore Orji, now a serving senator, left office as the forum’s leader.

Sunday’s meeting held at the Enugu government house was attended by only incumbent and ex- governors of peoples Democratic party PDP in the zone, including the Deputy senate president DSP, Ike Ekweremadu.

The forum’s regular media briefing after its meeting, which is normally handed by its chairman, was performed by Ekweremadu, who is not a governor, a development that signifies that all is not well with the body, made up of governors of Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi states.

However, the forum in its Sunday’s meeting, resolved to ensure that only competent and credible contractors are engaged in executing some of the federal road projects in the zone that are captured in the 2016 budget.

Some of the roads include, the Enugu/ Onitsha, Enugu/Port Harcourt and Aba/ Ikot Ekpene, amongst others.

Addressing newsmen on behalf of the governors at the end of the meeting, Ekweremadu, said the forum would ensure that only reputable contracting firms are engaged in handling the road projects in the zone this time around.

He added that the governors, would equally ensure proper monitoring of the project when it commences.

The forum, applauded the executive and legislative arms of government for resolving the grey areas in the 2016 budget, which led to its singing by president Mohammadu Buhari, last friday.

While applauding governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on the measures he put in place to address the recent Fulani herdsmen attack on Nimbo community, in Uzo Uwani council area of Enugu state, the governors, promised to join hands together to put in place more enduring strategies aimed at bringing lasting solution to the herdsmen menace in south east zone Nigeria.

Present at the meeting were Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu, ex- Governor Peter Obi of Anambra, former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, of Imo state, and the Deputy senate president, Ekweremadu.