Tony John, Port Harcourt
Governors and leaders of the South-South geopolitical region have demanded an unreserved apology from the presidency for abruptly aborting a crucial stakeholders meeting scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt yesterday.
The Presidency had fixed a meeting for yesterday with governors and other leaders of the region to discuss burning national issues affecting the region and the aftermath effects of the EndSARS protest.
The Federal Government delegation was supposed to include all ministers from the geopolitical zone and other persons.
Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who presided over the session, while addressing South-South leaders at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Port Harcourt, narrated the botched meeting which was called at the instance of the Presidency, through the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari.
Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, who hosted the meeting, described Rivers, which is the capital of the South-South, as safe. Present were also Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River; Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akw Ibom; Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State; and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State.
Other eminent persons present included the National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (retd), former President, Nigerian Bar Association, Onueze Okocha, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) among others.
Okowa explained that the meeting time was adjusted twice from 11am to 1pm on the excuse that President Muhammadu Buhari was meeting with Director of Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police, who were supposed to be part of the presidential delegation for the South-South meeting.
Governor Okowa, who is also chairman of South-South Governors Forum, said he later got a call from the Chief of Staff to the President, yesterday’s afternoon, announcing the eventual cancellation of the meeting. He said he felt really disappointed that the region could be treated in such disdain.
OKowa said the people of the region have been embarrassed, disgraced and disrespected.
He stated the South-South geopolitical zone was an important component part of the nation and the governors felt insulted because the traditional rulers who had gathered for the meeting, deserved to be revered.
Former president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Ledum Mitee, said the abrupt cancellation of the meeting was not only as an insult but an affront on the people of the region.
Similarly, member of the 2014 national political reform conference, Ms Ann-Kio Briggs, said the Federal Government had demonstrated the value it actually places on the South-South geopolitical zone.