Only five out of the 19 northern governors were present at today’s meeting of the Northern State Governors Forum (NSGF) held in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria.

The governors in attendance were Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Ibrahim Dankwanbo of Gombe, Tanko Almakura of Nassarawa and the host governor, Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State.

The governors did not discuss the controversy that returned Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Jonah Jang of Plateau State as Chairmen of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

However, out of the five governors in attendance, three of them were believed to be pro- Amaechi.
It was gathered that all the pro-Jang governors shunned the meeting in protest against what they considered as “betrayal during the NGF meeting.”

“I know there was election that someone won. We are having problems and we will solve it,” the Chairman of the NSGF, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said while responding to questions from newsmen.

The traditional press briefing prior to the commencement of the meeting was unusually shelved.
Chairman of the NSGF politely asked journalists to excuse the governors who were mostly represented by their deputies.

The meeting started around 11:00am and ended around 1:30pm.

A communique signed by the Chairman expressed concern over the economic problems facing the nation and the North in particular and resolved to have an Economic Plan emanating from the states, zones and the region that will form a basis for economic development.

The Forum considered the recommendations of the Draft White Paper of the Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security and resolved each member states to study the recommendations and promptly implement them as appropriate in the interest of peaceful co-existence and development of the country.

On the Petroleum Industry Bill, the meeting noted that member states had already articulated and forwarded their various positions on the bill to the National Assembly. The forum therefore resolved to continue to engage members of the National Assembly for the speedy passage of the bill in the overall interest of all.

•Photo shows NSGF Chairman Babangida Aliyu.