State Governors belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have accused the federal government of secretly funding their counterparts who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as allocation to states continued dwindling.
The governors, who met in Ilorin Kwara State, under the aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) have now vowed to meet President Goodluck Jonathan over the issue.
Present at the meeting yesterday were Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Ishaq Ajimobi (Oyo), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and immediate past Governor of Ekiti State Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was celebrated at the meeting over the successful completion of his tenure in Ekiti.
“This issue has become a very serious concern to us as governors and we felt that issues that affect the lives of our people must never be politicised.
We refuse to accept the fact that this nation is broke and thank God that the Federal Government has confirmed that the nation is not broke. If the nation is not broke, what is due to states should be given to states,” said Okorocha, while briefing newsmen at the end of the session.
“This idea of cutting what should go to states does not in any way promote democracy and democratic dividends.
And so, we as progressive governors, call on the Federal Government to look into the issue of dwindling resources and convince us why the states should not get what is due to them.
“We demand to have a meeting with the President on this issue of dwindling resources as quickly as possible,” he stressed.
Explaining why he thought the cash crunch was aimed at APC states, Okorocha said he wondered why the PDP governors were not complaining.
“We do not know why our colleagues in the PDP are not talking of this matter.
If they are not talking, it is either they are not affected or somehow they are getting something from the back door which we do not know.
I think the President or the Federal Government should act quickly to quell the present ugly situation which this terrible condition of dwindling resources points out to us by making sure that the states get what is due to them, at least to pay salaries of their workers.
” Speaking on the position of the governors’ forum on choosing a consensus candidate to represent the APC in the 2015 elections, Okorocha said the forum was in full support.
“Our forum is in full support of consensus as one of the ways to produce our presidential candidate or any candidate in the party as long as it is done with respect to internal democracy.
“There will be no imposition of candidate in our party.
Our forum has not adopted any candidate but we shall encourage consensus and dialogue within the leadership of the party and aspirants to see how we come up with a candidate.
But where that is not possible, like true progressives, we shall have free and fair primaries,” he said.
The governors, who met in Ilorin Kwara State, under the aegis of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) have now vowed to meet President Goodluck Jonathan over the issue.
Present at the meeting yesterday were Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Ishaq Ajimobi (Oyo), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and immediate past Governor of Ekiti State Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was celebrated at the meeting over the successful completion of his tenure in Ekiti.
“This issue has become a very serious concern to us as governors and we felt that issues that affect the lives of our people must never be politicised.
We refuse to accept the fact that this nation is broke and thank God that the Federal Government has confirmed that the nation is not broke. If the nation is not broke, what is due to states should be given to states,” said Okorocha, while briefing newsmen at the end of the session.
“This idea of cutting what should go to states does not in any way promote democracy and democratic dividends.
And so, we as progressive governors, call on the Federal Government to look into the issue of dwindling resources and convince us why the states should not get what is due to them.
“We demand to have a meeting with the President on this issue of dwindling resources as quickly as possible,” he stressed.
Explaining why he thought the cash crunch was aimed at APC states, Okorocha said he wondered why the PDP governors were not complaining.
“We do not know why our colleagues in the PDP are not talking of this matter.
If they are not talking, it is either they are not affected or somehow they are getting something from the back door which we do not know.
I think the President or the Federal Government should act quickly to quell the present ugly situation which this terrible condition of dwindling resources points out to us by making sure that the states get what is due to them, at least to pay salaries of their workers.
” Speaking on the position of the governors’ forum on choosing a consensus candidate to represent the APC in the 2015 elections, Okorocha said the forum was in full support.
“Our forum is in full support of consensus as one of the ways to produce our presidential candidate or any candidate in the party as long as it is done with respect to internal democracy.
“There will be no imposition of candidate in our party.
Our forum has not adopted any candidate but we shall encourage consensus and dialogue within the leadership of the party and aspirants to see how we come up with a candidate.
But where that is not possible, like true progressives, we shall have free and fair primaries,” he said.
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