Governors and leaders of the South-South Region want the Presidency to tender an unreserved apology for abruptly aborting a crucial stakeholders meeting scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Tuesday.
The presidency had fixed a meeting for Tuesday with the 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 the Ministers from the geopolitical zone and other persons.
Recall that the Federal Government’s cancellation may not be unconnected with Governor Okowa criticizing President Buhari administration’s decision to allow some states like Zamfara mine and manage gold and other solid minerals in their domains, while stopping the Niger Delta states from managing their oil and gas resources.
Addressing South-South leaders at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa who presided over the session, narrated that the botched meeting was called at the instance of the presidency, through the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Agboola Ibrahim Gambari.
He explained that the meeting time was adjusted twice from 11a.m. to 1p.m. on Tuesday, 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.
Okowa, who is also the chairman of South-South Governors Forum, said he later got a call from the Chief of Staff to the President on Tuesday afternoon, announcing the eventual cancellation of the meeting.
According to him, 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 that the South-South geopolitical zone is a very important component part of the nation and that the governors felt insulted because the traditional rulers who had gathered for the meeting, deserved to be revered.
