By Valentine Amanze
The focus of the founding fathers of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in 1999 was development.
With a secretariat, which was merely organizing meetings and collecting
annual dues for running the office, the NGF became dynamic during the
tenure of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the chairman.
He spearheaded a major restructuring and redefining of the NGF.
Saraki’s tenure ended in 2011, when he handed over to his successor, the
then Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.
With the new structure, the office of Vice Chairman was created with
Mr. Peter Obi, Governor of Anambra State then, emerging as the pioneer
Vice Chairman. Obi’s inspiring leadership style transformed the NGF into
a formidable association by reinvigorating the commitment of Governors
in pursuing the main thrusts of creating the association. The formation
of the NGF was not only expedient but imperative for the states to
assert themselves and to collectively influence the nature and course of
policies at the national level.
The NGF began
to take a new shape in the form of stronger cohesion and a dramatic
increase in the level of commitment. The evolution of the Forum from
2009 till date could be attributed to the following:
Increase in attendance at meetings which has gone up significantly from
the hitherto 9-12 out of 36 to the present 35-36 out of 36 members.
Forum meetings formed the basis for major policy contributions on
important national issues such as the debates on Sovereign Wealth Fund,
Minimum Wage, and the fuel subsidy. In addition to regular meetings,
various working committees (e.g. on Constitutional Review, Revenue
Allocation, Security, etc.) are functional. More broadly, the National
Executive Council (NEC) monthly meetings usually drive the scheduling of
Forum meetings and common positions adopted at these meetings form the
crux of the Governors priorities at NEC.
All
of the above speak to the emerging unity of purpose and a desire to find
common ground on issues with a potential of directly impacting on the
wider polity. For instance, in 2012, the Forum developed a collaborative
arrangement on polio eradication involving the NGF and the Federal
Ministry of Health and the Gates Foundation whereby states that met all
the laid down threshold criteria were awarded a 500,000 USD grant the
Gates’ Foundation to support their top health priorities.
However, things have changed with the visionlessness of the immediate past leadership of the forum.
In practical terms, since the inception of the immediate past regime of
Governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara State, the NGF has become a major
link to the rising poverty in the 36 states of the federation.
The members now only meet to drum support for President Muhammadu
Buhari, beg for more money from the Presidency to pay their workers and
to explain why they will not pay the minimum wage in the midst of
untapped resources.
The Yari-led NGF lacked
initiative to drive the economy unlike the era of Amaechi and Obi, which
brought a blueprint for the growth of the states’ economy.
Critics of Yari, the outgoing governor of Zamfara State, said that the
attention he paid to the activities of NGF affected his performance in
the state.
Today, they said, bandits have
virtually taken over Zamfara State because the governor abandoned his
people in their hour of need.
With the
emergence of the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, as the
chairman of NGF, one would experience a change in leadership style.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has also been chosen as
vice-chairman of the group, at a meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, May
22, 2019.
While one is advising the new
leadership to prioritise the interest of their subjects, it should bear
in mind that leadership is about sacrifice.
The NGF meeting should not be an avenue to waste state funds but where
to bring ideas that will bring development in the 36 states of the
federation.
The new leadership should study
the template Obi and Amaechi used to attract assistance from
international organizations like Gates Foundation, without running to
Abuja everytime for assistance.
