By Abiola Olawale
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has broken its silence following the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, his deputy, Ngozi Odu and the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Governors’ Forum, in a press statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by its Director General, Abdulateef Shittu, said it can’t speak on some political developments in the country.
The NGF in a statement explained that its reluctance to comment on certain issues is due to the need to maintain unity among its members and avoid escalating tensions that could destabilize governance nationwide.
The statement reads in part: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has received media enquiries requesting it to comment on some recent political developments in the country.
“The Forum wishes to clarify that it is an umbrella body for subnational governments to promote unified policy positions and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in pursuit of sustainable socioeconomic growth and the well-being of the people.
“As a technical and policy hub comprising Governors elected on different platforms, the body elects to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.
“In whatever language it is written, taking positions on contentious partisan issues would mean a poor sense of history — just a few years after the Forum survived a fundamental division following political differences among its members.
“Regardless, the Forum is reputed for its bold positions on governance and general policy matters of profound consequences, such as wages, taxes, education, and universal healthcare, among others.
“We call for the understanding of the public and the media, confident that appropriate platforms and crisis management mechanisms would take care of any such issues.”
While the NGF did not mention Fubara or Rivers state, the timing of the statement coincides with the development in the oil-rich state.
