Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday asked Southern and Northern Governors to shun antagonism by coming together to address a plethora of challenges that has plagued the nation.
According to the former President, the state governors through their various platforms should discuss issues affecting Nigeria.
He noted that the controversy that followed the Southern Governors’ resolution in Asaba on May 11 where they banned open grazing in the South and called for a national dialogue was needless.
He said that the collaboration of all the governors in a roundtable would go a long way in helping President Muhamadu Buhari to address some of the current national challenges.
Jonathan spoke in Benin after a thanksgiving service organised to mark the 59th birthday anniversary of Pastor Charles Osazuwa, General Overseer of Rock of Ages Christian Assembly International (RACAI).
He said: “Governors themselves should continue to meet, I don’t really love a situation where the northern governors will meet then the southern governors will cry foul.
“Then the southern governors will meet then the northern governors will cry foul, that will not help our country.
“The governors, through the governors’ fora should meet, they are the people who run this country, the president is just one person in Abuja,” the former president said.
He pointed out that the states, especially in a country where the local governments are very weak; it’s the states that people fall back to.
“So if the governors of the states meet to dialogue and interrogate things that are good for this country, then we will move forward.
“I don’t really enjoy the antagonism between governors, they should come together and discuss.
“If there are issues that are affecting one or two states, I think the governors should see how they can collectively come with a way to address those issues,’’ Jonathan said.
