Being a custodian of truth and justice, I have never been deeply pained as i am now given the seemingly unabated crisis rocking the Nigerian Governors Forum. There is no gainsaying the fact that Governors are duty bound and ideally hoped to consistently play prominent role in engendering stability within the polity and safe guarding our hard won democracy from drifting towards the realm of failure.

I regret to say here that some politicians are so hypnotized in frenzy with inordinate quest for power at the expense of democracy and the teaming electorates that worked day and night to have those politicians secure victory at the polls. I will urge you to take into cognizance the fact that I am neither a pro-Governor Amaechi writer nor that of Governor Jang who are both laying claim to victory as chief helmsmen of the Nigerian Governors Forum. Again, I don’t allow sentiment determine my actions and inactions. I only speak the truth as at when due without minding whose ox is gored.

Being a custodian of truth and justice, I have never been deeply pained as i am now given the seemingly unabated crisis rocking the Nigerian Governors Forum. There is no gainsaying the fact that Governors are duty bound and ideally hoped to consistently play prominent role in engendering stability within the polity and safe guarding our hard won democracy from drifting towards the realm of failure.

I regret to say here that some politicians are so hypnotized in frenzy with inordinate quest for power at the expense of democracy and the teaming electorates that worked day and night to have those politicians secure victory at the polls. I will urge you to take into cognizance the fact that I am neither a pro-Governor Amaechi writer nor that of Governor Jang who are both laying claim to victory as chief helmsmen of the Nigerian Governors Forum. Again, I don’t allow sentiment determine my actions and inactions. I only speak the truth as at when due without minding whose ox is gored.

The purpose of scribbling a discourse in this respect is basically to charge Nigerian Governors to as a matter of urgency sheathe their feudal swords, bury their differences and work as a people with a common destiny in order to engender political stability and stimulate economic development.

It is a bad omen for Governors who are being held in high esteem and seen as demigods in their respective states engaging in an utterly absurd, needless, and pointless crisis over who takes charge of the forum’s chairmanship seat. Such needless political imbroglio has over-heated the polity and caused a seemingly incurable division among Nigerians. It is preposterous and sickening. Governors are expected to dissipate their energies towards building and strengthening bridges across religious, political and ethnic divides in order to bring sanity into the system and foster unity and faith, peace and progress.

Nigeria can never achieve development and stand tall in the comity of nations if all our leaders know how to do is sowing the seeds of discord thereby barricading Nigerians from enjoying the dividends of democracy.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state and his Plateau state counterpart Dr. Jonah Jang who are both antagonizing themselves over who is in charge of the forum are members of the ruling people’s Democratic Party (PDP). The only difference is the fact that Governor Jang is backed by the presidency.

One of the Governors pinpointed as the mastermind of the crisis is the Governor of Akwa Ibom state and chairman of the PDP Governors Forum Chief Godswill Akpabio who is obviously not a supporter of his South-South counterpart Governor Amaechi. During a presidential dinner and book launch held recently at the banquet hall of the presidential villa Abuja by President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Amaechi who just deferred a meeting with the Governors in his faction of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to honour Mr. President’s invitation came into the venue with his Governor-supporters and boldly told Chief Akpabio that ”you can never be a democrat” before sitting down. Wow! Is that the extent to which the feud has gone? It is shocking and a dangerous signal for our fledgling and nascent democracy.

As a student-journalist, even if I die today, I will die a happy citizen of Nigeria. History and posterity would ultimately remember me for saying the truth and being firm in my belief that the interests we share are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.

Indeed there is heat within the polity and the heat is threatening to consume and darken our democratic world.  It retrogresses and destroys. Let there be peace.

by Dapar Satmak Alexander

Dapar Satmak is a mass communication student of the University of Jos, he writes for ViewPointNigeria from Jos, Plateau state.

He can be reached at the following email address: [email protected]

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NGF and the heat within By Dapar Satmak Alexander