Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has disclosed that the crisis rocking the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) was orchestrated but did not state who was responsible.
Aregbesola, who spoke while answering questions posed to him during his visit to the headquarters of PUNCH Nigeria Limited, on Friday, said the scenario that played out after the NGF election was premeditated.
He said, “Some people deliberately wanted to discredit a process that had been proven to be very organised, peaceful and without rancour.
“It takes two to tango and the best position is not neutrality. Look, let’s call a spade what it is. I won’t say more because I am a principal actor in the entire thing.
“We all know what was wrong but I think we are timid to say it. We cannot use an orchestrated and deliberate smear to castigate all governors. We all know the interest behind what happened. If we are not courageous enough to apportion blame, let’s be quiet. I rest my case.”
Reiterating his call for true federalism and regional integration, Governor Aregbesola said he is a strong advocate of federalism but lamented that he had often been misconstrued in his campaign.
Stressing the importance of regional integration in the South-West, especially in addressing issues of common interest, he said, “A lot of things would be non-issues if addressed on a regional basis. For instance, the issue of crime control and security is so paramount that all of us are investing in security surveillance, aerial space surveillance to eliminate opportunistic attacks.
“These people know that they can move easily within a region but with such joint effort, it will not be possible. Besides, it will cost a lesser amount.”
