The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), has only one secretariat, its Director-General, Dr. Asishana Okauru has said. Okauru’s position comes on the heels of the existence of a parallel secretariat in Maitama, Abuja, being operated by the Governor Jonah Jang-led faction of the NGF.
The NGF Director-General, who supervised the election between the Plateau State governor and his Rivers counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi, declared that the Forum had a chairman who was re-elected by the governors and that person is Governor Amaechi. Speaking when he led employees of the NGF secretariat on a solidarity visit to Amaechi in Port Harcourt weekend, Okauru said the crisis rocking the forum would soon be resolved. “There is only one secretariat, and I am in contact with all the 36 governors. But there is an issue the governors are trying to resolve and we have a chairman that was re-elected, Rotimi Amaechi,” he affirmed. “The entire NGF secretariat decided a couple of days back that we needed to pay a visit on Governor Amaechi and we are here today, and the governor has been taking us round to see the infrastructure on the ground in the state.” He pointed out that employees of the NGF were impressed with what they saw on ground in Rivers State particularly the level of infrastructural development in the health and education sectors. According to Okauru, the sporting facilities and on-going construction work at the Greater Port Harcourt City are great projects to behold. He added, “It is very clear that the state is a model state and we are very impressed with the level of infrastructure and institutions on the ground.” Also speaking, the Head, Peer Review Programme of the forum, Dr. Afeikrena Jerome, said though the peer review initiative was undertaken by the 36 states, the health and education facilities in Rivers State were comparable to the ones in developed countries. Jerome said, “I am sure that these facilities when completed can compete with others across the developed countries. The peer review is for all the states of the federation. “In terms of how far we have gone, Anambra and Ekiti states have already completed the process. The approach is that a state will first carry out its own self-assessment and then the panel of eminent persons led by the former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mohammed Uwais, will lead his own team to inspect and write a report for presentation to the governors. “That is the way peer review works. Rivers State as you know is currently working on its self-assessment report. It is only after then that the team will come and carry out the peer review.”
