Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, yesterday, at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, held in Aso Rock, Abuja, transferred power of the NGF to the Governor of Sokoto State, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
Tambuwal has served as the vice chairman of the forum under Fayemi in the last four years.
Fayemi, who was only a few weeks ago elected the President of the Forum of Regional and State Governments in Saidia in the state of Casablanca, Morrocco, attended the NEC virtually from New York City, where he was currently attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
Tambuwal will be holding fort until May next year, when a proper election will be conducted among the governors.
Before making the announcement, Fayemi acknowledged the result-driven output of the NEC and thanked his colleagues and other members of the council for their support, saying, “Yes, we may be occasionally troublesome, coming from the Forum of Governors, and we do test your patience, but you have never really expressed any frustration with all our truculent questions and the insistence that the federation must be a true federation.”
The President of FORAF also did not forget to thank the Secretariat of the NEC and through the NEC, thanked the President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces, Muhammadu Buhari, for taking the resolutions of the NEC seriously by implementing them.
In his response, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said, the NGF chairman had taken the wind out of their sail, because he was “meant to, on behalf of the NEC, commend the Ekiti Governor and NGF Chairman’s informed and patriotic services to the council in the last four years and that was enhanced by your chairmanship of the NGF, admitting that the NGF has ensured that we move to a true federation, not just in words but in deeds as well.”
Osinbajo prayed that Fayemi’s services, both nationally and globally, to development, and to all of the good, which the nation and the global community deserve, will continue.
Fayemi will formally hand over Tambuwal on the October 16th.
