Jonathan Finally Opens Up: Amaechi's NGF Almost Sacked Me

President Goodluck Jonathan has finally broken his silence on the activities of the Nigerian Governors Forum after months of claiming that he had no interest in what happens among the governors in the meetings.

Jonathan confessed that if not for governors from the North Central region, he would been sent packing from the Presidential Villa by the Governors’ Forum under the leadership of Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Stressing that the governors almost chased him out of Aso Rock, Jonathan said: 

“We thank you for this solidarity visit and for giving us a Senate President that has been able to stabilise the NASS. The governors from the zone who have been stabilising the country because the way some of the governors talk and behave, if 50 percent of the governors behave that way, probably, we would have vacated this place and allow others to come and manage it for us. But they have been able to help to stabilise the whole country...

“When the governors’ forum became a monster and we had a lot of challenges, it was the North Central that came on board to stabilise the governors’ forum. So, the zone has been able to produce very great leaders, not just leaders but they are patriotic leaders. So, we will continue to work with this zone; we will continue to encourage you. As we approach elections next year, let us know the problems on time. We will work with you to ensure PDP continues to maintain the zone.”

The president, who made this comment when a delegation of PDP stakeholders of the North Central region, led by Senate President David Mark, paid him a visit at the presidential villa, Abuja, said the governors’ forum turned itself into a monster.

On the issue of attacks on farmers by insurgent posing as herdsmen, the president said, “we are working very hard with the NSA office to make sure that the security challenges that we have across the country are contained – whether in Borno State or the kidnapping in Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia and so on. We are coming up with different architecture that will deal with this insurgency. As we progress, we will begin to bring the situation under control”, he said.

But when they thought President Jonathan was going to grant their request for new roads in North Central, he told them that the request cannot be granted and that his hands are tied because "no money".