In apparent bid to support and consolidate the re-election of Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Director-General of the Forum, Asishana Okauru has re-affirmed the commitment of the 36 Governors to only one NGF Secretariat, Asokoro in Abuja.
This is coming on the heels to dismiss claims by the Governor Jonah Jang faction that another NGF Secretariat existed.
Director-General of NGF, Asishana Okauru spoke at the weekend when staff of NGF secretariat paid solidarity visit on NGF chairman, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and also took an inspection tour of facilities in Port Harcourt.
He explained that, the political bottlenecks surrounding the NGF crisis is being resolved by the Governors and would soon come up with a useful decision that will give the secretariat a direction towards achieving set objectives.
“No, there is only one secretariat, and I am in contact with all the 36 Governors. There is one secretariat, but there is an issue the Governors are trying to resolve, and we have a chairman that was re-elected, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. 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 he (Amaechi) has been taking us round to see the infrastructures on ground”, Mr. Okauru said.
Okauru also said, the NGF secretariat is impressed with the level of infrastructural development in the health and education sectors of the state, including sporting facilities and on-going construction work at the Greater Port Harcourt City.
“It is very clear that the state is a model state and we are very impressed with the level of infrastructure and institutions on ground”, he added.
Also speaking, the head of the Peer Review Program, Dr. Afeiklrena Jerome said, although the Peer Review Program is being undertaken by the 36 states across the federation, the facilities visited so far in the health and education sectors are comparable to facilities that could be found in developed societies around the world.
“And, I am sure there facilities when completed can also stand on it’s own, with whatever you have in the world. The Peer Review is being undertaken by all the 36 states of the Federation. In terms of how far we have gone, Anambra and Ekiti states have already completed the process. The way it is done is that, a state will first of all carryout it’s 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 team to come and take his stock, write a report on it, which will be presented to the Governors, that is the way Peer Review works. Rivers State as you know, is currently working on it’s self assessment report. It is only after then that the team will come and carryout the Peer Review”, Jereom added.
Speaking on the developmental achievements of Governor Amaechi, Mr. Jerome said, “all the facilities that we visited today are extremely wonderful, they will stand on their own in any part of the world”.
