NGF Crisis: Jang fails to win new ‘convert’

ABUJA- STRONG indications emerged yesterday that the reconciliation move by governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State to bring pro- Chibuike Amaechi to his camp may have failed.
At the well publicised meeting of Jonah Jang led faction of the faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, the statuesque was maintained as fifteen governors and one deputy governor in attendance.
Answering questions from Journalists at the end  of the meeting, Jang declared that he was not impersonating any one  as had been alleged by Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
On the question of quorum to hold the meeting, governor Jang who noted that  they only needed 12 governors in attendance to form a quorom, stressed  that many of the governors that were absent sent their apologies.
He however  declined to give the outcome of the meeting as he explained  that they would discuss it with President Goodluck Jonathan.
Present at the meeting were Jonah Jang of Plateau;  Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo;  Sullivan Chime of Enugu;  Theodore Orji of Abia;  Martins Elechi of Ebonyi.
Others were  Idris Wada of Kogi;  Peter Obi of Anambra;  Ibrahim Shema of Katsina;  Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta;  Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom;  Isa Yuguda of Bauchi;  Seriake  Dickson of Bayelsa; and  Liyel Imoke of Cross River.  Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam was represented by his deputy, Steve Lawani while Taraba state acting governor, Umar Garba was also in attendance.
At the last meeting which took place penultimate week, Sullivan Chime of Enugu who was absent attended yesterday’s meeting, but governor Ramallan Yero who was at last meeting was absent, even as he did not send his deputy. At yesterday’s meeting, fourteen PDP governors attended, one APGA and one Labour Party, LP
The number present at the meeting  reflects  the outcome of the May 23, 2013 meeting where Governor Rotimi Amaechi was re-elected chairman of the forum by 19 votes to 16 before Jang’s faction proclaimed him as the winner of the election.
Apparently in line with governor Amaechi’s statement urging his members  not to attend any meeting he did not call, members of his group  stayed away from the meeting.
In the statement he issued on Sunday, he warned Jang not to hold the meeting because it would amount to  impersonating him (Amaechi) as the duly elected chairman of the NGF.
Amaechi had said,  ”Governor Jang is my brother and friend and I harbor no ill feelings against him, but it is important that he stops this impersonation, as it could threaten all the good work we all have done together,”