Saraki, who also denounced accusations that the forum was a cabal, gave two examples to prove that the relationship between governors and the Obasanjo government was not harmonious.
He said, “Look at the fiscal responsibility bill and the Procurement bill. Under Obasanjo, everybody (governors) said that they were not going to sign them . Obasanjo said ‘go and sign’ we said ‘no we cannot sign; you cannot force us.’ But under the next administrations it was give and take.”
Saraki defended the roles of members of the forum, saying they usually intervened in national politics to ensure good governance and stability in the country.
The governor, who spoke with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, argued that it was wrong for anyone or group to assume that governors’ influence was as a result of a weak centre.
He said, “Where does government have the most effect on people’s lives? Is not at the state level? If you talk of education, health and land matters, they are all at the states.
“Security that even should be handled by the Federal Government, majority of the states are the ones funding the police. I don’t think there is anything wrong in the governors’ forum having a strong voice.”
Saraki added that if governors had not taken a position during the period of Yar’Adua’s illness , the succession problem that had gripped the country would have led to chaos.
He said, “When we had a crisis at the time of the former President (Yar’Adua), it was clear to us that the rulings from the courts did not give him (then vice- president Jonathan) power to really perform the duties of a President in acting capacity. Also the National Assembly still said they were not ready to accept bills from him.
“It was at that point that we came here (Kwara State Government Lodge) as governors and decided that something has to be done. We put our heads together and then decided to send a delegation to the Senate president’s home. There we sat down and said, ‘well when you (senators) go on Monday or Tuesday to sit, you should look at the way forward. We said there was need for a doctrine of necessity.”
The NGF chairman stated that with about 13 governors from the opposition parties as members of the NGF, there was no way the decision of the forum could be regarded as a cabal.
He said, “If any decision comes out of the governors’ forum, it cannot be that of a cabal. So, if you have a group that has 13 opposition parties as members, surely if they come up with a decision that is a decision that would be good for the country. The most important thing is unity.
“If the forum did not exist, you will see the Peoples Democratic Party doing their own thing at the governors level and you will see another set of governors from another party doing their own thing.
“I think that by and large, from what I have seen and from the way we have managed it so far, it (NGF) has been in the interest of the nation.”
Saraki also said it was the governors that mounted pressure on the National Assembly when it was planning to amend the Electoral Act to make its members become parts of the National Executive Committees of their political parties.
Meanwhile, nearly all the governors are believed to be interested in taking over from Saraki , but sources close to the NGF, however, said only few of them were being considered.
Top on the list are Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Peter Obi (Anambra) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger).
By Olusola Fabiyi Courtesy Of: Punch
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