Governors of the South East, South South have warned that they would not tolerate, again, the issuance of quit notice to any section of the country.
Chairman of the forum, Emmanuel Udom gave the warning, on behalf of other governors at the South East, South South Governors’ all-night meeting held in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Udom thanked leaders in the country who ensured that the October 1 deadline quit notice issued to the Igbso living in the North by some Arewa youth groups was quashed.
“This is the last time any section of the country would give the others a quit notice, Nigeria is one,” he warned.
Udom lamented that it took many of them several hours to arrive Owerri because of poor road infrastructure due to neglect of the region by federal authorities.
Meanwhile, Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has commended South East and South South governors for resolving to work together, irrespective of political party affiliation.
In his address, Okorocha told other governors that they were meeting for the common good of the two zones and their people, as well as for Nigeria’s teeming population, adding that with the meeting, the jinx of disunity among between the South east and South South had been broken.
Okorocha said, “My brother governors, from South-South and South-East geo-political zones, I welcome you to Imo State. May I, on behalf of the government and good people of Imo State, most sincerely welcome you to this all-important meeting.
“We all know why we are here– for the good of the South-East and South-South geo-political zones. We are here for the common good of our zones and Nigeria and her teeming population. We are here for the good of all.
“Again, as we meet here in Owerri, the rest of Nigerians and the world are waiting to hear what will be the outcome of this August meeting. And I want to say we won’t disappoint such people.
“With God on our side, we shall come up, at the end of the exercise, with opinions and ideas that will, to a large extent, help our states individually and collectively, and also help our country greatly.
“I know one day, in the course of the history of this country, Nigerians will rise to such a height that the Igbo, Ijaw, Efik, Hausa, Fulani, Itshekiri, Idoma and all, will be talking as one people, and the issue of where one comes from won’t be a serious one again.
“Even on the face value of this meeting, seeing governors from the South-East and South-South sitting together to deliberate on the way forward is enough to excite all men and women. I would request that the constitution be amended to create a provision that would make governors go to states other than theirs to serve for three months. By so doing, we would further be strengthening our unity.
“And on a lighter mood, when that happens I would like to be sent to Rivers State or Lagos State for the three months as governor. Governor Nyesom Wike will be posted to Kebbi, and Akinwunmi Ambode to Imo and so on,” Okorocha joked.
