Council of State backs Jonathan on national conference

The Council of State has expressed concern over the security challenges in the country and urged new approaches to end the cycles of violence.This was part of the resolutions taken at the council’s meeting held inside the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday.The meeting, chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan, lasted for over six […]

The Council of State has expressed concern over the security challenges in the country and urged new approaches to end the cycles of violence.
This was part of the resolutions taken at the council’s meeting held inside the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday.
The meeting, chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan, lasted for over six hours.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Head of state Gen Muhamadu Buhari (Rtd) as well as Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state and Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) were absent at the meeting.
Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha said the council emphasised the need for new security strategies.
He said the council also cautioned all the politicians in the country against unguarded utterances that could further heat up the polity.
The governor said the council also agreed that the proposed national conference was a welcome development.
Okorocha added that the council also deliberated on the forthcoming centenary celebration and reaffirmed the nation’s unity.
“We deliberated on how to move the nation forward. National issues: centenary, security matters and issues of national conference, and basically, it is how to move the nation forward. We have to adopt some new strategies on how to improve the security. Politicians have been warned against unguarded utterances not to heat up the polity. The meeting has helped to resolve a lot of issues.
“We discussed national conference is a welcome development, that it is a good development. The APC has not taken a position on whether to participate or not. The party’s position on it, if it comes, we will send a delegation to come. We are talking about Nigeria. We are not talking about parties,” he said.
The meeting, which began at 10.50am and ended at exactly 5.00pm, was attended by former President Shehu Shagari, former Heads of State Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and former Head of the National Interim Government Earnest Shonekan.
Also in attendance were Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim, National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke as well as retired Chief Justices of Nigeria Mohammed Uwais, Alfa Belgore, Legbo Kutigi and Dahiru Musdapher.
Our correspondent reports that aside from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who attended the meeting as the chief executive of the FCT, 25 governors personally attended the meeting.
The governors of Kano, Borno States, Plateau and Bauchi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Kassim Shettima, Jonah Jang and Isa Yuguda respectively, were represented by their deputies.
Meanwhile, there was a mild drama before Jonathan stepped in for the meeting as Nyako and Orji traded words.
The drama ensued when Nyako sternly rebuffed Orji for attempting to exchange pleasantries with him.
Nyako said: “I’m telling you, don’t poison me here. I’m not comfortable with you here. If anything happens to me here, walahi, my people will take you to court.”
Orji replied: “For how many years have we been sitting together? Is it at this zero hour that I would poison you?”
Nyako quizzed: “Who knows?”
When Ebonyi State Governor Martins Elechi sought to know what the matter was, Nyako explained: “I am just warning him not to poison me. Is there any law that says we should sit together?”
Daily Trust reports that about 30 minutes into the meeting, Tambuwal left for House of Representatives’ plenary.
After the Council of State meeting, Jonathan and the PDP governors went into the president’s office for another secret meeting.