Governors from the five Southeast States on Tuesday fumed at the Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu for convening a stakeholders’ meeting in their name without consulting them.
Chairman of the Southeast governors forum, Engr. Dave Umahi who is the governor of Ebonyi State made their anger known while addressing the press on Tuesday after a virtual meeting of the governors.
Kalu had convened the meeting with the notice of the meeting purportedly signed by himself, the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and the Southeast governors.
On Tuesday, governors claimed ignorance of the meeting and shunned it.
According to the notice of the meeting, it was to hold at Camp Neya, Igbere country home of Senator Kalu, from 12pm.
The notice stated that the meeting was a bipartisan one with the APC, PDP, APGA and other stakeholders coming together.
However, the governor of Ebonyi State insisted that they were not involved in the arrangement, while he accused the organisers of using their names without their permission.
Chairman of the Southeast governors’ forum said:
“Today 5th January, 2021, the South East Governors had their meeting and all the Governors were in attendance and the meeting resolved as follows:
“There was a bi-partisan meeting called today and the initiator went ahead to use the names of Governors without consulting them as part of the conveners of such a meeting.
“The Governors of South East frowns at such attitude and would want to disassociate themselves from such a meeting,” he said.
Umahi, who disclosed that all the five South-East Governors attended the virtual meeting which held almost at the same time the bipartisan meeting was slated to start, noted that the governors boycotted the Igbere meeting.
“If there should be such a meeting which they feel is very necessary, the Governors must be seen to be informed and be part and parcel of calling such a meeting. They strongly feels that Ohanaeze is in position to speak on such issues.
“So, they want to say that the Governors are not involved and they encouraged all their people to boycott such a meeting,” he said
