Governors and leaders of the South-South geopolitical region have demanded for a public apology from the federal government, after a stakeholders meeting scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, was called off at the last minute.
Governors of the South-South, led by their Chairman and Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, who were in Port Harcourt for the meeting, had to inform stakeholders comprising traditional rulers, religious leaders, opinion leaders, youths and women from the zone that the presidential delegation which convened the meeting, had called it off.
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Okowa informed the people that the presidency said the meeting was called off because of an emergency security meeting called by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, November 17.
The stakeholders were upset by the development and described the cancellation of the meeting as a disrespect to the people of the region.
Thereafter, they demanded for an immediate public apology from the presidency.
They said the action of the federal government amounted to treating the South-South and its people with disdain, and warned about the consequences of undermining the zone.
However, Governor Okowa implored the stakeholders to remain calm in the face of the disrespect and embarrassment caused by the cancellation of the meeting.
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He said the governors were as pained as the other stakeholders over the development, and assured that the governors will definitely convey the feeling of the people of the region to the presidency.
“We understand the anger in you, and on our own part as governors, we are also angry because the South-South zone is a very important part of this nation.
“There is no doubt that we the governors also feel insulted and we feel very sad and touched at what has happened.
“We felt it was necessary to consult with you as critical stakeholders because if we had acted on the information without consulting you, that would have added to the insult already meted to us.
“Together we call for a public apology because the meeting was not called at our instance; it was called at the instance of the presidency.
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“Some of us didn’t sleep trying to put things in order to make this meeting a reality.
“We will convey this message to the Chief of Staff to the President that as a region we deserve a public apology, particularly to our traditional rulers and opinion leaders and also to the governors that you voted into office.
“This is the least we expect before this meeting can be reconvened,” Okowa said.
The emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting at the State House, Abuja, dwelt on the recent unrest sparked by the #EndSARS protests.
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