Culled from Sunnews
Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State
yesterday gave an assurance to Nigerians that ailing Governor Sullivan Chime of
Enugu State, who has been hospitalised in London since September 2012, would
return to the country in the next two weeks.
This is coming at a time Akpabio has promised to
make public any activity of the Governors Forum, which negates the principles
setting it up, even as he insisted that the forum would continue to work in
harmony with the Federal Government. Akpabio visited Chime in a London
hospital, in the company of Governors Gabriel Suswam and Chibuike Amaechi of
Benue and Rivers states respectively. Speaking with airport correspondents on
arrival from London, United Kingdom at the Murtala Muhammed International
Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Akpabio, who visited Chime in London hospital recently,
declared that the ailing governor was now hale and hearty and capable of ruling
the state upon his arrival. Akpabio admonished Nigerians to always trust their
representatives and warned against playing politics with people’s health. Continue after the cut...
His words: “I was part of the delegation that
visited the governor in London and I brought a message of goodwill to His
Excellency, the governor of Enugu State and like I said, we must learn to mourn
with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. We should not play
politics out of people’s health. “For me, I’m very grateful to God that
Governor Chime has recovered fully and he would be assuming duties within the
next 10 days
. It’s not something that any Nigerian should be sad
about; rather, we should be happy and we should pray that he’s returning to the
country within 10 days from today and he would be in the Government House in
Enugu on his seat as the governor of the state. I can confirm that because I
had interactions with him and he’s in good health and he’s recovering. Once the
doctors give him the go ahead, he will be in the office. You can quote me.”
Speaking on the allegation that the Governors’ Forum
was gradually becoming a cartel and working against the Federal Government and
the Nigerian people, Akpabio, denied such claims, vowing that he would not be a
party to any association or forum that would attempt to bring down President
Goodluck Jonathan and his team, even as he described such allegation as
baseless. He insisted that the Governors’ Forum should actually be a major
collaborator with the Federal Government, maintaining that they are part and
parcel of government, which should work together to uplift the living
conditions of Nigerians. He said: “I will not be a party to anything that will attempt
to pull down the government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and that I’m
assuring you.
The allegation they are making is news to my ears.
I’ve not been around the country for a while and I don’t know what is going on.
Definitely, when I get in, I will observe things and if I should find out that
the Governors’ Forum is what they are saying, you will hear me., I will shout
out. “For now, I want to reassure Nigerians that the Governors’ Forum means
well for the country; majority of us are behind Mr. President and we are
determined to work together collectively so that we have one monopolistic
democracy in Nigeria, the government that can deliver the dividends for the
good of Nigeria. I think that is all that matters.
There is no room for any acrimony. I will not be a
party to any divisive tendency that will tend to turn the forum into a kind of
a trade union. I will not support that.”
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