Posted by From Tony Osauzo, Benin on
Governors of the 36 states of the federation have condemned the sustained onslaught on the rule of law and constitutional process as evidenced by the recent and ongoing political developments in Ekiti, Anambra and Plateau states.
Governors of the 36 states of the federation have condemned the sustained onslaught on the rule of law and constitutional process as evidenced by the recent and ongoing political developments in Ekiti, Anambra and Plateau states.
In a communiqué issued on their Tuesday meeting, in Abuja, the governors noted that the acts constitute a systemic undermining of the institutions and structures in democratic governance.
'That a situation where the impeachment process has been transformed into a frivolous instrument of blackmail and intimidation is against the spirit of democracy and is therefore totally unacceptable", the communiqué, signed by the chairman of the Governors Forum, Chief Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State, said.
The governors observed that the resort to flagrantly unconstitutional means to achieve selfish, anti-people interests directly threatens the peace, stability and continued corporate existence of the country, adding that as elected governors of the 36 states, they considered it their abiding duty to the people of Nigeria to work resolutely to ensure that sanity returned to the country's political process.
They said that while they subscribed fully to the fight against corruption in all its ramifications, they were against the extra-legal tactics of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in pursuit of its legitimate mandate.
'Security agencies should not be made to function in such a manner as to create the impression that they are willing tools of narrow, selfish and unpatriotic interests," the governors said and called for restraint from all those in position of authority, including the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government to adhere strictly to the letter and spirit of the law and the nation's constitution.
The governors expressed concern over a situation where they are not informed about many Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) projects listed as completed or on-going in their states and therefore, called for a mechanism that will enable them make inputs into the process to ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness and avoid undue duplication of efforts and resources.
They commiserated with President Olusegun Obasanjo and the families of all those who lost their lives in air crashes in the past 12 months, even as they called for a more focused effort at making air travel in the country safer, as well as improved emergency management.