Jonathan intervenes in governors, ministers’ rift

Posted by admin Governors, Latest Politics, Ministries Sunday, January 30th, 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan has interverned in the rift between some governors and ministers in his government.

The president is said to be worried that the rift, if not settled, could jeopardise the fortunes of the Peoples Democratic Party-led government in the April general election.

The crack had made some PDP governors to call for the sacking of some ministers following their refusal to cooperate with their state governors.

THE PUNCH on Thursday, January 20, reported exclusively that the governors made the demand during their meeting with the President in Abuja on Tuesday, January 18.

Among the ministers said to be at loggerheads with their governors are Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye (Commerce and Industry); Elder Godsday Orubebe (Niger Delta); Senator Bala Mohammed (Federal Capital Territory); Mohammed Abubakar(Culture and Tourism) and Chief Kenneth Gbagi (Education).

Martins-Kuye is from Ogun State; Abubakar hails from Gombe State; Orubebe and Gbagi are from Delta State, while Mohammed is from Bauchi State.

SUNDAY PUNCH findings show that following the rivalry between the governors and the ministers, the latter were not part of the core Jonathan campaign team during the party’s presidential primary held two week ago. The team was led by the governors in their respective states.

Confirming the President interest over the matter, the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, said the President was already taking steps on the issue.

Though he did not open up on whether the issue was raised at the governors’ last meeting, Uduaghan said the president was already taking steps to smoothen the relationship between the concerned governors and the ministers.

Making a veiled reference to what he passed through when his election was annulled by the Court of Appeal, Uduaghan said some influential people from the state who were close to the president worked against his re-election.

The governor, however, told our correspondent in Abuja that some of the ministers had already started making moves to correct the situation.

He mentioned Gbagi, who is from his state, as one of such ministers.

He said, “Ministers who work against the interest of governors are not doing so in the interest of the president. If those who are close to the president are running governors down, they are not working for the president.

“Such people have different agenda, which is to fall the president himself. So, if such ministers cannot do anything for the president (in the forthcoming election) that will help the president, they should keep quiet.

“In my own case, somebody with small heart could have behaved differently, but I am always with the president and he knows that I am with him.”

He said apart from the President’s intervention, the governors too were also making efforts to smoothen their relationship with the ministers “at our own level.”

-Punchwp_posts