The Federal government through the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Shehu Garba has attributed the absence of federal government delegates to the meeting with governors and leaders of the South-South Geopolitical Zone to emergency security meeting involving the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, ministers and heads of security and intelligence agencies, which held at the same time the South-South stakeholder meeting.
Mr. Garba in his reaction said, “The Presidency wishes to explain that the absence of the federal government delegation at the planned meeting with governors and stakeholders of the South-South region was necessitated by an emergency security meeting summoned by the President, certainly not out of disrespect”.
“The delegation to the meeting, under the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, ministers and heads of security and intelligence agencies were in full readiness to proceed to Port Harcourt until they were directed to stay back for the emergency security meeting”, he stated.
The President’s spokesman however said an apology to that effect was properly channeled to the host of the meeting.
“This information and regret for the inconvenience caused were conveyed to the hosts of the meeting through what we believed were the right channels”.
“As may have been gleaned from the statement read by the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, the extraordinary National Security Council meeting, under the President, was called in view of the gravity of the security situation affecting all parts of the country, including the South-South in the aftermath of the ENDSARS protests, and the need to rise to protect our national security and territorial integrity”, he said.
He reassured the stakeholders of the South-South Geopolitical Zone the President’s willingness to hear from them on issues pertaining to the region.
“The President is strongly and resolutely committed to hearing from leaders, stakeholders and our youth on burning issues affecting all parts of the federation, and to this effect, a new date for the meeting with the South-South will be agreed after due consultations with the parties concerned”, he assured.
