The Nigerian Presidency has said that the absence of its delegation at the South South Assembly was not out of disrespect for the dignitaries that waited in vain for the arrival of its team led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
The absence of the delegation had elicited adverse reactions from the governors, traditional rulers and other leaders of the South South zone who had gathered at the venue of the meeting in Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
They had, in apparent anger, asked, through Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who is also the chairman of South-South Governors Forum, for a public apology from the presidency for what they saw as disrespect for the zone.
But a statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), said that the absence of the delegation was due to an emergency security meeting summoned by President Muhammadu Buhari on the same day.
The statement said that the organizers of the meeting were appropriately informed of the development, noting that a new date for the parley would be agreed upon “after due consultations with the parties concerned.”
Full text of the statement reads:
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.
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.
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.
Once again, the unavoidable postponement of the meeting is regretted.
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
