*They are holding Nigeria hostage —Ugbesia

BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

ABUJA—WORRIED by the alleged overbearing influence of governors in the country, the National Assembly may commence the process of revisiting the constitution to whittle the influence of state chief executives.

Indication to this emerged yesterday when the Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Senator Odion Ugbesia, in an exclusive interview with Vanguard in Abuja, revealed that the crises in the country, especially in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was as a result of the powerful influence of the 36 governors of the federation who, he accused of holding the nation hostage.

Senator Ugbesia, who represents Edo Central senatorial district, said the situation was bad because those who drafted the constitution of the country did not envisage that governors could hold the nation hostage as a result of the enormous power they had.

He said: “Long, long ago, I said it that the governors, the Nigerian governors have become too powerful. Those who drafted this constitution did not envisage a situation where 36 state governors can hold this country hostage because of the power they exercise.

“The Nigerian Governors Forum is not known to the Nigerian constitution, yet they determine the direction of Nigerian politics, they determine the colour of the Nigerian political process.

“Yes, that is where we are. These G-6 or G-7 Governors, if they were ordinary people, then, we can dismiss what they say. But you cannot dismiss what any governor says in this country because they have become too powerful.
“How have they become too powerful? It is because they are in control of too many resources. They can determine the colour and shape of the political process in their various states. That is where we are.

“If you are coming to a national convention, those who are coming to a national convention are delegates that are determined by governors.

“Political parties are functioning in different states according to the whims and caprices of governors, because they pay the piper to dictate the tone of political process in their respective states.”

Senator Ugbesia said something should be done to check the excessive powers of governors by looking at the constitution to find a way to reduce their powers.