Presidency shuns meeting of South South governors, leaders

The Presidency on Tuesday, failed to attend a meeting of governors and thought leaders of the South South geopolitical zone held in Port Harcourt Rivers State.

It was gathered that the meeting was convened at the instance of the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, to discuss the emerging threats to the peace in the Niger Delta region.

Similar meetings were previously held by governors of Northen, South Eastern and South Western states respectively, with the chief of staff and other presidential delegation in attendance.

A source and aide to one of the governors told The Nation that the meeting was arranged days before Tuesday and wondered why the Presidency chose to treat such crucial gathering with levity.

Among other things, the governors planned to seek answers to why Zamfara was allowed to mine gold deposits in the state, while similar favour was not extended to oil producing states of the Niger Delta.