KADUNA — GOVERNOR Chris Ngige of Anambra has explained why he has consistently shunned the South East Governors' Forum (SEGF) in Enugu State. Ngige said that his safety was not guaranteed in Enugu State. Speaking to Vanguard in an interview, Dr Ngige said meetings of the South East Governors' Forum were always held in the night and that since he had no public security, it would be foolhardy for him to attend such meetings.He also said that even when he had police security, he was attacked by political thugs, how much more now that his security men had been withdrawn. He however said that he would attend the conference if the venue was shifted to Akwa.
Ngige and the Abia State Governor, Dr Orji Kalu have not been attending the SEGF and no official explanation have been given for their continued absence. His words: ‘’I have not been attending because I don’t go to Enugu (State) without security. I don’t have police security. So, there is no way I can attend the meeting, especially, the meeting that is in the night without good security cover. So, that is why I have not been attending. I don’t know why the Abia State governor has not been attending. Maybe you find out from him.
“My own security is my own security. I told them so. For example, the first day I told them I would not come because of that, Imo and Ebonyi State governors offered to send me their security to take me from Awka to Enugu and then back but it is not the same thing as having your own security.
“So there is no way I will subscribe to use another person’s security to go and attend a meeting.”
Ngige further said that heshunned the meeting because thugs loyal to his political opponents attacked him openly in Enugu during the South East Convention of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) in the day time, how much more when it was night.
“The attack is part of it. That was even when I had my police security, but now, I don’t even have, so you never can say what will happen. That is the reason. It is a question of my security and the venue of the meetings. If they say they want to do it in Awka which is my home base, fine, I will attend.”
On his relationship with Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State, Ngige said there was no love lost between them, except that both are governors of their different states and belong to the same party. “We, he (Nnamani) is the governor in Enugu State and I am the governor in Anambra State. We are fellow governors and we are members of the South East Governors' Forum. That’s it. And we are also medical doctors. That’s all,” he said.
