We notified Buhari of our meeting, says Obasanjo

Contrary to speculations in some quarters, President Muhammadu Buhari was informed about the June 10, 2021, meeting of some eminent Nigerians under the aegis of the Committee for the Goodness of Nigeria (CGN).

According to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was one of the conveners of the meeting, members of the group agreed to formally present their resolutions to President Buhari before making it public, stressing that the President was notified of the coalition and its agenda prior to the meeting.

The former President spoke yesterday in Abuja, just before he left his hotel room at the Transcorp Hilton.
Giving some insights into what the CGN discussed, the former Nigerian leader said the Thursday meeting was majorly on issues “concerning security, economy, welfare, well being and unity and progress of Nigeria.”

His words: “We are made up of former heads of state and presidents, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, former National Security Adviser. It also included organised Labour, academia, women and group representatives. Those who couldn’t be physically present like the immediate past President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Emeka Anyaoku, sent apologies.

“We acknowledged the letter written in response to our own letter informing the President about our meeting and his goodwill message that the outcome of our meeting will be of interest to him.

“We spoke frankly amongst ourselves after discussing relevant issues of security and economy. We were long on statements but short on action. We decided that our communique wouldn’t be issued until after submitting our report to the President.”

The former Nigerian leader enjoined anxious Nigerians to exercise some patience, assuring that very soon, they would become aware of the coalition’s motives through its actions, adding: “Actions on our part and other people’s part that are of immediate requirements, you will be seeing them. We pledge to ourselves to change the narratives, we have to start building confidence and be reaching out. From now on, you will hear from our actions on the outcome of our deliberations.”

Dignitaries that attended the meeting included the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan; former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau.

Others were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 1; Etsu Nupe, Dr. Yahaya Abubakar; the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. Ralph Obiozor; former Attorney General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi (SAN); Otunba Tunde Fasawe; former Minister of Agriculture and Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Chief Audu Ogbeh, as well as the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba.