By Bala Ibrahim.
The call for coup today, for the first time by people in power, which was announced by no less a person than a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, on behalf of the southern Nigerian governors, is a call that must be taken with the seriousness it deserved.
Arising from the meeting of their Forum in Lagos on Monday, 05/07/21, the southern governors of Nigeria made a pronouncement on how they want Nigeria to go.
Although they claimed to be committed to the unity of the country, based on what they called equity, fairness, justice, progress, and peaceful coexistence between and amongst its people, there are certain conditions to be met, amongst which is the demand that the next president of the country MUST come from the South.
“The Forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness and unanimously agrees that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between Southern and Northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the Southern Region.”- Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Also, contrary to the position of the president, who last month, gave his approval to the return of the open grazing practiced during the First Republic, where herdsmen used designated grazing routes to move their cattle to several parts of the country, adding that he had asked the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to begin the process of recovering land from persons who have converted cattle grazing routes for their personal use, the southern governors said NO.
They said they are against open grazing, disclosing that September 1st had been set aside for the promulgation of the anti-open grazing law in all it’s member states.
They also resolved that, contrary to the provisions of the law that sets up the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, which permits it to utilize the funds in its kitty for the Nigeria police, such funds deducted from the Federation Account for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund should be distributed among the states and Federal Government to combat security challenges.
On the newly passed Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, the governors said they were rejecting the “proposed three per cent share of the oil revenue to the host community. The Forum also rejects the proposed 30% share of profit for the exploration of oil and gas in the basins,” as well as the ownership structure of the proposed Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
They are equally rejecting the removal of the electronic transmission of the election result from the electoral act; “and also rejected the confirmation of exclusive jurisdiction in pre-election matters on the Federal High Court.”
All these are direct affronts on the constitution by these governors, with the biggest being their support for treasonable felony, when in evident approval of the activities of secessionists like Sunday Igboho and Namdi Kanu, they warned all security agencies in the country against operating in the region without obtaining permission from the governor of the particular state.
While I am totally and completely in support of a power shift from the north to the south, for reasons of fair play, I am not in support of such power moving to the zones of those that are using threats and violence as a means of getting such power.
The time has arrived for the north to revisit it’s old political alliance of the early republics.
Whatever may be the reason for these governors, it would certainly be seen as a gang up by state actors against the rest of Nigeria, in particular the north. And the north must wake up to smell the coffee.
It is curious to note that, almost about the same time the southern governors were issuing their communique, the former governor of the Central Bank, and one that is desperately seeking to become the governor of Anambrah state, chief Soludo, was equally addressing the press and calling for an unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.
Soludo of all people, who has been a man of the establishment, is now trying to play to the gallery, by using sentiment to woe Kanu supporters into his dubious political agenda. I am sure his people are wiser than him.
The President must rise to the occasion of saving Nigeria from the hands of these apologists of secession, who may take advantage of the instruments of power in their hands, to selfishly invite anarchists to the centre stage of power.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Sky Daily
