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2007 Presidency: Southern govs insist on equity, competence
benson agwu
correspondent
Southern governors under the aegis of Southern Governors
Forum have resolved that any person aspiring to the presidency of the country
in 2007 should be picked by the candidate’s party of choice based on
equity, fair play, competence, justice and relevant historical factors.
Rising from the 8th edition of the meeting in Benin
City, Edo State yesterday, the governors also, decried the overheating of the
nation’s polity in recent months and observed that it was capable of
truncating the nascent democracy and undermining the nation’s stability.
The summit, chaired by the Edo State governor, Chief
Lucky Igbinedion, took note of the resolution of the Northern Governors Forum
to the effect that the presidency should move back to the North in 2007, and
deliberated on a number of issues of urgent national importance, prominent
among which were the operation of the federal system, security situation in the
country, preparation of all the states and federal government to collectively
promote and ensure the sustenance of democracy and continued cohesion in the
country..
In a nine-point communiqué signed by the
governors of the southern states and the deputy governors of Ebonyi and Rivers states,
the summit resolved that efforts should be made to persuade the president to
forward the new proposal to the National Assembly.
Moreover, the use of the number of local government
council areas as an index for revenue allocation, the governors observed, had
been responsible for the clamour for and proliferation of local governments by
states.
“We are therefore, advocating that the number
of local governments should not be used as an index for revenue allocation
henceforth,” the statement stressed.
On separation of powers, the governors reaffirmed
their agitation for the establishment of state police as they stated:
“The summit is of the firm view that one of the major factors responsible
for the wide spread of security lapses in the country is the inability of the
elected governors to take full control over the security operatives in their
respective states.
“The recent experience of the Governor of
Anambra State,” the statement continued, “has further justified the
long drawn agitation for state police or constitutional amendment that would
make the commissioner of police report to the governors in their respective
states who are the chief security officers.
The summit called on the Federal Government to give
special assistance to the government and the people of Anambra State towards
restoring the public property damaged during the recent riots. It also called
on law enforcement agents to arrest and prosecute all those indentified as culprits/sponsors of the
mayhem in that state.
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