South South leaders meet over oil dichotomy suit
• Want Northern governors to withdraw action
By Felix Ofou
Group
Politics Editor
Leaders of the South
South converged in Abuja on Tuesday to determine how to challenge the suit
instituted by the 19 Northern governors at the Supreme Court seeking an
annulment of the Oil Dichotomy Abrogation Act.
They met under the aegis of the South South
Consultative Assembly. Their discussion also also fine tuned strategies for the
2007 Presidential race as well as consider the implication of the pending
cession of oil rich Bakassi to Cameroon by Nigeria from September 15.
Among the attendees
wer former Chief of General Staff (CGS) Mike Akhigbe, Second Republic Senate
President Joseph Wayas, Governor of old Mid-West State David Ejoor, Governor of
defunct Bendel State Samuel Ogbemudia (and former External Affairs Minister M.
T. Mbu.
Others included acting
Chairman of the board of trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony
Anenih and National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Don
Etiebet.
Convener Wayas, in his
opening address, explained that the organisers decided to summon leaders of the
zone in view of burning issues in the country, especially the suit challenging
the Act, which effectively put an end to the distinction of revenue generated
from oil sourced onshore and offshore.
He also queried the
agitations by the other zones for the 2007 Presidency, while bemoaning the
quest for the Vice Presidential ticket by certain politicians of the zone, at a
time when they should be aiming for the number one job. “South South must produce the
Presidency in 2007” he charged.
Echoing a similar
position, Akhigbe told the forum that his knowledge of the inner workings of
government showed that “power is not dashed but earned”, counseling
that the zone must strive to get the Presidency if it is convinced that it
should produce the next occupant of Aso Rock.
Anenih, on his part,
urged the meeting to find urgent answers to the restiveness and violence
plaguing the South South, warning that no meaningful development can take place
when the environment is not peaceful.
His view was
corroborated by Etiebet who noted that the suit by the Northern governors is an
“unprovoked assault”, considering that the South South is the
mainstay of the economy.
