By Emmanuel Aziken
ABUJA — RISING from a meeting yesterday, Senators from the Southern part of the country, under the umbrella of Southern Senators Forum (SSF) accused President Umaru Yar’Adua of discrimination against the South in his management of the nation’s affairs and condemned the resort to brute force in the resolution of the Niger Delta question.
The Senators also resolved to press for the full application of true federalism in the country in the on-going constitution review process in the National Assembly.
Condemning the use of heavy weapons against fellow Nigerians in the Niger Delta, the Senators warned that success in the military operation against the militants would remain a mirage until the regime of injustice against the region was redressed.
President Umaru Musa Yar’adua with Russian President, Mr. Dmitry Medvedev at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday.Photos—State House.
Yesterday’s meeting, which held at the National Assembly was presided over by Senator Patrick Osakwe (Accord Party, Delta North). He is also chairman of the Southern Senators Forum (SSF).
The Senators at the end of the meeting yesterday afternoon mandated its leadership to articulate the grievances of the region for further action in a communiqué that is expected to be issued to the public.
Yesterday’s meeting was upon simmering dissension in the polity over perceived marginalisation of the South in appointments and allocation of projects in the country by the Federal Government.
At the meeting yesterday, Senators particularly flayed what they described as the lopsided appointments made by the administration claiming that the South had been severely marginalised in the sharing of choice appointments by the present administration.
The fate of the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, was raised as an example of the administration’s marginalisation of the region.
“If Soludo were not a Southerner there is no doubt that he would have had a second term and that was one of the examples of the marginalisation raised,’’ one Senator told Vanguard on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press on the matter.
“We cannot continue with this kind of injustice and that was the tone of the meeting. In fact, justice and marginalisation were the main issues discussed at the meeting,’’ another Senator disclosed.
Besides, it was also resolved that the South should take a common position on the review of the constitution.
The Senators were also reported to have expressed reservation on the use of heavy weaponry in the military operations in the Niger Delta asserting that it was inappropriate to bomb fellow Nigerians indiscriminately.
Vanguard sources among the Southern Senators said that derivation, revenue allocation and creation of more states should be championed.
It was learnt that the Southern Senators would push for creation of an additional state in the South-East, the geopolitical zone with the least number of states in the federation.
“Why should one zone have seven states and another one have five states?’’ one Senator asked.
Several of the lawmakers contacted on the issue yesterday refused to speak on the issue as they claimed that there was an agreement that a communiqué on the meeting be issued by the chairman of the SSF.
However, Vanguard gathered that aside Senator Patrick Osakwwwe, Chairman of the Forum, others present at the meeting were Senators Ayogu Eze, Kola Bajomo, Nkechi Nworgu, Aloysius Etuk, Ume Ekaette, Femi Kila, Bassey Ewah-Henshaw and Victor Ndoma-Egba.
Other were Senators Olorunnimbe Mamora, Hosea Ehinlanwo, Ganiyu Solomon, Nurudeen Muse, Simeon Oduyoye and others.
Like i said before, in the next 15yrs there will be no more One Nigeria! The problem of Nigeria is caused by the little greedy of some of the yorubas e.g. Obj, Oyinlola, Awo, Akintola etc. Yoruba thought they can educationally control Hausa but guess what? The illiterates notherners are the one control all the literates across the nation! Im sure if Biafra war should start today nobody will ever stop Igbo to separate. Its time we go our different ways: we were never one and will never be One Nigeria. Let MEND Dont Stop!!!! They have started soonest others ethnic who believe they can survive without the northern slave masters will join them. What happened to OPC? They have been paid to silence them! Poor Yoruba onijekuje!
The only solution to all these problems in Nigeria is to seperate the country. We do not really belong together thanks to the Stupid British Colonizer. We will do alot better than we are currently.
Nigerian Southern PDP leaders Aggitations + Satanic yardua & Federal Company = SNIPPERS!
We pray God to quicken His already prescribed Actions on the above Nigeria Killers, for the sake of the ‘elect’
who ’s crying marginalisation ? Have you all forgotten when Aso Rock and all Ministries in Abuja were N’gati-nised during the reign of Mr Know-everything? What goes around, comes around.
Tunde Salam & ike, the above commentators have said it all about our unqualified Southern people destroyer party(PDP) leaders disability to take on the sick presidency, to free Us from Northern Bondage at the expence of Our-Southern Oilwealth that is surviving Nigerian Nation.
Woe betide babangida, obasanjo and yardua! if there is God of Humanity, Southern Oppression will becomes a thing of the past-come 2012. this is our hope in the Unseen Father of Manipulation!
The aforemention ‘Misery babylonians will be no more soonext, as they are already been prepared for slaughter in the in-comming ‘Hurricane flush Nigeria of Evil Rulership. SatanCompany= Snippers*/ Omega+Alpha=Southern Ngeria Nation!
It is unfortunate that part of the country (The North) that contributes less than 1% of the National Revenue will dominate the country leadership. The Housa/Fulani people are the least educated, the most backward, anti-capitalism yet they control the government since independent. It is exactly because these things that Nigeria the world most poorest county. We the South allow the least educated part of the ethnic group to control the country politically and the largly contributed to Nigerian backwardness in the world stap today. The North continue to embarrass the country as a whole with ideas. One of the worst state in the North is Zamfara State, whether its promotion of Sharia law humiliated Nigerians all over the world two years ago.The current Governor is at it again insisting that any state politician who does not become a member of PDP will be exiled from the State. This is close to what the fomer Governor said four years ago and that is that all politician should become members of ANPP and if you refused you will be jailed. I have said this in many of my articles and that is Nigeria should be divided into two countries in which the North will become a separate country because the North want to make Kora their constitution.
Thank you
Will these injustice, dicrimination and marginalization ever stop in Nigeria? Would Yar’adua had sent soldiers to go and destroy communities if Niger delta were a nothern region?
Riots and wantom destruction of lives and properties in the north are like a normal thing and yet nothing is done about this!
I can imagine what would have happened were the Niger Delta a region in the North.
I think it is high time the national issue is discussed without leaving any stone unturned.
yes its true that the south is now marginalize and same party in powere marginalize othere part of the country for the past eight yrs of baba ORBASANJO.
I KNOW NOW THAT 2011 IS AT THE CORNER IT IS RE= ELECTION SYNDROM.