Governors reacted to realities on ground, say Adebanjo, Aborisade, Eguridu
BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE AND MAYOWA SAMUEL
The urgent need to respond to looming existential threats, maintain national cohesion, secure peace and development in their domain, were the major triggers of the new found unity among the 17 southern state governors, The Point has learnt.
In an unprecedented move in recent history of the three southern regions, their governors had met twice in less than 60 days.
The first was in May 11, in Asaba, capital of Delta State, while the latest held in Lagos on July 5.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere leader declared his support for the development, saying the governors meeting is not plan to secede.
“I’m hundred percent in agreement with their (Southern governors) stand, if we want stability in Nigeria, if we want to be together in peace. They (Southern governors) are passing the law against open grazing. Is open grazing modern in this age? We shouldn’t go back to primitive practices except somebody has a hidden agenda.
Our Northern brothers are not honest with themselves. How can you say the Southern governors’ meeting is a plan to secede? Why are they taking every objection to their stand as a plan for secession?
Adebanjo said “The threat given to the South that they should forget about the 2023 election if the ban on open grazing is not lifted is an insult. Who are they to dictate to us? What impunity for a section to be dictating.”
Lawyer and public affairs analyst, Honesty Eguridu, commended the development. He said “It is a highly welcomed development. Though long overdue but it is a welcomed development. The governors actually reacted to reality on ground. The country as a whole is facing many crises.
“But for the southern part, it had always seemed far away few years ago. Suddenly these crises which had been rocking far away parts of the country, so to say, came knocking on their doors.
“I’m hundred percent in agreement with their (Southern governors) stand, if we want stability in Nigeria, if we want to be together in peace. They (Southern governors) are passing the law against open grazing. Is open grazing modern in this age? We shouldn’t go back to primitive practices except somebody has a hidden agenda”
“So, faced with the challenges posed by unprecedented insecurity, the first of its kind since the civil war; a looming food shortfall and the emergence of a strident clamour for self determination, the governors could no longer afford to be passive anymore. They were practically condemned to act and act fast,” he told The Point at the weekend.
The frequency of the meetings; the audacious communiqués coupled with the resolute and urgent tenor of the languages of the communiqués that followed these meetings, all combined to make them the talking point in the political space of recent.
Before the Asaba meeting, the three southern regions had been hit with deadly waves of kidnapping, herders/farmers clashes resulting from open grazing, banditry, armed robberies and general insecurity.
At the Asaba meeting, apparently pressured by mounting crises, the governors ca me out with a basketful of prescriptions aimed at fostering unity, engendering peace, and taming violent clashes involving herder and farmers thereby ensuring food security.
Time up for passive observation
Femi Aborisade, SAN, human rights activist and public affairs commentator, said “I think there is a nationwide consensus (and not just among Governors; alone) that Nigeria faces an unprecedented security challenge.
“What is emerging, however, is a lack of adequate understanding that the unprecedented security challenge is not a function of whether the president comes from the North or the South. Even if the next President comes from the South, without a paradigm shift in the philosophy of governance from pro rich philosophy of governance to pro poor people philosophy of governance, there would be no end to security challenges.
“Therefore, even though every region or ethnic group should be given a sense of belonging, the more critical concern and discourse should be about elimination (or drastic reduction in) of chronic and pervasive poverty through income redistribution which closes or reduces unmatched income inequality.”
The 12 point communiqué from the Asaba meeting saw the governors calling for national dialogue to stem the rising tide of agitation for self determination and other feelings of alienation being parroted daily, mostly, by people from the southern region.
The forum made it clear that there was no going back on banning open grazing just as it canvassed ranching as a better alternative to driving herds across acres of land in a laborious manner. They also recommended that in view of the widespread agitations among various ethnic groups for a more inclusive participation in the governance system of the country, the Federal Government should as a matter of urgency convoke a national dialogue.
Again, Eguridu has this to say: “Truth be told, nobody saw this coming. Many people thought the days of passive observation by the southern governors because of perceived historical discord and disagreement on the basis of ethnicity, political differences and even religion would as usual scatter them, but they were wrong.
“I tell you, for the governors, it was an existential issue and they rose stoutly to the occasion. For once, these governors earned the respect of people in the three regions of the south.
“What is more, they made an important point, and that is the fact that they can articulate their priorities and choices. And that they can clearly express the same in a manner that everyone will understand and they will not need any interpretation,” he maintained.
It was learnt that efforts were made by extraneous blocs to infiltrate the forum before the Asaba meeting but such efforts were unsuccessful. The move was orchestrated by politicians having 2023 ambitions, who feared that a united front by the governors may not serve their interest since they are not of the same party and more especially, they have very little history of cooperation in the southern part of the country.
However, the moves failed principally because almost all the governors were beginning to feel the heat of insecurity in the region and were determined to do something about it.
An aide of one of the South-South governors, who pleaded anonymity, told The Point that, “You know Nigeria is a place where there are godfathers everywhere. I think moves were made by some godfathers to infiltrate the forum with a view to using their godsons to prevail on governors so that they could moderate the forum from reaching a consensus on major issues such as banning of open grazing in the south; cooperating to jointly demand restructuring of the polity and the question of 2023. Unfortunately for these extraneous forces, the southern governors were already thoroughly fed up with these issues.
“So, the moment no extraneous force could come in between them, the deal was as good as done.”
The forum which employed the finest of diplomatic language in couching the Asaba Communiqué, said, “Rising from the meeting, the Forum affirmed that the peoples of Southern Nigeria remain committed to the unity of Nigeria on the basis of justice, fairness, equity and oneness and peaceful co-existence between and among its peoples with a focus on the attainment of shared goals for economic development and prosperity.
“Consequently, the meeting resolved that open grazing of cattle be banned across Southern Nigeria; noted that development and population growth has put pressure on available land and increased the prospects of conflict between migrating herders and local populations in the South.
“Recommended that in view of widespread agitations among our various peoples for greater inclusiveness in existing governance arrangements, the Federal Government should convoke a national dialogue as a matter of urgency,” were some of the 12 point communiqué.
Eguridu praised Ondo State Governor, saying that he was very proud of the way he was able to galvanize the forum. He said the forum ought to have taken this present stand long ago but failed to because of what he called “seemingly entrenched differences bothering on trust and perceived hate for one another.”
“Without prejudice to any governor, I am happy that Arakunrin galvanised the Southern Governors Forum and it has bounced back to life and is championing the cause of the people of southern Nigeria. This is what the Northern Governors Forum has been doing and Arewa Consultative Forum too. They know how to fight for their people. Now SGF has told everybody in very clear terms it can also fight for southerners,” he stated.
For the Southern Nigeria governors, the Asaba and Lagos meetings ushered in a new era. It is time up for passive observation.
If the Asaba meeting ruffled feathers, the governors used the Lagos meeting to up the ante by demanding that the region be allowed to produce the President in 2023 and more importantly, as if to assert their earlier stance on ban of open grazing, set a deadline for all the 17 Houses of Assembly to pass a law to that effect.
Expectedly, both the Asaba and Lagos meeting communiqués elicited spontaneous reactions. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, took particular note of the issue of banning open grazing. His criticism of the resolution was confronted stoutly by Akeredolu, SAN.
Whereas Malami wanted the issue sorted through Constitutional amendment; Akeredolu preferred judicial intervention. So, he urged Malami to go to court.
“If you are talking of constitutionally guaranteed rights, the better approach to it is to perhaps go back to ensure the Constitution is amended, Malami had suggested.
But Akeredolu countered that the decision of the governors was “irreversible.” He said that it was most “unfortunate that the AGF is unable to distil issues as expected of a Senior Advocate. He urged Mr Malami “to approach the court to challenge the legality of the Laws of the respective states banning open grazing and decision of the Southern Governor Forum taken in the interest of their people.
“We shall be most willing to meet him in Court. The decision to ban open grazing stays. It will be enforced with vigour,” Akeredolu insisted.
But more opposition was to come the way of the forum on the issue of 2023 presidency.
A day after the Lagos meeting, a group, Coalition of Northern Groups, through its spokesman, Abdulazeez Suleiman, said “We categorically affirm that the North will not be stampeded or blackmailed into taking major decisions around rotating the presidency.”
Also National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Saleh Alhassan, last week declared “They (the southern governors) are hungry for power. Why are they making open grazing an issue? Is it the only problem in the country? They may not even get the power.”
