Asaba: Group Applauds Southern Governors, Asks Northern Governors To Endorse Communique |The Source

By Adesina Soyooye and  Akinwale Kasali

…Speaker Obasi Asks Buhari To Listen

A high profile group, Justice and Equity for Peace and Unity Initiative (JEPUIN), has applauded the meeting of the Southern Governors held in Asaba, Delta State capital.

Applauding the Governors for their courage and patriotism to speak out, JEPUIN endorsed all, but one of the outcomes of the Communique from the meeting.

In a Press Release jointly signed by its Chairman, Saminu Turaki, Deputy Chairman, Raymond Dokpesi, and Executive Secretary, Tony Uranta, JEPUIN urged Northern Governors to endorse the communique from the Southern Governors’ meeting in order to move Nigeria forward.

Since the meeting of the Southern Governors, attended by all of them, but two, reactions have been coming like claps of thunder  for, and against. The two Governors absent are Professor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, and his Osun State counterpart, Gboyega Oyetola. The Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, was represented by his Deputy, Professor Placid Njoku.

Unlike their Northern counterparts who usually meet at reasonable intervals, the Asaba meeting   was the first time Southern Governors would meet, especially, since the worsening insecurity in the Country, among other serious issues, threatening to see the end of Nigeria as one united country.

A number of people from the North, including the Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Ahmed, and Professor Usman Yusuf, have criticised, strongly, the communique issued at the end of the meeting. Professor Yusuf was so upset by the outcome of the meeting that he queried the guts of the Southern Governors for meeting without first discussing with their Northern counterparts.

The question many asked the Professor was if Northern Governors discuss with their counterparts in the South before their own meetings.

But many others saw the Asaba meeting as a  frantic move by Southern Governors to keep Nigeria united. The Forum of Southern Senators endorsed the Communique, and saw it as not only timely, but a way out of worrying situation Nigeria has found itself.

The Rt. Hon.Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, asked President to without much delay, implent the Communique.

A prolific commentator on National issues, and a Columnist with the Sunday Tribune, Festus Adedayo,PhD, compared the Asaba meeting to the Aburi, Ghana, meeting held to avoid Nigeria’s 30-month Civil war – 1967- 1970.

JEPUIN, particularly, supported the recommendation of the Southern Governors for the restructuring of the country, a review of the Revenue Formula, a review of Federal Appointments to reflect federal character, and the establishment of State Police.

But JEPIUN, a premier pan-Nigerian Organisation, which birthed early 2018, and focuses on the building of a united Nigeria on the foundation of justice, equity and fairness, did not agree with the Governors on the convocation of a Constitutional Conference. They asked for the dusting and implementation of the 2014 Conference organised during the President Goodluck Administration.

The statement by JEPUIN said the members were “greatly encouraged by the outcome of the meeting of Southern Governors on May 11, 2021 to seek ways of addressing the security and political crises facing the nation.

“And, JEPUIN strongly implores the Northern Governors meet urgently to endorse their Southern Compatriots to quickly manifest the way forward for a better, stable Nigeria based on Rule of Law.

“JEPUIN affirms that the positive recommendations, resulting from the Southern Governors meeting as contained in the communiqué, will go a long way to douse the tension in the country if implemented.

“It urges that ALL Nigerian Governors stand as one, and urgently take practical steps to bring about their stated positions for the good of Nigeria and its citizenry.

“JEPUIN applauds the governors for their call to restructure the country, paving way for the evolution of state police, review of revenue allocation formula, and creation of other laws and institutions which would legitimately advance the country’s commitment to and practice of true federalism.

“JEPUIN posits that the call for yet another National Conference is not necessary, since the robust Report consensually endorsed by ALL delegates to the 2014 National Conference is a very logical and germane template for the study and updating of Nigeria’s Modus Vivendi. This will be seen by citizens as a genuine move to work out how Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities can live peacefully with each other, without incurring the unnecessary cost-burden on our evidently less sound economy, compared to the 2014 economy.

“JEPUIN agrees with the recommendation of the southern governors that in deference to the sensitivities of the various peoples of the country, there is urgent need to review appointments into federal government agencies (including security agencies) to reflect federal character. Nigeria’s overall population is heterogeneous, and the principle of federal character will go a long way to assuage the disenchantment of different nationalities of the nation with the current status quo.

“The affirmation of the Governors that the peoples of Southern Nigeria remain committed to the unity of Nigeria on the basis of justice, fairness, equity, oneness and peaceful co-existence between and among its peoples with a focus on the attainment of shared goals for economic development and prosperity is fully in line with the vision and mission of JEPUIN and it urges all Nigerians of goodwill to work with all the constituted authorities to achieve this.

“JEPUIN thus urges all Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations, ethnic nationality or religion to align with this move of the southern governors for the peace and unity of our nation. Businesspeople, industrialists, professionals, religious leaders, societies, unions, associations, traditional rulers and communities across the nation should also throw their weight behind the Governors, so to help birth a just and equitable nation where no one is oppressed.

“We urge the Southern Governors to show that they mean what they said by encouraging and supporting their respective state assemblies, to domesticate by legislation all or some of the recommendations contained in their communiqué.

“We also appeal to the Northern Governors Forum to see the communiqué of their Southern counterparts in a positive light intended to douse the tension in the land and set Nigeria on the part to peace and prosperity. We urge that they welcome the move of their Southern brothers and that all 36 Governors work out ways to jointly initiate the needed All-inclusive National Dialogue to save our nation from anarchy and chaos.  This is no time for any part of the country to grandstand and heat up the polity through utterances and actions that could push the country over the cliff.

“We pray that God our Father of all mercies will grant our political leaders the wisdom, the will and the way to apply reason and common sense to take the needed steps for peace and tranquility to return to our land.”

Speaker Obasa Asks Buhari  To Implement Communique

In his reaction, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently act on the request of the Southerner Governors Forum in a bid to curtail the Insecurity challenges bedeviling the nation.

Speaker Obasa said if  President Buhari’s Administration would act earnestly on this, the current insecurity challenges facing the  nation will be history.

He, also said its implemtation would provide  a way and opportunity to further unite the people and foster national progress.

In a press Statement  issued on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Eromosele Ebhomele, Obasa expressed belief that the security and economic challenges Nigeria is faced with at the moment are a phase from which the country would come out stronger.

The former chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria said that,  “President Buhari should not only give a thought to the requests made by the governors, he should also implement them for the country to move forward.

“This year’s Ramadan afforded many of us the opportunity to pray for the country. It is obvious that the country has some challenges.

“However, the challenges should not be left to the Government alone. Every citizen of Nigeria is important and must play that positive role that would ultimately move the country from where it is now to where we want it to be.

“We are a religious set of people and the religions practised in the country teach us to live in love and peace with one another as well as be our neighbours’ brothers and sisters.

“More than ever, we have the responsibility to make the country habitable, devoid of criminal elements, and we must be resolute on this.”