Groups urge
leaders to industrialise South-South
• Say we
need good governance not restructuring
The Niger
Delta People’s Congress (NDPC) has called on Yoruba and northerners to
disregard the quit notice by a coalition of agitators and former militants
asking them to
leave the oil-rich region on or before October 1 this year.
Its
convener, Chief Mike Loyibo, in an interview yesterday in Yenagoa, said the
threat was not a true representation of the position of elders, leaders and
people of the area, adding that the true stakeholders were committed to an
indivisible Nigeria where everyone was free to live and do business.
He said:
“Despite years of oppression, our region has remained resolute and committed to
one Nigeria where justice, equity and peace reign. “The quit notice should be
disregarded and all Nigerians should feel free in the Niger Delta region.’’
Loyibo, who
also flayed a similar notice handed down by northern youths to Igbo resident in
their area, however, called on the National Assembly to, as a matter of
urgency, revisit the issue of devolution of power to states.
In another
development, the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) (Chartered) has called
on governments in the South-South zone of the country to create jobs for the
youths in the area through massive industrialisation.
This, it
said, would attract investors and make the youths to refrain from acts inimical
to creating peaceful environment for the investors to operate.
The NIM, in
a communique signed at the end of South-South zonal management summit held at
Ibom Hall in Uyo by Chairman, South-South Zone of the body, Sir Emmanuel Okafor
and Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the body, Dr. Emmanuel Umana, said an
effective planning and economic management at regional and national levels
would bring about integrated development to the zone.
“Effective
and productive leadership be it in the South-South or elsewhere, must be seen
to be transparent and accountable to the citizenry. This increases goodwill
among the people and the chances of elected leader succeeding in their
endeavours. This promotes legitimacy, acceptance and most importantly, role
modeling,” it said.
The body
also advised politicians in the country to always work for the enthronment of
good governance, stressing that without free and fair elections, such could not
be said to have been achieved.
Besides, a
group, the South South Reawakening Group (SSRG), has said that the “rancorous
noise” for the restructuring of the country won’t resolve the myriad of
problems in the polity. It said what Nigeria needed now is good governance.
At a media
chat yesterday in Warri, Delta State, the group said if political office
holders are accountable to the people and funds accruing to the various levels
of government are judiciously utilised, the clamour for restructuring would not
have arisen.
The leader
of the group, Mr. Joseph Ambakederimo, said those making the call for
restructuring are unequivocal what shape or style it would take.
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