Coalition for Media Politics, CMP, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at her October meeting in Asaba, said Southern Nigeria, was and still the economic and financial power base of Nigeria, since 1958, but sadly enough, it has been subjected to a pitiable, beggarly, oil rich but unfortunately cheated.
The group noted that Southern Nigeria remained a deliberately oppressed geographical area, through consistent post colonial rule manipulations by Northern supremacists and the Hausa Fulani oligarchy, spanning over six decades and still counting.
The Coalition’s take on the state of the nation under President Muhammadu Buhari led APC national government, and signed by the Convener and Executive Assistant to Delta State Governor on Communications, Chief Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe Esq, and Acting Secretary, Hon Tega Ezekiel Ughara, commended the watertight synergy and visionary leadership of the Southern Nigeria governors and their timely determination to restore the right of place of the region in the socioeconomic and political scheme of things in the country.
CMP said the rare display of unity of purpose by the governors devoid of political affiliations should be sustained and should not in anyway bow to the alleged plan by the Northern Supremacists to discard their collective legitimate demands through strategic application of divide and rule tactics within the forum.
“CMP commended Southern Nigeria Governors Forum, SNGF, over their collective legitimate demands namely; collection of VAT by state governments, true federalism, power shift to Southern Nigeria in 2023, ban on Open Grazing already in force in some states, etcetera.
“We urge the governors to do anything and everything lawful to free Southern Nigeria, from the over six decades of socioeconomic and political subjugation by Northern oppressors and their neocolonialists who erroneously believe that Nigeria belong to their unknown forefathers while the people of Southern Nigeria are second class citizens who should consistently eat the crumbs falling from the internal colonial master’s dinning table.
“The body language of the Northern elites, their uncomplimentary comments on vexed national issues, as well as their their double-speaking over the demand of majority of Nigerians for fiscal federalism and resource control should no longer be tolerated at this critical state of our nationhood.
“CMP is very proud of the boldness, focus, determination and leadership sagacity of the present team of Southern Governors, the patriotic spirit and the watertight unity among them, clearly devoid of political affiliations connotes a deliberate, timely and necessary synergy to free the people of Southern Nigeria, from over six decades of economic strangulation, stagnation and control of Southern oil wells and God given natural resources.
“It is therefore heart warming and a welcome development for our visionary and highly pragmatic governors in Southern Nigeria, for coming together to do the needful as true elected representatives of the people, to free our people and region from the iron fist of our internal colonial masters, the Hausa Fulani supremacists and the Northern. Oligarchy. They should sustain the temple and never bow to our economic and political oppressors.
“CMP Endorses the efforts of Southern Nigeria Governors, and their genuine demands in it entirety, and therefore passes vote of confidence on them for a a job well done so far, and urged them to do everything and anything lawful and necessary to actualise their obvious legitimate demands for the States and people of Southern Nigeria,” CMP said.