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The south-south declaration

SOME two week-ends ago, the six governors of the South-south region and members of the National Assembly from that zone met to discuss issues of national importance. They came out of the meeting with a bold declaration on some issues of the moment in the life of the nation. These Leaders of the South-south deserve congratulations for standing up to be counted. The danger of remaining silent and pleading marginalized in a democracy is that the opinion of the vocal groups and sections comes to be adopted as the authentic public interest and opinion. That is why it was important for the leaders of that zone to declare their principled position on the burning issues of the day.

The position of the leaders on the issue of the 13 per cent derivation is unassailable. Since we have a constitution that provides for the implementation of this 13 per cent derivation principle, there is absolutely no justification for President Obasanjo and his government to refuse to honour that constitutional provision. To foot-drag over a constitutional provision that secures benefits for a severely deprived zone of the country is both insensitive and even mischievous. Mercifully, the President has listened and has ordered compliance to that provision. It is unfortunate that the President had to wait for this confrontation from the South-south leaders before doing the right thing. But it also proves the point that those who do not stand up for their rights tend to be easily taken for granted by rulers.

The South-south leaders are also right to accuse President Obasanjo of insensitivity in delaying the signing into law of the Niger Delta Development Commission Bill. The problems of rescuing the Niger-Delta region from the degradation and neglect of these many years should be tackled with a high sense of urgency. Delay in ratifying the NDDC bill suggests that the requisite sense of urgency is not being applied to bring relief to that region.

The South-south leaders also command the sympathy of well-meaning Nigerians in their attack on both the Land Use Decree and the new off shore/onshore dichotomy. The case for scrapping both provisions, not only for the South-south, but for the rest of the country, is eminently persuasive in the new progressive Nigeria.

The South-south has the support of all Nigerians in insisting on a return to genuine federalism. And if going for a national conference is the way to bring this about, the South-south should also logically mobilize in support for such a conference.

Every zone tends to allow its peculiar interest to dictate its position on national issues. This means that no zone should regard its own position as more legitimate than that of others. But in a situation of negotiation such as a national conference offers, majority positions which can be justified on grounds of public interest will most likely prevail. This is why the rather divisive and minority character of the South-south zone may place it at a disadvantage. One way out of this impasse is for the zone to ally with the zones with which it has had long standing historical association. This is the only way of increasing its weight at the bargaining table.

April 13th 2000