Anti-Zoning Governors Betrayed North – Tsav
The former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav has said that the Northern governors that voted against zoning betrayed the North.
He said the governors opposed to zoning are doing so out of selfish interest
Speaking with Daily SUMMIT, Alhaji Tsav said that zoning is the only way that every part of the country could have a sense of belonging in running the country.
He said discarding zoning now is premature as the country is not yet ripe for allocation of elective offices based solely on merit.
“If we say we are discarding zoning, supposing the President, Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives are chosen from the same zone, are we matured enough politically to accept that?” he queried.
Noting that President Goodluck Jonathan is a beneficiary of zoning, Tsav said that zoning is not new in the country and that distribution of political offices over the years have always been influenced by the spirit of zoning.
However, despite the fact that some northern governors voted against zoning, Alhaji Tsav is confident that when the chips are down and the north unite to take over the presidency by 2011, they have all that it takes to succeed.
While lamenting that some elements within the north are doing everything possible to fan the embers of disunity in the zone, he said the north has always been resilient and often rise up to every challenge successfully.
“If the north unite, they have friends from elsewhere that can support them to win the election,” he said.
It could be recalled that when the northern governors met on Tuesday in Kaduna to deliberate and take a stand on zoning, governors of Niger, Kwara, Adamawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kano, Gombe and Katsina voted for zoning, while the governors of Taraba, Nasarawa, Kogi, Plateau, Kaduna, Benue and Borno voted against it. Yobe and Bauchi states did not vote.
In another development, President Goodluck Jonathan came under severe attack over the national awards that he bestowed on some Nigerians adjudged by the public to be very corrupt.
Among Nigerians who has taken issue with the President on the awards is the former Lagos State Commissioner of Public, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav. Tsav in a statement made available to Daily SUMMIT in Abuja said that National Honours under President Goodluck Jonathan has been bastardized.
The statement read; “National Honours under President Goodluck Jonathan is bastardized. It is no more National Honour but National Shame.
“About three years ago Hon. Mrs Patricia Etteh lost her seat as speaker, Federal House of Representatives following charges of dishonesty arising from inflated contract for the renovation of her official residence to the tune of over N600 million.
“President Goodluck Jonathan disregarded this and found her fit and proper for the award of National Honours of CFR in contradiction of his war against graft.
“Could it be that her level of dishonesty is less than what Hon. Dimeji Bankole, Speaker Federal House of Representatives is being accused of? What is this country turning to? How do we honour indicted persons and disregard the honest ones? Our scientists and professors are working very hard to develop this country scientifically and technologically without recognition or encouragement?
The so called War Against Corruption is a grand deceit. This war is only aimed at non-PDP members. It is my view that National Honours in Nigeria is meant mostly for the rich and the crooks. No wonder some men of honour and integrity reject National Honours.
“Very soon ex-militants would be awarded National Honour. No single police constable, nor soldier nor indeed any service man or messenger in different services/department has ever been honoured, yet they perform the most difficult and risky assignments.
“This is National Shame not National Honour. What type of leaders do we have in Nigeria? Opportunities.”
It could be recalled that recently, the President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan bestowed national awards on some Nigerians at a colourful ceremony but many Nigerians have been mulling over the integrity of many of the award recipients.
He said the governors opposed to zoning are doing so out of selfish interest
Speaking with Daily SUMMIT, Alhaji Tsav said that zoning is the only way that every part of the country could have a sense of belonging in running the country.
He said discarding zoning now is premature as the country is not yet ripe for allocation of elective offices based solely on merit.
“If we say we are discarding zoning, supposing the President, Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives are chosen from the same zone, are we matured enough politically to accept that?” he queried.
Noting that President Goodluck Jonathan is a beneficiary of zoning, Tsav said that zoning is not new in the country and that distribution of political offices over the years have always been influenced by the spirit of zoning.
However, despite the fact that some northern governors voted against zoning, Alhaji Tsav is confident that when the chips are down and the north unite to take over the presidency by 2011, they have all that it takes to succeed.
While lamenting that some elements within the north are doing everything possible to fan the embers of disunity in the zone, he said the north has always been resilient and often rise up to every challenge successfully.
“If the north unite, they have friends from elsewhere that can support them to win the election,” he said.
It could be recalled that when the northern governors met on Tuesday in Kaduna to deliberate and take a stand on zoning, governors of Niger, Kwara, Adamawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kano, Gombe and Katsina voted for zoning, while the governors of Taraba, Nasarawa, Kogi, Plateau, Kaduna, Benue and Borno voted against it. Yobe and Bauchi states did not vote.
In another development, President Goodluck Jonathan came under severe attack over the national awards that he bestowed on some Nigerians adjudged by the public to be very corrupt.
Among Nigerians who has taken issue with the President on the awards is the former Lagos State Commissioner of Public, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav. Tsav in a statement made available to Daily SUMMIT in Abuja said that National Honours under President Goodluck Jonathan has been bastardized.
The statement read; “National Honours under President Goodluck Jonathan is bastardized. It is no more National Honour but National Shame.
“About three years ago Hon. Mrs Patricia Etteh lost her seat as speaker, Federal House of Representatives following charges of dishonesty arising from inflated contract for the renovation of her official residence to the tune of over N600 million.
“President Goodluck Jonathan disregarded this and found her fit and proper for the award of National Honours of CFR in contradiction of his war against graft.
“Could it be that her level of dishonesty is less than what Hon. Dimeji Bankole, Speaker Federal House of Representatives is being accused of? What is this country turning to? How do we honour indicted persons and disregard the honest ones? Our scientists and professors are working very hard to develop this country scientifically and technologically without recognition or encouragement?
The so called War Against Corruption is a grand deceit. This war is only aimed at non-PDP members. It is my view that National Honours in Nigeria is meant mostly for the rich and the crooks. No wonder some men of honour and integrity reject National Honours.
“Very soon ex-militants would be awarded National Honour. No single police constable, nor soldier nor indeed any service man or messenger in different services/department has ever been honoured, yet they perform the most difficult and risky assignments.
“This is National Shame not National Honour. What type of leaders do we have in Nigeria? Opportunities.”
It could be recalled that recently, the President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan bestowed national awards on some Nigerians at a colourful ceremony but many Nigerians have been mulling over the integrity of many of the award recipients.
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