By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Bayelsa state Governor Duoye Diri has asked the Governors from the Northern Region to support the demand of the Southern Governors’ Forum for the Presidency to shift to South at the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023.
The Southern Governors Forum, an umbrella body of Governors from the 17 Southern states irrespective of political parties, at their second meeting in Lagos on Monday came out with a Six-Point Resolution which include demand for the next President of Nigeria to come from the Southern part of the country.
Speaking on Channels Television breakfast programme Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Governor Diri who attended the Lagos meeting insists that the demand of the Southern Governors is justified.
According to him, any Nigerian who loves the country must align with the demand of the Southern Governors in the interest of equity, fairness and good neighbourliness.
Said he: “Governors from the Southern Region have taken a political stand on how to move our beloved country forward. It is now our duty to reach out to our colleagues in the Northern Region to see reason why the next President of Nigeria should come from the Southern part of country.
“If we can recall, this has been done in Nigeria before when former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the Southern part of the country handed over to former President Umaru Yar’Adua from the North and whose tenure was completed by his Vice and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, our leader, hence it will be the turn of the Southern Region when President Buhari from the North completes his eight years tenure in 2023.
Diri therefore urged Northern Governors irrespective of political parties to support the return of the Presidency to the South in 2023.
On the ban on Open-grazing in the Southern Region, the Governor said the timeline of Wednesday, September, 1, 2021, set for the promulgation of the Anti-open grazing law in all Southern States remains sacrosanct.
Said he: “Bayelsa State Government had since promulgated Bayelsa Anti-open grazing Law which came into effect on March 11, 2021. Defaulters have been arrested, tried and fines paid”.
Diri described open grazing of cattle as primitive, arguing that such practices can only exist in underdeveloped and backward countries.
“Cattle rearing across the world have gone beyond nomadic practices as those who engage in it worldwide rely on modern techniques in accordance with international best practices”, Governor Diri concluded.
