By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
A top member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Ray Emeana has urged the two major political parties in Nigeria to zone the 2023 Presidency to the Southeast geo-political zone in interest of equity, justice and good neighbourliness.
Emeana who is the Imo State Secretary of PDP also said that he is optimistic that PDP will hand in its Presidential ticket for the 2023 Presidential election to the Southeast zone for standing with the party since the return of constitutional democracy.
Speaking on Channels Television breakfast programme Sunrise Daily, the PDP Chieftain insists that the Southeast geo-political zone remains the only zone in the Southern region that is yet to produce a civilian President of Nigeria in the modern era.
Said he: “I am optimistic that PDP will zone its Presidential ticket to the Southeast and I urge the APC to do same in the interest of peace, equity and fairness. Southeast has played huge part in the development of Nigeria and should be seen as part of the country called Nigeria”.
“It will be a grave injustice to the Southeast should the two leading political parties in Nigeria deny the Southeast zone the opportunity to produce the next President of Nigeria. This is the right time for our country to heal. It’s the injustice in the land that is breeding agitations and if the right things are done there will be peace in the country”.
On the vexed issue of Value Added Tax (VAT), Emeana said he supports state governments collecting VAT instead of Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), pointing out that there are a lot for the states to benefit from it.
On the Anti-Open Grazing push by the Southern Governors Forum, the PDP Imo State scribe revealed that Imo State has an existing Anti- Open Grazing Law signed into law by former Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa.
According to him: “I can tell you that Imo State already has Anti- Open Grazing Law. I recall that Hon. Oliver Enwerem sponsored Imo State Anti-Open Grazing Bill which was passed by Imo State House of Assembly and was accented into law by Governor Achike Udenwa PDP in 2006”.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe has also thrown his weight behind the the states collecting VAT instead of FIRS, saying there are a lot of injustices in the sharing of VAT proceeds among the states by the Federal Government.
The APC Chieftain from Lagos state argued that there are a lot lopsided sharing formula in Nigeria, pointing out that it cuts across the political and economic turf.
According to him: “I have had the opportunity to argue with my friends from the North on how a state like Lagos should be getting meagre share of VAT after generating larger chunk while others generating less will be given the lion share”.
Sen. Ogunlewe insists that while the Northern region can brag with large population, the Southern part of Nigeria can brag with their hardworking nature, pointing out that you can’t work hard while those who are not working as much will receive the lion share of the proceed of hardwork.
