He told Sunday
Independent in an
exclusive interview that one of the greatest mistakes they would make was to
step into the gallery with President Goodluck Jonathan if he decides to run
again in 2015.
He spoke against the backdrop of agitation in certain
quarters within the zone that the position was up for grabs in the next
election and with some known political figures already warming up for it.
The Abia governor, who saw the idea as quite plausible,
however would want it to be pursued when the chances were brightest and not
just for the sake of contesting.
For that reason, he reasoned that the position of the
President must not only be ascertained, but his support quite critical.
His words: “A lot of questions have been asked about this
and people have offered their own suggestions and ideas. Yes, we are asking for
a President of Igbo extraction. Yes, we want it, but it should be at the
appropriate time, because if you don’t ask for it at the appropriate time, we
may not get it. We have a sitting President right now; we must first of all
know his thinking about 2015 before we start shouting for Igbo Presidency.
“Yes, I am for Igbo Presidency for sure. I want an Igbo
man to be President because we have not tasted it before. But I am saying it
has to be at the appropriate time so that we can get the support of all and
sundry. “We must not lose sight of the fact that the sitting President is
entitled to a second tenure, everybody has said it and it is his constitutional
right. So we have to watch out, so that when we start making our demands, it
will be very appropriate and the other people will give their full support.
“Ndigbo alone cannot make themselves
President. It is impossible. You have to seek the cooperation of others, the
North, the West – all of them must cooperate with us because it has to be by
ballot. Our population alone cannot make us President.
“So these are the things we have to look out for and know
when it is appropriate for us to say this is the time for an Igbo man to
emerge. But you see, a lot of people have spoken about 2015 and all that, but
what I am saying is that we must look before we leap.
“We have a sitting President and it is very important
that we watch his body language before we take action.”
Orji, while maintaining that no other group in the
country deserved the position more than the South East, said that if Jonathan
declared that he was no longer interested today, Ndigbo must move in with everything they had,
because it was right to do so.
His words:“The right time of course, must be after
President Jonathan must have gone. Our argument then will be that we have not
had it before and it is a very strong argument which will be clear to everyone.
You see this argument is the best argument ever and once we start it, it will
click because Nigerians are very wise people and know when an argument is
cogent. But we should not throw our chances of getting there away by acting
outside the appropriate time when everything will be in our favour.”
Meanwhile, while the process of amendment to the
constitution is still ongoing, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and
Business, Senator Ita Enang, has said that entrenching the rotation of the
Presidency and Governors in the Constitution would violate some sections of the
Constitutions.
Enang who spoke to Sunday
Independent in
Uyo said that amendment to the Constitution is not done just for the sake of
amendment or to satisfy some emotional sentiments, adding that it is
wrong to create more problem while trying to solve existing one
He reasoned that zoning of political offices should not
be enshrined in the Constitution but should remain a matter of convention and
reserved for political parties to do their calculations on where they can get
support to win elections.
Enang who represents Akwa Ibom North East in the Senate
stated that people would be able to choose the best candidate to occupy
elective positions if zoning is left for the political parties and not a matter
of Constitution and law.
He argued that adopting a rotational Presidency or
Governors either on regional level or on senatorial district level will violate
the constitutional freedom of association and the rights of Nigerians to vote
and be voted for since it will limit the choice of the electorate on who they
should support during elections.
On gender equality, Enang said the issue of
reserving certain elective political positions in the Constitution for the
female gender may be of negative effect on both the women and the general
populace.
He explained that elective positions should be open to
both men and women to test their popularity on the field.
“Reserving certain positions for women amounts to
underrating the women and considering them as being weak. No woman or person
should be subjected to disability which others are not subjected to.”
Explaining further, he said such provision will
contradict the right of other citizens who also have the right to vote and be
voted for.
“If such is provided for in the Constitution it will
amount to a breach of the fundamental human rights such as the right to contest
election, right to vote and be voted for, right to have a choice, right not to
be discriminated against on the basis of where you come from, among others.”
The senator reasoned that it behooves the President or
Governor to decide whether to reserve certain appointive positions for the
women in his/her government, as the case may be.
On the issue of resource control, Enang reasoned that the
country should not endorse total control of resources, arguing that the time
was not yet ripe to push for true federalism, which gives vent for its
adoption.
His words: “I believe that in Nigeria your actions must
not be vividly correct but politically correct. As a Senator, you do not take a
position that you will stand alone, you take a position that people will reason
with you. No matter how the people in the South-South, 18 of us in the senate,
vote for the total control of resources, you will not be able to overthrow the
votes of other 91 senators.
“It is my opinion that until all the sections of this
country are able to produce their own mineral resources, feel the pains of
production, either oil or solid minerals or all of it and also feel the joy of
having to control it, we will not get a true resource control.
“Until oil is produced in commercial quantity in the
Benue as well as Bauchi trough,and in Enugu, Anambra, Kogi, Sokoto and Kebbi,
we will not be able to push through a full resource control.”
He stressed that other sections of the country should be
encouraged to harness their natural resources so that all the six sections can
canvass for true federalism.
He explained that the review of the 1999 Constitution was
basically to find a realistic amendment by listening to the feelings of all the
people while balancing the interest of all Nigerians.
Source: Daily Independent
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