From: Diana-Okon Effiong, Calabar.
President Goodluck Jonathan has been told to declare a state of emergency against decaying infrastructure and underdevelopment in Nigeria’s South-South geo-political zone.The call was made by the South-South Consolidated Forum (SCF) through its president, Chief Dick K.L Harry in an interview with our correspondent in Calabar
The group also emphasized the need for government to take the stand on the development of decaying infrastructure in the region that produces the wealth of the nation.
Harry observed that even after 55 years when oil was first discovered in the south-south, the zone is still suffering from deprivation, neglect, poverty and environmental degradation.
He said that the time has come for the government to focus attention on the development of the south-south region.
“We believe the Federal government owe the people of the south-south a lot in terms of development especially in the areas of infrastructure, roads, education, health, environmental degradation, poverty reduction and sustainable development,’’ he said
According to him, the amnesty granted by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua brought peace to the Niger Delta region and boosted oil exploration for enhanced revenue base of the country.
He called on multinationals exploring oil in the region to review their recruitment policies in favour of indigenes of the area.
“We did an independent research on the activities of the multinationals and we discovered that only about 15 per cent of the manpower was drawn from the south-south, this is indeed a sad story” the SCF president lamented.
Harry said the forum, set up in 2011 to serve as a “voice for the south-south’’, has since then discovered that the region has lot of challenges which must be addressed in the interest of equity, justice and fair play.
He also appealed to leaders in south-south, to shun the divide-and-rule tactics and foster the unity of the people of the region.
Harry, who said that the group was non-partisan, socio-cultural and non profit organisation, appealed to leaders of the south-south to shun politics of hatred and bitterness if they want to remain relevant in the zone
He commended elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark for his outstanding role in the struggle for the development and interest of the region.
The SCF president advised elders in the region to remain united and begin to lay solid foundation for the generation yet unborn.
He also urged the youths to shun violence and embrace peace and dialogue in order to sustain the overall development of the region.
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