THE National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, has said the South East zone of the country should produce the next president in next month’s general elections in the interest of equity, justice and peace.
The NCEF, led by Justice Solomon Asemota, SAN, has as members Gen. Zamani Lekwot, retd; Elder Moses Ihonde, Elder Nat Okoro, Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, retd; Elder Matthew Owojaiye, Hon. Justice Kalajine Anigbogu, retd; , Elder Shyngle Wigwe, DIG P. L. Dabup, Sir John W. Bagu, Dr. Saleh Hussaini; and Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife.
Others are Dame Priscilla Kuye, Dr. S. D. Gani, Mrs. Osaretin Demuren, Prof. Yussuf Turaki, Lady Mariam Yunusa; and Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, among others.
The Forum in a statement signed by the Secretary, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, yesterday, said: ”On the question of the Presidency going to the South East zone of the country, we make bold to say that in order to complete and show good faith to the post-civil war 3Rs ( Rehabilitation; Reconstruction; and Reintegration) and the No Victor No Vanquished policies of the Federal Government, which are still relevant, it is only right that the zone be given the opportunity to produce the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
”All the other zones have had representation at the Presidency and if there are to be no second-class citizens and if there are genuine desires to eliminate separatist agitations nationwide, then, a credible candidate from the geopolitical South East zone should be voted into the seat.
”The unfortunate statements credited to some presidential aspirants that they will lay the foundation for the Presidency for the South-East, after their turn, is not only an insult to the general Nigerian electorate but also a humiliating and derogatory attack akin to that of the religious clerics making inflammatory statements, which is detrimental to the overall peaceful co-existence and equity in the Nigerian project. We speak as Christian elders
”As Christian elders, our concern here is not only for the Christians and other non-Muslims, but also for the corporate existence of Nigeria, a country of diverse peoples, nationalities, and religions.
The forum also warned against inflammatory statements by the political class and religious leaders, especialy in the north, as the campaigns for the elections hot up, saying such statements were capable of threatening the corporate existence of the nation
”We are hesitant to believe that the foregoing statements were made by the highly placed named personalities. However, we are persuaded, since there has been no retraction or denial, to accept the fact that the statements were made or that the named persons were privy to their publication.
(Vanguard)
