Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum says he is advocating that southern Nigeria produces the next president of the country, as a shift of power to the south in 2023 will enhance the country’s political security.
Mr Zulum stated this on Thursday in Abuja when he presented a public lecture on the topic “Security and Economic Growth: Leadership in Challenging Times” at a book launch by Dakuku Peterside, a former Director-General and CEO of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency with the title Strategic Turnaround, Story of a Government Agency.
He called on the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) to heed his advice and keep to previous agreements made to shift power to the southern part of the country in the next administration.
“I have advocated for power shift to the south and I am not saying this so that I will become the vice president,” Mr Zulum said.
“Although it is not enshrined in the constitution, power rotation is a covenant between our political party and as a devout Muslim it should be kept”.
The governor also used the opportunity to blame poor handling of the Boko Haram insurgency in the early years and the deep-seated corruption of government officials for the insecurity in the country.
He added that the mistake Nigeria made that has led to the banditry in the country is to think of the problem as only Borno States’ problem.
According to the governor, military interventions and even calls for restructuring will not stop the crisis, but also called for strategic leadership and social re-orientation to end insecurity in the country.
“The greatest mistake made by the Nigerian government when insurgency broke out some years back was to think of the problem as only Borno States’,” the governor said.
“Restructuring will not solve the problem of insecurity in Nigeria. A fragile north-east will ensure the north-west is fragile, a fragile north-west will also ensure the north-central is fragile, a fragile north-central will ensure the south-south, south-east and south-west are fragile.
According to the governor “there is a need for a national security policy that focuses on good governance, delivery of basic services, economic reconstruction and sustainable development, security sector reform.”
By Abel Ejikeme
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