Forget About Presidency In 2015, Onoja Tells North. Former military governor of Plateau State, Major General Lawrence Onoja, has asked the northern part of the country to forget about the presidency in 2015, saying that President Goodluck Jonathan is constitutionally entitled to a second term.The former military governor also said as far as the 2015 was concerned, groups like the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Northern Elders Forum (NEF) do not speak for the entire north, adding that the middle belt is solidly behind the second term ambition of Jonathan.Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Onoja said although every group had a right to agitate for power, the middle belt would show solidarity to Jonathan ahead of the 2015 presidency because being a president from the minority tribe, the middle belt also has been treated as a minority in the north.On the question of power shift to the north Onoja said, “Every group has a right to ask for power but I believe power is not given that way. You work for it. I want to let you know categorically here that it is not yet time for power to shift to the north. MrPresident has not done his second term. All the other presidents were given opportunity to do their second term and Mr President by virtue of the fact that he is a minority like me, it would be unfair and an injustice to stop him from doing his second term. If he finishes his second term in 2019, then other areas or blocks can now begin to agitate for power shift. I think it is only fair to allow Mr President do his second term.”Replying ACF, NEF on their insistence that presidency must return to the North, Onoja said “there could be anger in certain parts of the North. But there is no anger against Jonathan in my own middle belt part of the North. We support Jonathan for his second term. Every group has the fundamental right to agitate for power. The groups that are talking, the Northern Elders, Arewa, they are not political parties.They are socio-political cum cultural associations. So they probably cannot install a President. At best they are talking of supporting a candidate from the North. You don’t blame me for saying that my own people support Jonathan. This is because assuming the power comes to the North today would you tell them to concede power to the Idoma people where I come from because I am a minority in the North and Jonathan is a minority form South South. Why don’t you allow him finish his second term then after that any other group can now begin to agitate for power.”He further dispelled insinuations that the entire north is united on the demand for power to return to the region, saying it is a misconception.“There is a misconception. The North of the sixties when Sarduana was alive is no long the same North today. Let me correct that misconception, I am from middle belt which is a geographical reality today. I am an active member of Congress for Equality and Change which is a non political association. I am also a member of Middle Belt Forum. So, If you say I am from the North, and you are referring to the old North yes, I am from the North, but now, the middle belt is a geographical reality and I am a member of the middle belt. I am not from the core North.”Underscoring the divide in the north he said “the demarcation has been there all along. It is just that the leaders that we had before, had the responsibility of making sure that we work together as the same North. But yesterday is not the same as today. People have been educated, exposed so if yesterday, some group of persons were dictating to us today people will not accept the dictation of anybody again. We, in the middle belt are strong enough to go on our own in any situation.”On whether there could be a united North again, he said “you cannot precisely give an answer to a political situation. It is difficult to say there will be one North again because in the sixties due to the leadership provided by Sarduana of Sokoto, from what I was told because I was in primary school then, I woke up one day to see light and water in my home Otukpo. Then we had Ministers from our place but our people said these things were provided by Sarduana. And most of the people working around Sarduana, the Sunday Awoniyi’s and a number of people were Christians. So the picture I had as a young man then was this man is a detribalised leader. This is the kind of leaders we are looking for. Then the North had the concept of one North. But the times have changed and the, elders we have in the North today are not the same with Sarduana. So I have my doubts if the North will be one North again because of events that have occurred between 1960 and now.”
Posted on: Mon, 19 Aug 2013 23:31:27 +0000