Asaba Accord: South’s ‘Independence’ Scares Northerners, Says Ozekhome

By Alex Enumah

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, has disclosed that northern elite had kicked against Southern governors’ Asaba accord because the North was afraid that the South had woken up and “may finally attain their independence”.

The senior lawyer was reacting to the opposition mounted by the Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello; Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan and other northern elite against the resolutions of the Southern governors.

In a statement issued yesterday, Ozekhome stated that, “The sudden unexpected kick by some Northern elite against the patriotic resolutions passed last week at a meeting held in Asaba by the 17 Southern Governors of Nigeria is quite worrisome, but definitely uncalled for. The kick is illegal, unconstitutional and even immoral.

“The sudden hoopla and ruckus seem to suggest that these few vocal elements are suddenly scared. What are they afraid of? I do not know. Or do you? But, let me do some guess work here. They may probably be afraid that the South has finally woken up and shaken off its Stockholm Syndrome.

“I guess they are scared that the assumed long suffering ‘slaves’ of Nigeria may finally achieve their overdue liberation, liberty and freedom, and attain their independence from the asphyxiating grip of perpetual overlords, ‘slave’ masters, neo-Colonialists and territorial expansionists.

“They may fear that under a true fiscal federation, anchored on the true principles of Federalism, everyone will now be required to contribute to the baking of the national cake and not just merely sharing it.”

The senior lawyer reminded those against the Asaba Declaration that it was the northern governors that actually first set the ball rolling at their Virtual Meeting of February 9, 2021,about the urgent need to ban open grazing.

He stated that the northern governors’ communique then was to the effect that open cattle grazing should be immediately abolished.

“The forum had then set up a four-man Committee headed by its Chairman, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, to implement their decisions. This meeting was immediately followed, upon the Northern Governors ‘ prodding, by the 25th Virtual Meeting of all Nigerian Governors’ Forum, two days later, on February 11, 2021. It was presided over by its Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.

“At this meeting, all the 36 State Governors unanimosly agreed to end nomadic rearing of cattle; to end open, night and underage grazing in Nigeria, and to transit to ranching and other modern systems of animal husbandry, in view of its adverse security effects on the country,” Ozekhome explained.

While wondering what has changed between February and May, he warned that the Nigeria Civil War which lasted for three years and claimed over three million lives was as a result of the insincerity that attended the implementation of the Aburi Accord in Ghana.