Presidency not North's birthright — Briggs

A Niger Delta activist and spokesperson for the Ijaw Republican Assembly, Ms. Annkio Briggs, has said ruling the country is not the prerogative of Nigerians of northern extraction alone.

She also claimed that President Goodluck Jonathan was the best president of the country since her independence in 1960.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Friday, Briggs said Jonathan had performed better than past leaders in the country.

Briggs said the North should wait for another shot at governing the country.

'Northerners have governed this country for nearly 40 years. If you govern a place for nearly 40 years and you cannot allow or accept that other people should govern for eight or 16 years before it becomes your turn again, then you're selfish and greedy.

'The only thing that is developing Nigeria today is oil and gas, yet we are being told that a man that comes from this region is not good enough for this country. If he is not good enough for this country, then the oil and gas is not good enough for this country. I believe that it is not fair for the North to insist that they must take power back. Power is not their birth right. Must people from the North always govern Nigeria; is it their birthright?' she said. Agency report