ZONING'S OUT OF FASHION, SAYS ASAGBA OF ASABA

The shabby state of the Nigerian nation needs a competent and dedicated leadership to correct, the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien, said yesterday in Asaba, the capital of Delta State.

The paramount monarch of the state spoke during a visit by a delegation of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation led by its Directors-General, Senator Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, and said such a leadership could not be selected through zoning of top elective offices in the country.

'Zoning of political and elective offices is outdated,' the Asagba said, adding that he was disappointed that the Peoples Democratic Party could be ambivalent about its policy on zoning.

Prof. Edozien, who said he was, however, excited at the prospect of President Goodluck Jonathan running for the presidency, suggested that if there would be zoning at all, it must be done after the topmost executive position had been freely selected from a community of competent persons.

'Once you elect the head like the President, governor and local government chairman, you could then zone the rest of the positions in order to give all parts of the society a sense of belonging,' he explained, adding that unless this was done Nigeria would not get the best leader it needed to get out of the woods.

The monarch deplored tribalism, which he said was the bane of the nation and called on Nigerians to always go for the best candidates irrespective of their ethnic or religious background.

Speaking earlier, Tafida asked for the blessing and support of the traditional ruler for the aspiration of President Jonathan.

He said the President was the best choice to make from among the aspirants for the PDP presidential ticket, stating that unlike the others whose claim to the Presidency was thei region of origin; President Jonathan had made the whole country his base and constituency.

'President Jonathan is seeking our mandate not as a regional aspirant but as a national contestant who wants to unite rather than divide our country along ethnic and regional lines,' Tafida said.

The Goodluck/Sambo campaign directors-general who was accompanied to the Asagba's palace by the Acting Governor, Prince Sam Obi, the former governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and the state party Chairman, Chief Peter Wabosi, among others later addressed stakeholders, delegates and religious leaders in the state.