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The minister of
labour and productivity, Emeka Wogu, has urged Nigerians not lose sleep
over the contentious issue of zoning of the presidency, saying it would
not in any way affect national unity after the 2011 elections.

He made the
assertion in Umuahia yesterday while delivering a lecture, entitled
“2011 Elections and Nigeria’s Unity, as part of activities lined up for
the 201 Press Week of the Abia State Council of the Nigeria Union of
Journalists (NUJ).

The minister said
the controversy arising from the issue “is undoubtedly borne out of the
deliberately fanned tension located among a few individuals. It is
highly regrettable that after 50 years of independence, that a sitting
President that is just over 50 years of age could be the target of a
self-serving interests masked by zoning of political office.” Mr Wogu
said it was the same politicians who have lost bearing with current
global political trends that are fanning fears of disunity.

“It is indeed
remarkable to note that a sizeable proportion of those who have stoked
the embers of disunity on the issue of zoning cannot show proof that
their own geopolitical zones fared better in terms of overall
development at the time they were at the helm of political affairs,”
the minister said.

Elect credible people

He therefore
enjoined the media “to drum it into the ears of all Nigerians” that
even though ethnic nationalism was part of Nigeria’s political history,
the current mood in the nation as “expressly canvassed by well meaning
Nigerians, is that national interest would be served better by
institutionalizing a multi- and credible political process.” The deputy
governor of Abia State, Acho Nwakanma, said Nigeria has been passing
through trying times over the issue of zoning, even “to the point of
mediocrity where some people have failed to see that we currently have
in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan is what is best for us.”
He said that the actions of journalists, both singly and collectively,
both before and after the 2011 elections, would critically affect the
nation’s unity.

“As opinion moulders, your reportage and interpretation of events must be done with the greatest sense of patriotism,” he said.

The Abia NUJ
chairman, Hyacinth Okoli, said Nigerians should concern themselves more
with electing credible people into positions of trust for positive
transformation of the polity.

“Nigerians must resist the temptation of allowing an exercise they
should ordinarily perform with enthusiasm to throw the nation into
turmoil or, in the extreme case, break up the county,” he said.