Some leaders from the Delta State North Senatorial District have said it is important that the zone produces the next governor in 2015.
The call is contained in a communique issued by the leaders after a conference organised by ASDEV 81 Club at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of Lagos.
Among those at the conference were Delta State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah; Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, Chief of Staff to the governor, Dr. Festus Okubor and a former commissioner for economic planning in the state, Clement Ofuani.
Director-General of the institute, Professor Epiphany Azinge, who chaired the conference, called on all politicians from Delta North seeking to lead the state in 2015 to be ready to subject their personal ambition to the greater interest of the zone.
Leaders from the zone pledged to engage their counterparts from other zones in the state towards making the emergence of the governor of the state in 2015 from the zone, a negotiated exercise as they identified agriculture and a strong industrial base as critical factors for sustainable development of the state.
The leaders, which also included stakeholders from the academia and traditional leaders, noted that a large array of competent, educated and experienced leaders were available to take the state to greater heights.
The leaders maintained that concerted efforts must be made to negotiate a consensual emergence of an Anioma candidate as governor of the state, adding that whoever emerges as the governorship candidate from the zone should be backed unconditionally by all persons.
Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was represented by Ogeah, called for the support of the national conference proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that the present constitution had stifled competitiveness among the states and stunted the country’s growth.
Participants at the conference also endorsed the proposed national conference saying the present federal arrangement has “concentrated too much power at the centre” and denied the country the right ambience for growth.
Copyright PUNCH.
