THE Deputy Minority leader, house of representatives Rt. Hon. Toby Okechukwu has stated that members of the house of representatives and Senate, of southern extraction are in great support of the communique as issued by the southern governors.

UGAMATV had reported that the southern governors had made Resolutions in a meeting held at Asaba on 11th May, 2021, this includes a proposed dialogue towards ban on open grazing in the south.

In a tele-interview, Okechukwu explicitly detailed the stance of the House of representative on the matter.

DO YOU SUPPORT THE COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE SOUTHERN GOVERNORS?

Definitely, and we have said so in the House of Representatives members, who are of Southern extraction. We are strongly in support of the communique. that support has been sufficiently expressed in the Press statement that was issued by the members of the House of Representatives, Senates from the South. We are entirely in support of such a communique.

Today in the papers, the Arewa consultative forum spoke against the communique, though the support every other thing but just the issue of restructuring that didn’t agree with because they felt that the people who are championing restructuring are simultaneously championing the dissolution of the country. What’s your take on this and how better can it be explained to them?

Well essentially if you red the communique properly you would understand that the governors’ forum was well fortified with regard to public decentralization and not physical federalism. That means revolution of power to the top national government. As a matter of fact, if you have red APC’s committee report headed by El-Rufai. It calls fo state policing, for physical federalism. It is similar to that southern governors; there is no distinction. They are both saying that the state and top national authorities can do better. This was actually constructed by insecurity, i dont see any reason why they should have any objection to it. Also the southern governors fought for dialogue. They first thought was that issue can be discussed. They are not making assumptions or reading peoples minds without facts.

There was an objection which stated that outrightly placing a ban on open grazing will b e unfair to those practicing legitimate herder business, if the southern, governors had probably come up with a sort lof timeline, a particular time for them to move their cattle back to the north. these thin g are happening due to climate change, they are somewhat in a fix right now, stuck in the south, here the government have declared that oped grazing is totally banned. Where does that put people like that?

Well, if you read the statement, there should be ban on open grazing and of course, adminstratively, you will find out that those things will be worked out but most importantly, They are saying the same thing that the northern governors said on the 9th of february, In Jos, you can Google it or go through the papers. This has been on the table for a while. To appreciate that we need to address issues constructively, the leaders tried to solve problems, they provided solutions, leaders don’t try to win any argument. There is no different between what the northern governors said on 9th of February 2021 and that of the southern governors. So I think Nigeria should look at the message and not the messenger, because this is a matter of who said it and not essentially the message they are trying to pass, because they are saying the same thing.

It is no longer fashionable for us to be putting children, 10-year olds to labour, these children are subjected to herding cattle. It’s improper, it’s child labour. You can look at the opportunity cost of doing so to the federation. So what we need to do is to work out a modality for it. All the point that was raised by the governors were geared towards solving a problem. Mention any of them, I’ll tell you the problem it’s meant to solve. So the apprehension in our country will be solved by them. What we expect as agreed is that they will engage their northern counterparts, they will come to an understanding of the way forward. Let’s stop talking across each other. Let’s work and reason together.

What is the relationship between the SOUTH south governors and the northern governors, because as you have mentioned, the first step is the communique, followed by the several responses from people, especially from the north? What steps and procedure can be used as this is not just a conversation in the media, back and forth? Where and how do these governors sit down to carry this conversation to the next level, because we don’t want it to just end up as a piece of paper, argument and counter argument, we want it to mean something to Nigerians.

You are very right my dear, the point you made is that the southern governors have had an occasion to meet, they have reasoned together, the northern governors had met earlier. They have a forum where they have Governors forum, encompassing all of them. Our expectation is for them to gainfully engage themselves, with that they can also gainfully engage the president and bring an executive bill to Parliament, now that we are trying to amend the constitution. And say, These are the illegitimate minimum of what can guarantee the security of our people. This is the illegitimate minimum which can ensure a more perfect union. With that you can now have a timeline, you can now have a program of action but matters of principle has said those that have been established now. The next step is for them to engage the Governors’ forum and deal with it. The Governors from the north that i have had the opportunity of interacting with have agreed with state policing. I don’t think there are differences in this matter, I think it’s a matter of working out and already, that is completely on the agenda of the Constitution review. So More importantly, it is also the Governors that are the executive representatives of our people. Then we have members who are representing us in Parliament. Our expectation is that our Governors will engage our representatives as they have expressed so, if they are willing to do that, then we are willing to work with them.

I watched a video where, I believe was a Governor was complaining that the Southern governors did not engage the FULANI leaders and they are upset that they had this meeting without at least informing them. Should the southern governors have informed the FULANI leaders?

Well, of course, it will be good to do so. But they should understand that they are tackling an issue regarding their environment. They are responsible for their environment. If you look at the land use decree, the governors are responsible for the allocation or utilization of land in their own jurisdiction. When the northern governors met and said that grazing was no longer fashionable, they didn’t consult the south, because they were discussing issues regarding their environment, their geographical area. So you do not need for purposes of expressing where you stand on an issue to having consultation. When you people are subjecting to law, it undergoes public hearing. And no law in this country, the procedure is to pass through public hearing, then the practitioners of the trade like the herdsmen will come in place. But when people are meeting to set principles, I don’t think it necessary. There is no need for that.