MY PEOPLE: TODAYS TOPIC - ZONING. Most states in Nigeria since 1999 adopted the zoning principle to settle issues of equity and justice in the distribution of public offices, political power and opportunities within the geographical state or nation. And because its introduction dimmed the acrimonious craze for power which often left a trail of assassinations and bad belle, many embraced it for peacesake, its nobility and the decency it brought to the turf. The clamour for zoning is even hotter now than it was in 1999. In Rivers, AIbom, Delta, and other Nigerian states, the only prayer point is zoning. Those who have tried before to scuttle zoning - others are still trying, have often met a brickwall. Some have gone to court to abrogate zoning and of course won in the court. They won because before the law, zoning does not exist. The law supports fundamental freedom to everybody on election matters and forbids limiting citizens. Anybody who goes to court against zoning will always win and win clean because its an abridgement on the constitutional rights of citizens. The constitution is supreme above all other laws in the land, written and unwritten, including zoning. But zoning has come to stay. It can never be killed or wished away because it exists in the minds and norms of ciitizens, therefore anybody who betrays it, especially after his zone had had their turn, will always fail. They will fail in R/S, AIbom and other such places because zoning is a spirit. They can never kill it. If the law courts rule against zoning, the people, who are the last voices on this matter will vote zoning. It will be Zoning Vs Greed. I doubt if Greed will ever floor Zoning. I am waiting to see if the result of the next governorship election in these two states will prove me wrong. One piece of advice: Zoning can only be stopped only when we (stakeholders from the different senatorial districts in a state) sit together and agree that zoning be scrapped. Then and only then will the spirit be released and the policy abrogated.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:29:38 +0000