Derivation: N-Delta christian leaders warn Northern govs

By Sam Eyoboka
LAGOS—THE Northern governors’ call for a review of the current revenue formula has continued to generate controversy with the Niger Delta Christian Leaders Forum (NDCLF) warning against further provocation of the region beyond the activities of Boko Haram which it believes was instigated to hold the country to ransom because of emergence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as president.
Reacting to the northern leaders’ call, the Secretary-General of NDCLF, Bishop Eddy Bebor described the agitation as the latest in the series of uncoordinated insults to the people of the region. He said: “Since the emergence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as president of Nigeria, northern elements who vowed to make his regime ungovernable have stopped at nothing by trying all tricks possible to distract the smooth running of this country”.
The Niger Delta group lamented that the latest northern agenda against the Jonathan Presidency can be traced to an interview granted by the CBN governor to an international magazine where he said Boko Haram thrives in the North because of imbalance in the nation’s revenue sharing formula.
“It is very sad that in a country like Nigeria, we can still see a Central Bank Governor behave the way, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is behaving, doing things without regard and observance of the supremacy of the Minister of Finance. He abuses his office as governor of CBN without the fear of being sanctioned; he makes political statements and takes decisions at will without clearance from the Minister of Finance,” Bisho Bebor stated.
According to the group of religious leaders, Northern leaders appear to be supportive of activities of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram in the country, pointing out that “northern governors could not come together to make a clear common statement, criticizing and condemning  in totality the terrorist attacks of Boko Haram in the country.
“It is therefore shocking that they could quickly and in unison come out to call for a review of the revenue sharing formula in their favour, in the face of the absolute tragedy which oil and gas discovery and exploration have been to the people of the oil and gas producing area. This is very insulting to the people of the region,” NDCLF argued.
They also warned that the desire for a strong and united Nigeria is not enough for the northern leaders to take the people of the South South for a ride.
The group further describe the new northern agitation as a wake up call for all leaders of the Niger Delta to “unite and tackle this arrogant North of Nigeria and push, with every sense of unity and seriousness, for a review of the formula in line with what was operational when cocoa, groundnut and palm oil were the mainstay of the country.
“Northern leaders must not provoke us further, the vexatious activities of Boko Haram which is believed to have been instigated in order to hold the country to ransom because Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a man from the Niger Delta is the president of Nigeria, is enough insult,” Dr. Bebor stated.