President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Port Harcourt said his administration would from now on adopt a �stick and carrot� approach in solving the Niger Delta problem whereby he would ensure the development of the area but apply force to curtail militant activities if the need arises.
Speaking at the South-south zone campaign rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where flags were presented to five gubernatorial candidates, President Obasanjo said no responsible government would sit by and watch the source of its wealth being crippled and keep quiet over it.
He asked all the youths in the region to reciprocate his gesture of developing the region while allowing peace to reign.
In Akure, Ondo State capital, at least three persons were killed and several others wounded during the flag-off of PDP South-west zonal rally at which all the six known governorship candidates of the party were given PDP flags.
The President described the region as a zone where Nigeria�s bread was buttered and therefore very important to the economy of the country, a reason he made it his first point of call in the first 10 days after taking over the reigns of power.
�Let us say the truth; there had been neglect of this region in the past. Neglect at the community, local, State and Federal levels. There have been neglect at the oil company levels, don�t let us deceive ourselves and that was why we established the NDDC. Not too long ago, I established a quarterly Niger Delta Stakeholders forum to correct the mistakes of the past.
�Oil was discovered in the country 50 years ago. The neglect of 50 years cannot be corrected in one day. If we are trying to rectify and you are busy destroying, it will take us a long time, so no more vandalisation�, he appealed.
Obasanjo said he has report that some people have bought sophisticated wea-pons waiting to be patronized by politicians or with a view to overawe the communities, Local Government, State and Federal government but commended the politicians who he said have refused to enlist such people. He said the issues of the region were two fold, pointing out that they were developmental and criminal and warned that he would not condone any form of criminality but would do all within his ability to address genuine agitations.
He said that since Goodluck was abreast of situations in the region, he would be tackling it from the inside from where he believes a lot would be done with the cooperation of the people of the region.
On Rivers State, he described himself as a lover of the state, adding that he feels special pain anytime some thing negative happens to the State, added to the special relationship he has with governor Peter Odili.
Going down memory lane, he said when he left office in 1979, he never thought he would come back to power again and therefore retired to his farm before he was thrown into prison �for nothing� from where he became President again. He counseled that power comes from God and it should not be a do or die affair.
However, speculations that the PDP may have withdrawn the ticket of its River State gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Rotimi Amechi, were confirmed yesterday in Port Harcourt, River State capital, when PDP campaigns for the South-south zone was launched in the city.
Without coming out openly, the President said there was a problem which no matter how small, for the sake of integrity and consistency, had to take hard decisions on Rivers State issue of who flies the party�s flag in April.
�Today maybe you have observed and maybe you have not observed it, but only five out of the six flags were given out, now the sixth flag has what you call k-leg, just a little k-leg and when we straighten the k-leg you will hear and when you hear, you will believe we have done the best in your interest. On 14 and 25 April, go out and vote for PDP�, he said.
Dressed in �Kente� with multiple colours, Obasanjo drew laughter from the crowd as he thanked the people before saying he would talk small noting that it was not everyday that one had the opportunity to talk.
�I thank una plenty plenty. I thank Una plenty plenty. Today, I go talk small because not everyday wey man get opportunity to talk. Today, I get opportunity small so I go talk small.
�I don�t need to re-introduce that we have already given the flags, but I ask you people to support them and work so that we can win. There is no rigging in this election. My prayer is that God should guide them,� he said. He said the issues of the region were two fold, pointing out that they were developmental and criminal and warned that he would not condone any form of criminality but would do all within his ability to address genuine agitations.
He said that since Goodluck was abreast of situations in the region, he would be tackling it from the inside from where he believes a lot would be done with the cooperation of the people of the region.
On Rivers State, he described himself as a lover of the state, adding that he feels special pain anytime some thing negative happens to the State. He also said he has a special relationship with governor Peter Odili.
PDP Presidential candidate and Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Umaru Yar�Adua and his running mate, Bayelsa State Governor, Dr. Jonathan Goodluck, were presented to the people at the rally.
Yar�Adua said in Port Hacourt that he would build on the foundation laid by President Obasanjo saying the President has done well for the country.
Governors James Ibori of Delta State and Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State were absent at the occasion as they were alleged to have been blocked by militants around Elele where about 4,000 vehicles heading for the rally were stopped and turned back by the unknown militants.
The incident leading to the death of those persons in Akure occurred during a fracas between the supporters of Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State and Alao-Akala after Akala was presented as the PDP flag bearer for the state.
About 10 vehicles belonging to different camps were vandalized during the crisis.
Pandemonium broke out immediately the party chairman, Dr Ahmadu Alli, announced Akala as the party�s candidate for the April poll in the state.
THISDAY gathered that one of the victims was identified as Laniyan while another woman said to have been hit by stray bullet allegedly came from Ebute Ero in Lagos. Another boy was also hit by a stray bullet. The injured were taken to the Specialist Hospital, Akure for treatment.
Ladoja himself was said to have been smuggled out of the premises in another vehicle after he abandoned the one that brought him to the venue as a result of the tensed atmosphere which enveloped the stadium. Contrary to speculations, all the six PDP candidates for the South-west zone for the April election, were handed over the party flags by the party’s National Chairman, Dr Ahmadu Alli.
The six candidates that were endorsed at the event are Governors Olusegun Agagu (Ondo), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Alao Akala, Chief Segun Oni (Ekiti) and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro for Lagos State.
While handing over the flags to the six candidates, Alli called on them to work hard so that PDP would not only retain the six states, but would also capture Lagos State.
Speaking specifically on the governorship election in Ondo State , which was believed to be a straight contest between the incumbent, Agagu and Mimiko, Obasanjo, denied ever supporting Mimiko�s ambition.
President Obasanjo, who spoke humorously in Yoruba said Mimiko was ungrateful that he was accepted into the fold of the party despite being a new person. He said again when he was made a minister, there were opposition but he still stood his ground.
He said he was surprised that despite all the plea he made to persuade Mimiko against contesting under another party, he did not heed the advice but went ahead.
The president said when Mimiko was leaving his cabinet he misbehaved adding that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) would have to investigate what he did at that time.
In Enugu, the President said it was a mere political propaganda for anybody to say that he hated Ndigbo. He said the records of those who have been appointed to various political positions in his government would show clearly that he has nothing against the people of the South East.
�With all due respect, the South-east has never had it so good. There was a time some people said Obasanjo does not like the South East, and then I took the child that an Igbo woman delivered for me and said this is an evidence. Two, I took an Igbo man who helps me. There can be no other confidence and trust greater than that”, he said. He added, “There was a time in this country the Minister of Finance, the Governor of Central Bank, the Minister of Education were all Igbos. I want to say they got it on merit but of course in a political appointment you may even ignore merit for whatever expediency”.
Obasanjo argued that even in the area of security where some people claimed Ndigbo have not held high positions, his government has tried to address this agitation by appointing an Igboman as Minister of Defence, Mr Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi.
Feb42007