Lagos — THE South-south zone has been variously referred to as zone of blood, poverty, fires and tears.

According to Governor Abdulkadir Kure of Niger State, it is also a zone of "political underdogs".

Passionate appeals have recently gone to the Northern political leaders to work towards the restoration of equity and justice in Nigeria, by conceding the Presidency to the South-South.

The South-South zone has been most marginalised in Nigeria over the past fifty years. Sir Ahmadu Bello - the Sardauna of Sokoto was a foremost Nigerian patriot cum sensitive political leader in the North. He promoted equity, peace, justice and fairness. He condemned oppressors of northern interests and he stood for fairness and equity.

Mallam Aminu Kano emerged to become one of the most credible Northern political leaders with the fear of God. He too stood firm and courageously promoted political equity, fairness and justice for the oppressed, marginalised and neglected masses. He would certainly be weeping that what he fought so much to protect is still ignored, especially in the South-South.

He would be shocked at the treatment meted to the South-South people whose land has become endangered with oil, blood, fires and degradation due to neglect by successive military governments and federal government agencies.

Isaac Boro, Ken Saro Wiwa and indeed the Ogoni nine in particular and the millions of the displaced and traumatised residents of the oil States of the South-South - all martyrs of the Niger Delta - will be grieved and restless in their graves that the people they sacrificed their lives for are still being referred to as "Under dogs" due to oil spills, flares and degradation. The oppression for South-South by Northern political leaders and their arrogance can be responsible for the present wave of hostage talking. Today, Nigeria has lost over $1 billion in recent months due to oil production shut down. The lot of the South-South can, indeed, lead to national explosion unless the zone is recognised as the pillar of Nigeria's economic and political stability.

For forty years, the people have served and slaved to keep Nigeria united to their socio-economic and political detriment now they demand equity, justice and political relevance!

In an interview published in the Guardian of June 10, 2006, Comrade Joseph Eva, the coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group said that "since 1956 when commercial oil was found in Oloibiri, there has not been any environmental impact assessment in the Niger Delta". He went on to condemn the government's attitude to the cries of the people over the years. He remarked in the Guardian interview, that "When we were using dialogue, they were not interested. They set up a 50-man council without giving it the political will to transform the Niger Delta into Abuja. In Abuja the federal government is not owing the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) one kobo, but the NDDC would be owed billions, so is that the government that means business? that should be trusted? There is no political will but once the Niger-Delta is developed and poverty ends, the violence would stop because the people would be enlightened...".

Indeed, the insensitivity of successive federal governments regarding the development of the Niger Delta is responsible for the current economic and political instability in Nigeria. Unfortunately, the only Governor of the South-South that has executed monumental projects is the one continuously under attack. Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State has become recognised as the most innovative and achieving Governor in not just Niger Delta, but in Nigeria. Critics who condemn him really speak from both sides of their mouth because they spit venom, laced with envy and hate and informed by their psychological and political dispositions which are polarised from those of the Governor's very high values. His projects speak for him.

Whether Governor Odili is Obasanjo's friend or stooge as generally peddled by his critics, the fact remains that in Nigeria today - a cross section of national, local and international leaders from various walks of life have after visiting Rivers State confirmed that the Governor has broken a record by virtue of his completed projects. Some of the revolutionary projects completed in Rivers State which have been acknowledged by Governors, Senators, Labour leaders, Foreign Diplomats, UN Agencies, students' Unions, Journalists, Religious Leaders - Christians and Moslems, Academics, Ambassadors of major world powers in Nigeria include:

Power - Nigeria's First mega Independence Power Plant at Omoku, completed at a cost of N40 billion awaiting commissioning. The 15 billion Grid is nearing completion to distribute the power on completion in a few months time. Rivers will become the first state in Nigeria to generate and distribute power to all the nooks of the state and indeed even have surplus to export, PHCN may not have to operate in Rivers State. The Rivers State government, as being the first to commence the construction of such gigantic project, was emulated by the Federal Government that has approved construction of six independent power projects (IPP) for the Niger Delta States.

Roads - Critics of Governor Peter Odili should visit Rivers State by air or if by road, drive through the Airport Road - the best and most beautiful airport access road in Nigeria. Several road projects are currently on going by major contractors. Bridges especially fly-overs completed and on going are giving the state a new face. Some major roads under construction now link all the riverine towns in the state, a feat that is revolutionary in the Niger Delta. Never in the history of Nigeria has a state government embarked on such revolutionary income guzzling capital projects, considering that to construct a kilometre of road in the deltaic terrain of Niger Delta region costs over 500 per cent of the cost of such a road in any other state in the South and North.

Education - Rivers State indigenes enjoy the highest bursary awards and scholarships in the country. As early as 1999/2000, the state introduced free buses for students in the state. Those youths who choose not to avail themselves of the opportunities for higher education are those being used by war lords to cause confusion in Rivers State and Niger Delta. They are those who most criticise Governor Odili, because they have polarised values. The Rivers State University of Science and Technology is currently undergoing radical transformation that will put it ahead of other Universities in the country. Apart from the release of N12 billion to radically transform academic and infrastructural facilities, the University will henceforth, benefi tremendously from the MOU signed with Lincoln University, over hundred and fifty years old.

Housing - Rivers State has constructed several hundreds of thousands of housing units for various categories of the population. A special project is directed at the Armed Forces - Army, Navy, Air force, Police in addition to housing loans to the indigenes. The list is unending, so also are new projects being launched every month.

Why is Odili the issue? - The critical stance of the Northern Political Leadership against the South-South is borne out of arrogance. It is neither patriotic nor altruistic. However, Odili has become the issue because of his uniques and dynamic political leadership qualities. His courage and style of governance place premium on results, equity, justice and succour to the people.

If other governors have looted their treasuries and dramatised their achievements on the pages of newspapers, Governor Odili believes that "Action speaks louder than words". He is the type of leader that can initiate a 'Radical Northern Development Plan, unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

The North will never be the same again if the type of Governor Odili is elected president of Nigeria. True to his aggression, every zone of Nigeria will have a special development agenda which must be initiated and completed within a given time frame. He is never a governor of abandoned projects, as the development initiatives in Rivers State can attest to. Over the past seven years, Governor Odili has been very meticulous in his execution of a well articulated plan of action. The scientific strategy of project implementation ensures that each project is planned, programmed and funded to ensure systematic execution, thus ensuring that the project is never abandoned, but completed ahead of schedule. This strategy has been eloquently manifested in the mega projects such as the Government House Complex. the Omoku Independent Power Plant, and the several road projects in the state.

Charles is of the Centre for Political Communication, Research - Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.