Utomi asks FG to respond to Zimbabwe crisis

Friday Ekeoba, Lagos - 01.05.2008

OPPOSITION leader and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate in the 2007 general election, Professor Pat Utomi, has called on the Federal Government to respond to the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Professor Utomi said the government must do all within its power to prevail on the Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, to stop the country’s slide into deeper crisis.

“I agree with Joseph Zuma’s position on the current electoral stalemate, and so call on the head of the Federal Government of Nigeria to join the call for the release of the March 29 elections results,” he said.

In a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune and signed by his media aide, Mr. Kila Odunayo, Professor Utomi said “the perilous state of affairs in Zimbabwe must not be allowed to continue and a responsible government on the African continent must act without delay as a Zimbabwean calamity portends ill for the entire continent.”

“We must realise that as Zimbabwe used to be the bread basket of the southern part of Africa, which had impacted on the continent, hence, crisis in the country may trigger severe economic predicaments throughout the continent.”

He called on the Federal Government to act, as “it is imperative that Africa recognises that the citizens of Nigeria, irrespective of who occupies ‘Aso Rock’, will no longer tolerate the injustice and violations of human rights.”