Rivers Opposition Lists Gains of Unity Govt

Chairman of the Forum of Organised Opposition Political Parties in Rivers State (FOOPP), Chief  Davies Ikanya has listed the gains of unity government in the state, saying it has engendered development and reduced friction in policy implementation.

He made the clarification in a chat with newsmen last Thursday in his office in Port Harcourt.

The Commissioner for Special Duties declared, “it is possible that some people do not yet have a comprehensive understanding of the principle behind the unity government of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi in Rivers State”.

He contended that recent history of Nigerian and African politics reveals that unity government is the best model of democracy, considering the ability to effectively foster conflict resolution and accelerated development in Africa and the world at large.

In his words: “You can recall that the volatile political situations in Kenya, Zimbabwe and most recently – Madagascar are being resolved by the adoption of unity government by regional bodies, African Union and even the UN.”

He continued, “I am sure we are making history by becoming part of the new vista in conflict resolution and political engineering in our time. We are part of an unfolding dimension in global new approach to conflict management, good governance and accelerated development for the people.”

Explaining why FOOPP took the decision to be part of the unity government in Rivers State, Chief Ikanya explained that 46 opposition political parties in Rivers State under his chairmanship joined the unity government due to the peculiarities and complexities of the Rivers State situation.

He believed that with the huge developmental challenges in the state, only constructive engagement of government was necessary to bring about speedy and enduring development of the people.

Chief Ikanya remarked, “we all witnessed the negative effects of acrimonious, ego-driven and bad-spirited political opposition in the past, often people played to the gallery just to amuse an insignificant few on the sidelines.  Having realised that the state had already lost close to a decade of wastefulness and prodigality.”

Chief Ikanya stated, “We still feel that despite certain pitfalls of the ruling party in Rivers State, its governor in Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi deserves to be talked to and not talked at as some misguided persons would want us to do.”

Concluding, Chief Ikanya expressed the strong conviction that posterity and history will surely vindicate Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Prince Tonye Princewill and the entire organised opposition political parties in Rivers State for creating a conducive atmosphere for the government to cater for the welfare of the state and its people through an intellectually-engaging opposition as opposed to crude and hubristic rascality in the name of opposition politics.