ASALGA Group Alleges Marginalisation

The Cennorsia Group in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, ASALGA of Rivers State comprising 14 communities, has appealed to the state government and their Kalabari brothers to give them a space in the politics of the state and local government.

Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, in the representative of the group, Mr. Onengia Mbreilolomari, claimed that the Cennorsia Group controls 60 per cent of the voting strength in ASALGA but had been denied a fair deal in the politics of the area particularly since the creation of ASALGA Constituency II, which they are part of.

Mr. Mbreilolomari explained that in the 21 years of the existence of ASALGA Constituency II, only two compounds, Horsfall and West of Buguma Community, also part of constituency II, have produced candidates for the state and National Assembly, to which they are now calling for a change.

He said, “we the Cennorsians, law abiding and peace loving citizens, are reminding  our Buguma brothers, especially, Horsfall and West, the leadership of all political parties and executive Governor of Rivers State, that since the creation of ASALGA Constituency II in 1989 till date, the Cennorsians have not tasted the ASALGA Constituency II seat”.

He used the opportunity to thank the state governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, for appointing a Cennorsian son, Mr. Osima Ginah as Commissioner for Urban Development and the new Primary Health Care Centres and Model Primary Schools in the communities.  

In his remarks, Hon. Ngoye Igobo, a one-time legislator, noted that the communities did not only suffer political magyinalisation, but also underdevelopment and environmental degradation and appealed for urgent steps to be taken to reverse the trend.

Also speaking, Mr. Iyalla Iyalla, a youth leader, observed that to press home their appeal, a summit was held on the September 8, after which a communiqué for Cennorsians to be allowed a space in the 2011 general elections was issued.

He also said they had not been treated fairly and justly so, “we have decided to cry out because we thought we are brothers, but the way things are going; now it is high time we started shouting for people to hear”.

Tonye Nria-Dappa