Demand Stewardship From Your Reps, Says Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Ameachi (right) in a handshake with Deputy Director, News, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mr Mohammed Bello, during NUJ People’s Forum in Abuja, on Monday.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has called on Ogoni people to demand for accountable stewardship from those representing them at various levels of authority.

Governor Amaechi, who stated this yesterday in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area while speaking at the 19th Ogoni Day celebration, said leaders of the people must be held responsible for an earlier opportunity before aspiring to serve again.

The governor recalled his promise to deliver power to the Ogoni area, and said the promise had been fulfilled as testified from different Ogoni communities. He, therefore, urged the people to continue to support him to deliver the dividends of democracy to them.

He told the communities that are linked to the grid but are yet to benefit to exercise patience because plans were on to reach the communities before March, while the areas that had no electricity supply would benefit from the second phase of the programme.

The chief executive blamed the Ogoni people for not asking those serving them to give account of what they had done, emphasising that “I have served for three years as governor and you can see health centres, schools and roads, while as Speaker representing Ikwerre constituency, I attracted development to the area.”

Governor Amaechi advised them not to be carried away by the antics of some politicians who brandish money for votes, even as he spoke against selling their conscience for money. He charged the people to make the right decision by voting for those that would help him to develop the area.

On the demand for Ogoni State, the governor assured them of the support of the state government and that of the Ikwerre ethnic nationality to legitimately achieve their dream towards ensuring a better future for the people.

He urged the Ogoni people to see Ogoni Day as a moment of sober reflection on the ideals of what Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other leaders stood for rather than to train thugs because the late leader of Ogoni people used intellect to advance their cause.

According to him, “as Speaker of the State House of Assembly, he built an English Block and named it after Ken Saro-Wiwa, as Governor, I named a road in Port Harcourt after him and today I promise to construct the Saakpenwa-Kono Road to be named after Ken as a mark of respect to him.”

The governor equally hinted that the first two new secondary schools that would be functional this year are located in Ogoni area, while the school for Khana Local Government Area, Bori would soon commence. He added that the State Songhai Farm and Banana Plantation were also located in the area to provide employment to the youths.

The President of MOSOP, Mr Ledum Mitee said the cause of the struggle for Ogoni people had been daunting with huge sacrifices, noting that the successes recorded belonged to all the heroes and heroines of the struggle.

The MOSOP president condemned the crisis in K and B-Dere communities as well as the spate of bombings in parts of the country, and advised the Federal Government to seek for ways of providing employment to the teeming youths as that would ultimately help to reduce the crime rate in the country.