Salvaging The Soul Of Rivers State

The Civil Service in Rivers State is expected to go to God in thanksgiving and rededication today. But giving the number of crises in the State, all Rivers people may need to go to God to intervene in the affairs of the State.

Rivers State appears to be going through a phase never witnessed before. Incidentally, because very few persons understand or even acknowledge the magnitude of the problems, people have not deemed it necessary to do the needful to restore normalcy in the state.

Sadly, the few persons that recognise the abomination that is going on have been misled to blaming it on some persons or politics or a general state of lawlessness. Rivers State is in need of men and women that can take the responsibility of pushing out the spirit of crisis and reconciling the various divides.

The months of December and January are known for stocktaking and planning. As a State, government was only able to propose the state budget yesterday. Knowing how planning is central to progress, steps need to be hastened to produce the budget of the State to set the tone for the economy of the State for the year.

One of the reasons for the delay of the budget can be traced to the closure of the Rivers State House of Assembly because of the crisis in the House. Indeed, the first abomination was noticed when five members of the House tried to impeach the sitting Speaker being supported by more than 20 other members.

While the State was being denied the services of the House of Assembly, the judiciary also got to a place where new cases could not be assigned because of the absence of a clear head of the judiciary in the State. This cannot be accepted in a democracy where the three arms of government must be seen to be working.

With the coming of the New Year, many people expected the crises in the State to go with the year 2013, but recent reports of attacks on court buildings and alleged targeting of political opponents have tended to raise the crises to a whole new level. Even the arrest of persons with guns in the State is enough reason for concern.

As a predominantly Christian State, Rivers people, churches and communities need to take the State to God. As the Holy Bible states in the book of Ecclesiastes, there is time for everything under the sun. For Rivers State, the time to seek peace has come. The time to call on God has come. The time to forgive and reconcile has come.

Although the predictions for the year 2014 do not suggest the best of times, those who understand can avoid the pitfalls, maximise the benefits and assist each other to survive the difficult times. The Holy Book also states that if we resist the devil he would flee from us.

Rivers State is a “frontline state” in Nigeria. In addition to being the oil and gas capital of Nigeria, it is the capital of the South-South geo-political zone. It is home to key national establishments and has continued to play very strategic roles in the life of our country. For these, the enemy will not be happy.

Incidentally, the State has also come to a stage where its key infrastructure are being developed as never before. The administration of Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has made Rivers State a place of envy. The apparent revolution in education, health, roads and security are unprecedented. These are not the things the enemy wants to see.

For the first time, the State is taking modernisation to a new height with the development of the Greater Port Harcourt City. This mega city is already taking shape with a modern stadium, building of a new campus for the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and the building of a model city fitted with the things people only dream about even in the advanced countries.

Indeed, we cannot count all the good things that are going for Rivers State and its people. Certainly, we cannot afford to expose all these hard earned developmental efforts to danger. Rivers people must resist the enemy because he comes only to steal, kill and destroy.

We call on all especially the authorities to ensure that all the arms of government begin to work, while comments and acts capable of causing trouble in Rivers State are avoided.