Rivers 2015: Ogonis, Etche, Ijaw Eye Governorship

As the 2015 general elec
tions draw nearer, political atmosphere is getting charged with many ethnic nationalities in Rivers State justling for the governorship of the state.
A pressure group in Ogoni land, Ogoni Democratic Movement  (ODM) said at the weekend that the time was ripe for Ogonis to produce the next governor of the state.
Speaking during a courtesy visit on the president of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People in the United States of America (MOSOP-USA), Mr Dumka Baabel at Atlanta-Georgia, USA, the President-General of ODM, Hon Godwin Bazari noted that since the creation of Rivers State in 1967, no indigene of Ogoni has governed as the executive governor, deputy governor, or even the speaker of the State House of Assembly.
“We all know that since the creation of Rivers State in 1967, no Ogoni person has been given the opportunity to be the executive governor of the state, deputy governor, or even the speaker of the State House of Assembly. The political marginalization of Ogonis has continued and it is time to appeal to other ethnic groups in the state to support the project,” the ODM President-General said.
Responding, President of MOSOP-USA, Mr. Dumka Baabel welcomed the ODM’s vision, saying, “MOSOP USA supports the Project 2015, which is a pet project of MOSOP Nigeria. We will work to ensure that major political parties in Nigeria nominate an Ogoni as standard bearer in the 2015 Rivers Governorship election.”
Meanwhile, the people of Etche ethnic nationality under the aegis of Etche Peoples Liberation Congress (EPLC) has also canvassed for the zoning of the governorship to Etche.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently, the congress said that the people of Etche would support any of their sons with governorship ambition in the state.
The leader of the group, Comrade Haphet Ogbueri, premised the group’s agitation on the contributions of the Etche ethnic nationality, comprising of Etche and Omuma Local Government Areas to the economy of the nation.
According to him, Etche has contributed over 300 billion dollars in more than 40 years of prolonged and uninterrupted oil exploration without commensurate development in terms of infrastructure, wealth creation and human empowerment.
“It is only Etche that has been discriminated against in federal appointments among contemporary oil producing ethnic groups.
“No Etche son or daughter has been captured in any of the 536 boards of ministries departments and agencies of federal government” he said.
In the same vein, the Ijaw Democratic Front (IDP) in Rivers State has called on the people of the state to support any person from Ijaw ethnic nationality as the next governor of the state.
Speaking through the coordinator of the group, Mr Robinson Kenneth in Port Harcourt, last week, the group noted that the Ijaw extraction which comprises Kalabari, Okrika, Andoni and other riverine ethnics nationalities has not produced a governor  since the creation of the state.
Mr Kenneth called on the leadership of all political parties in the state to field Ijaw persons as their candidates for the forthcoming governorship election schedule for February, 28, saying the gesture would bring about unity equity and justice in the state.

L-R: Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Mr Taiwo Alimi and former Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande at the Yoruba Assembly meeting on 2014 National Conference in Ibadan, last Thursday. Photo: NAN

Enoch Epelle & John Bibor