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2015: 14 Groups Root For Ogoni Governor
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State (left), with President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Alhaji Alkali Muhammed, at the 9th Northern Zonal Districts’ Conference of ICAN in Ilorin, yesterday.
Groups and individuals have continued to root for the Ogonis to produce the governor in Rivers State come 2015, just as the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP has declared that its position on Rivers governorship remains non-negotiable.
The latest groups include Ikwerre/Etche People’s Forum, Rivers Voice, Niger Delta Renaissance, Council of Orashi Ethnic Nationality, Kalabari Stakeholders Forum, Ijaw Justice Forum, Hausa Community Welfare Association, Opobo Democratic Movement, Rivers Youths Mandate and Obolo Consultative Forum.
Others are the Kalabari Peoples’ Assembly and Rivers Democratic Congress, while Leader, Niger Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force, Alhaji Asari Dokubo and a Catholic Bishop, Rev. Father Mathew Kukah maintained that an Ogoni governor will assist in addressing the neglect, injustice and oppression being experienced by the people.
The groups and individuals in their separate statements emphasized that it would be unjust to deprive the people of Rivers South-East governorship in 2015, and endorsed Ogonis in appreciation of their contributions to the Niger Delta struggle for which the Ijaws have benefited immensely.
“The Ogonis lost a generation of leaders and economic heritage in pursuit of justice for the Niger Delta people. Through them, we are today enjoying 13 per cent derivation principle, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and NDDC, among others. It will be wrong to deprive them the governorship position in Rivers State now that it has naturally shifted to their Senatorial District”, they declared.
They noted that no amount of intimidation or blackmail will stop them, particularly the Ijaws of Rivers State, who believe in truth and justice from supporting Ogonis for governor in 2015.
These positions corroborate the insistence of MOSOP, KAGOTE, Ognoni Democratic Movement and Ogoni Peoples’ Development Forum that Ogoni ethnic nationality should produce governor for Rivers State, come 2015.
MOSOP, through its President, Legborsi Psaro Pyagbara had explained that the movement has not endorsed any candidate or party but the entire Ogoni nationality, which consists of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme local government areas.
Pyagbara, in a radio programme monitored in Port Harcourt, said just like the Yorubas produced President in 1999 following the June 12 saga, Ogonis deserve same in view of the pains the people were going through.
A similar programme that featured the MOSOP president in Port Harcourt few months ago had over 90 per cent of callers supporting an Ogoni for governor, describing the quest as legitimate, while 10 per cent opted for Kalabari in the Rivers West that produced Governor Peter Odili in 1999.
The participants noted with dismay, that the people had over the years faced high proportion of neglect, injustice, degradation in their environment and economic well being, lamenting that the united nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report that placed them as endangered species had not been implemented.
Callers particularly from Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Bonny, Oyigbo, Abua/Odual, Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru and Degema as well as neighboring Bayelsa State observed that the Ogonis would have lost confidence in the Rivers and Nigeria projects save for the effort of the incumbent Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi.
They said it was high time other parts of the state gave Ogoni people the chance to produce a governor, pointing out that such opportunity would give them a sense of belonging in a state where they are one of the major ethnic groups.
