Rivers Guber: APC Chieftain Roots For Eastern Delta Ijaw

Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen (left), being welcomed by the Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi (right), at the inauguration of Rehabilitation Work on Egbe-Kabba Road, Kogi State, yesterday. With them is Kogi State Governor Idris Wada.

An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Rivers State and son to the late Chief Marshall Harry, Inye Marshall Harry says the Ikwerres have been ruled out from contesting the state governorship race in 2015.

He told newsmen in Port Harcourt, yesterday, that the recent endorsement of Supervising Minister for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, goes against the established political arrangement of the state.

Harry said those rooting for Wike were “political jobbers” whose intent is to create confusion and tension in the state.

Besides, he said those calling for another Ikwerre governor are those who want to cover their corrupt activities, as most of them have failed in delivering various contracts given to them by the government, and therefore, wants to use such campaign to defend their evil deeds.

Based on fairness and mutual understanding, the Kalabari-born APC chieftain stressed that it would be fool-hardy if another Ikwerre man attempts to succeed Governor Chibuike Amaechi in 2015, pointing out that, “at the conclusion of his tenure next year, the position moves naturally to either the Eastern Delta Ijaws or Rivers South East Senatorial District. Therefore, it will be deliberately quixotic for Wike to discuss or even whisper any gubernatorial interest, let alone step forward to ask for votes in that respect”.

He asserted that the people of Rivers State are politically enlightened to go against established peace and political order of the state.

For Harry, the peaceful co-existence and collective aspirations of the people should take pre-eminence over selfish interests.

Flaking those calling for the creation of ‘Ikwerre South’ from the existing political structure, Harry described such antics as “the height of dubious politicking; it flows from perverse and empty logic that can only be driven by parochial interest”.

Harry also frowned at comments allegedly made by Prince Emma Anyanwu over the gubernatorial race in the state, saying, “he directly employed uncouth language at other ethnic nationalities, particularly the Kalabaris”.