Rivers Guber:Sara-Igbe, Others Make Case For Kalabari

An activist cum
politician in Rivers State, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe has urged all political parties and stakeholders in the State to respect the governorship zoning arrangement reached by all the ethnic nationalities in the State in 2007, saying, it is the turn of the Kalabaris to produce the next governor.
Chief Sara-Igbe who made the call recently at the Kengema Unity Forum (KUF) thanksgiving programme at Kala-Ido in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, said there was an oral agreement among statesmen representing over nine ethnic groups in 2007 on zoning and sharing of political offices including governorship in the state.
According to him, political stakeholders in the state, including past and present governors, ministers, party stalwarts, commissioners among others, were aware of the zoning agreement, which brought an Ikwerre person to power in 2007.
He mentioned Prince Uche Secondus, G.U. Ake, Dr Peter Odili, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, among others as those in the meeting when the agreement was reached.
According to him, the zoning was to allow an Ikwerre man to become governor after Dr Peter Odili who is from Orashi region.
Chief Sara-Igbe stated that, by the arrangement, Kalabari is the next to Ikwerre, followed by Ogoni. Andoni, Ibani, Ndoki and Etche/Omuma extractions in the state.
He, therefore, called on Kalabari people to unite and insist on the implementation of the zoning agreement in pursuit of their governorship ambition in 2015.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Power (PTFP), Engr Reynokds Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack, called on Kalabari people to speak with one voice in negotiating for the number one position in the state.
According to him, Kalabari is a major ethnic group in the state that should be treated with fairness.
He, however, called on the group and the people of Kalabari to spread the campaign  and solicit the support of other ethnic groups  and not to see the state governorship as a right.
Earlier, the leader of KUF, Sobomabo Jackrich had opposed the zoning of political offices based on senatorial districts, saying, the senatorial districts as presently constituted can not be used for sharing political offices such as governor without considering upland-riverine dichotomy.
According to him, since the creation of the state in 1967, the upland and riverine dichotomy had been the central consideration, and definitive basis for distribution and sharing of the highest political office in the state.
Comrade Jackrich noted that former governors, Peter Odili, Celestine Omehia and the present Governor Amaechi were all products of upland, and that it would be unfair and unjust for another upland man to become the next governor in 2015.

Enoch Epelle

Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Sir Emmanuel Ogele (left) listens to his deputy, Mr. Dumnu Lekie (right) at the sitting of the House, last Monday.