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2015: Trip To Brick House …The Ethnic Claims, Counters
Every politically charged electoral process produces its defining issues, personalities, aspirants, contenders and pretenders. Rivers State’s is no exception, as stakeholders shout their voices hoarse in a bid to justify their claims to right of occupation of the Brick House, the state’s seat of power come 2015.
Virtually every politician believes it is the turn of his or her ethnic nationality, senatorial zone or geographical divide to produce the governor and the claims of all others, baseless. For this, some distort history, others manipulate facts and yet many more simply insist on the personality factor.
Interestingly, these arguments are coming at a time when, the familiar single-party arrangement which the state once enjoyed is no more. It is no longer the time when anyone on PDP platform will automatically win elections in the state. When a single-party, the PDP produced the three senators, all members of the House of Representatives, Governor, Assembly members and even all 23 local government chairmen.
Now, the tide has changed. There are today two dominant parties in the state that cannot sit and agree on which ethnic group, or zone deserves the governorship most and move ahead to actualise same.
Right from the first election that ushered in Chief Melford Okilo as the first civilian Governor of Rivers State in 1979, no such agreement was reached as all interested Rivers people threw their hats in the ring. After Okilo, the next elections under Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s military Presidency, ushered in Chief Rufus Ada George, but that tenure was cut-short by the same military which mooted civilian rule.
Under the old Rivers State, the most viscious of debates centred around Upland/Riverine divides, as politicians played the card to suit their whims and ignored it when, it was unfavourable.
Today, the arguments are: Upon what yardsticks should a governor be chosen other than his competence, popularity and pedigree. Should the choice of Rivers governor be based on Upland/Riverine? Or should it be based on Senatorial districts created with the new Rivers State? Or should it be based on ethnic nationalities? What other considerations can help in arriving at a just end and how binding, without a strong history of such political compromise?
It is to provide answers to these questions that it becomes necessary to attempt to reproduce the claims of various interest groups and see if any can pass the true tests of denial, right and fair- play. Today, an abridged brief of each contending ethnic nationality and senatorial zone is here reproduced.
But first, let’s assess the potency of the political divides to which aspiring politicians source their acclaimed rights to the chair.
Upland/Riverine Deal
The first questions this generates include: Does it truly exist? Or is it a mere wish? If it indeed existed, when? In the old Rivers State before the carving out of Bayelsa State or the new Rivers State as presently constituted with 23 local government areas and three senatorial zones? If indeed it existed, since 1999 when, Dr Peter Odili became governor, why was he succeeded by Rt. Hon. Chubuike Rotimi Amaechi, another uplander? Or was it agreed that power will shift after four terms of 16 years?
Answers to these questions will reveal the weakness of the clamour for Upland/Riverine divides, except off-course, Rivers politicians would want to start now.
Even so, it still forms part of the claims by some ethnic groups in the quest for the Brick House.
Kalabaris
Politicians of Kalabari extraction are spread round three local government areas of Asari Toru, Akuku Toru and Degema and share same Senatorial district with former Governor Peter Odili’s Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Abua/Odual and Bonny local government areas.
The politicians there insist that it is not only the turn for the Riverine, that it is indeed Kalabari’s, on grounds that they have never produced governor or deputy since the creation of Rivers State. Yes, they have produced three speakers of the House of Assembly, and a chief judge, all heads of two arms of government in the state, but they have been denied the ultimate-Governor.
Opobo/Nkoro/Andoni
Aspirants here insist that it is not only the turn of their Senatorial district, but that it is also a Riverine turn.
Opobo/Nkoro and Andoni are part of Rivers South East Senatorial District, along with Gokana, Khana, Eleme, Tai and Oyigbo. They argue that since the two other Senatorial districts had produced governors from the upland divide, the only remaining Senatorial district whose turn it is to produce the governor, must source it from the Riverine divide, to ensure political balance. Although they have produced two deputy Governors, their eyes are on the main thing – Governor.
The Ogonis
The Ogonis share the same Senatorial district with the Opobo/Nkoro and Andoni local government areas as uplanders. Politicians here insist that Ogonis deserve the state governorship most on grounds that they have never headed any arm of government in the state nor produced either governor or deputy.
They argue that the Senatorial district is the only one that has yet to produce a governor while, the Ogonis are the ones in the district yet to even smell the post of Deputy governor, not to mention governor. It is their expectation that other Rivers people give them support as they had done for others.
Although, by virtue of their majority standing in the Senatorial district, they have produced all but one Senators, they believe that none others in the district and indeed the state deserves the governorship more.
The Ikwerres
The Ikwerres have the previledge of having one of their own, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, occupying the Brick House, and is about to complete two terms of about eight years. The Ikwerres are spread in Ikwerre, Emohua, Obio-Apkor and Port Harcourt local government areas. They share the Rivers East Senatorial District with Etche, Omuma, Okrika and Ogu/Bolo LGAs.
While the governor and some Ikwerre politicians insist that it amounts to injustice, if after eight years of an Ikwerre son’s tenure, another Ikwerre son succeeds him, some argue that the choice of governor has always been based on merit.
They insist that Governor Amaechi won the governorship on his own merit and rare resilience and not out of a gift to the Ikwerres, to which he was a beneficiary. Therefore, they argue, it should be left for Rivers people to choose their governor as they have always done.
Okrikans
The Okrika speaking people are spread round Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Port Harcourt local government areas of the Rivers East Senatorial district. They believe that it is their turn to produce a governor because, not only was Gov Rufus Ada-George elected under the old Rivers State, his tenure was cut short by the military.
They argue that since the upland has enjoyed 16 years in the Brick House, a return to the Riverine is due, and should start with the truncated tenure, which cannot be counted as Okrika turn.
These are some of the claims by politicians, some of who hardly have facts to support their claims except that it is their turn.
The fact is, there has never been a prepared agreement with a register listing either ethnic groups or senatorial district’s turns for the governorship of Rivers State. Neither Odili nor Amaechi was a product of such arrangement. Both got the seats based on their party platforms, acceptability, popularity and drive. They were not produced by their ethnic nationalities nor their senatorial districts, for that matter.
Yes, a civil arrangement that gives every stakeholder a go at the Brick House will ignite hope among all for the future and reduce political tension every electoral year but there is little or no historical precedence to depend on. What has always been the case is for a governor to campaign, canvass and come out victorious. It is from there that all other zoning arrangements normally follow. A constant, however, is that no governorship and deputy-governorship candidates have ever emerged from the same senatorial district nor from either Riverine or Upland divides.
That being so, the rule appears to be, seek ye first the governorship, and get it, because no ethnic nationality will willingly give it to you. Get it and then the zoning of other positions will follow. Never seen the opposite since the creation of the state.
My Agony is that some politicians are distorting history in their desperation to earn sympathy for their course. The Governorship of Rivers State should be chosen based on competence and merit as has always been the case, unless we want to start it after Governor Amaechi. That’s the truth.
Soye Wilson Jamabo
Obuah and Ikanya
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DEPLOY YOUR CAPACITY, TECHNICAL KNOWHOW TO REVITALISE SONGHAI FARMS, FUBARA TELLS TASK FORCE
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable because of the need to solve the problem of food shortages while also providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
These, he said, are the reasons why great care has been taken to critically look at the prospects of revitalising the Songhai Integrated Farms, which is located in Bunu Tai, in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Fubara insisted that if the problem associated with food shortages is tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current problems of economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been solved.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while inaugurating the Chairman, Mr Biedima Oliver, and members of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms by its partners: Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Other members of the task force included, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Dr Ayebaesin Beredugo; and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
The Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that shown such interest.
Governor Fubara stated that a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who latter showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such task.
He said, “As a matter of fact, if few of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he has the capacity, we said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5billion bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have the N5billion, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
Governor Fubara said now that two separate companies have come together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is delighted to see them meeting that expectation.
Governor Fubara pointed to the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis.
That expectation, he insisted, is also what his administration wants to see actualised within its lifespan.
He noted, “We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on board, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in this country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved.”
Governor Fubara also stated that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, but warned that he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
The Governor said, “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not when we start now, after we had finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
Governor Fubara, however, praised the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver, saying that incidentally, he was one of the personnel that convinced the then administration to develop the Songhai Farms, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to manage the project.
He said, “He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
Governor Fubara assured that his administration will remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success.
He added, “So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: Do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Task Force to Supervise the Revitalization of Songhai Farms with Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, Mr. Biedima Oliver, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms.
Mr. Oliver assured that they will deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and doing so on time and on target so that the good people of Rivers State can eventually be happy and also benefit from the huge investment.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that all the policies and programmes of his administration are tailored towards the protection of interest of Rivers people, especially the youths.
This, he said, is borne out of the importance his administration attaches to youths’ development and empowerment as leaders of tomorrow.
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he received the youths of Emohua Local Government Area under the auspices of “Emohua Youths For SIM” on solidarity visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He said that his administration has put in place modalities that will boost the livelihoods and well-being of Rivers citizens, which youths of Emohua will also benefit when they materialise.
The governor, who spoke through the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, pointed out that the recently awarded Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku Road, the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road, reinstatement of illegally sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Area and the approval for electrification of the area, are part of deliberate measures to open up the area to make life conducive and more meaningful for the people.
According to him, “Everything about the governor is putting the interest of Rivers State first. He is looking at and taking action on those things that we need to do to restart the wheels of progress in Rivers State.
“There are many things the governor has planned and is already doing that will boost the life and welfare of every citizen of Rivers State, but most importantly the youths.
“Growing up, I learnt that Egbeda is one of the biggest communities in the whole of Ikwerre, and it’s predominantly an agrarian community. They have food in Egbeda, they have food in Ubimini, they have food in Omudiaga and other natural resources. The whole world is tilting to agriculture, and this is the way to go.
“The Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Omoku road, when completed, will open up the area for real development. Your food and everything you produce there will now have value, they will no longer be thrown away. In all these, you the youths are going to be the utmost beneficiaries.”
He added, “Same will be applicable to the Emohua-Kalabari Road which will also, trigger development in the area, and you will be the greatest beneficiaries. When the LGA is also electrified, you will be having 24 or 20 hours of electricity, and those things the youths can do with electricity, you can stay at home and create wealth for yourself and children.
“All the totality of what the governor is doing, when they are completed, or even as some are completed now, the youths are going to be utmost beneficiaries.”
While acknowledging that youths are the true leaders of tomorrow and any government that fails to carry them along in the scheme of things is doomed to fail, the governor assured them of his administration’s commitment to always address issues concerning youths and ensure that they are part of his government.
He commended the youths for toeing the path of truth by identifying with his administration, urging them to sustain the tempo and shun evil, as his government will ensure that the trend whereby politicians turn youths to beggars are over.
He said, “Youths are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow. The time of youth is a very important time. It a time that your parents or whoever is your leader at that time have to make the greatest investment in you. And any Government that decides to only carry the elderly, chiefs aling and abandon the youths is bound to fail,” he asserted.
“But I am happy that Governor Fubara has concentrated his energy on everything that will benefit the society, especially the youths.
“And based on these, I want to thank you for recognising what is good and calling it good, for shunning what is evil, for saying the Governor is standing for you.
“Let me tell you, you are on the right direction. Let me tell you again, Rivers State is the bride of Nigeria. The whole Nigeria is looking at what will happen here. As they look here and see you standing on the path of truth, this is a very important step that you have taken to right all the wrongs of the past, to make Rivers State stand on the tripod of justice, peace and security. That is what we are going to gain through the governor, taking all the wise actions that he has already initiated.
“The projects the governor is embarking on are meant to prepare nets for the youths to fish and put food on their table, hence you should continue to follow him.
“The SIMplified Movement brought upon by the governor will ensure that Rivers youths stop the habit of going to bow down before politicians, pledging loyalty before they can eat.”
Earlier, spokesman for the Emohua Youths for SIM, Comrade Ovamale O. Ovamale, had said that the visit by youths from the 14 political wards in Emohua Local Government Area was to thank the governor for the award of the Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku road, the approval for electrification of the area and reinstatement of sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Council, of which the youths were mostly affected.
According to him, “Siminalayi Fubara of recent has given Emohua Local Government road that links Elele to Omoku, which comprises over four communities in the local government.”
“Emohua Local Government has also been in darkness for eight years. No community in the local government that has light. But, of recent, because of the passion and love the governor has for the people of Emohua, he has approved the electrification of the local government.
“Also, the illegal sack of Emohua Local Government workers, for which the youths were mostly affected and without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission, the governor, in his compassionate nature, has reinstated them, and that is why we said we must come and thank His Excellency”, he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will collaborate and continue to consult widely in delivering a liberated State experiencing enduring peace.
Fubara said, in doing so, he would not operate as a dictator but as a member of a team that has the best interest of the State at heart and determined to leave a lasting legacy that can be celebrated.
The governor spoke during the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Michael Tom, as first class tradition ruler, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Fubara stated that, during the Sixth State Executive Council meeting, N80.8billion was approved with 50 percent contract value paid already as the Government awarded the construction of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road.
He said the project will be funded from the savings from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to underscore his administration’s prudence without also borrowing to complete the project.
“We are at a crossroad in our State where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a life time. So, for now, be one of those people that will be in the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace in our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State.
“We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led”, the governor said.
Fubara explained that he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits in recognition of his efforts in promoting peace in Okrika, and indeed, the State, and urged him to continue to do justice to everyone.
In his speech, Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Charles Amadi, congratulated King Ateke Tom for being formally presented with the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office as first class traditional ruler.
Also speaking, former Transport Minister, Chief Abiye Sekibo, thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise of upgrading the traditional stool of Okochiri Kingdom, and pledged the support of Kirike Se people to his administration.