Commissioner Tasks Wakirike In Diaspora On Community Dev

The Public Complaints
Commissioner for Rivers State, Dr. Alpheaus Paul-Worika, has challenged the Wakirike community in diaspora to champion the establishment of a think tank to fashion out a development agenda for the Wakirike people.
Addressing delegates at this year’s national convention of the Wakirike community in diaspora in New Jersey, United States of America, Dr. Paul-Worika x-rayed the role played by prominent Nigerians in the diaspora in national development and commended the Wakirike community for their community-based programmes such as the micro-credit grants and education trust fund scheme geared towards improving the welfare of those in the rural communities.
The Federal Commissioner stated that three key points namely: information, motivation and partnership were critical in empowering the Wakirike community abroad to’ pact on their brothers and sisters noting, that with unity of purpose they could achieve much for themselves in the United States and for their kith and kin at home.
Paul-Worika cautioned them to eschew rumours  and jaundiced stories, adding that as enlightened people, they should to analyse and authenticate their information in order to get objective results an reinvent the leadership position of the Wakirike people.
Earlier, the keynote speaker and Consulate-General of Nigeria in New York  Mr. Norman Wokoma, noted the Wakirike people’s early contact with education and the global community adding that those in the diaspora had comparative advantage in knowledge and skills that could be deployed to benefit the rural communities.
Wokoma urged the delegates to transform the Diaspora platform to support Kirike Be Se projects, stating that they should work towards enhancing partnership with the component towns and also monitor developments at individual and group levels.
The envoy listed the challenges facing the Wakirike people such as insecurity, youth unemployment, poor education enrolment and standard, decaying infrastructure, near absence of industrial activities and environmental degradation and advised the Wakirike in diaspora forum to be focused, apolitical and active in diaspora programmers and also be good ambassadors of Rivers State and Nigeria in the United ‘States.
Highlight of the convention was the election of new executive for the Wakirike USA Coalition with Dr. Alali as president and Prof. Ebenezer Onakn  as secretary.