OurStateOurResponsibility: An Insight

The slogan #OurStateOurResponsibility# is an eloquent government advocacy campaign for patriotism among residents and citizens of Rivers State. Flagging off the campaign on the 31st of July, 2019,the former Permanent Secretary of the Sate Ministry of Information and Communications and current Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, declared as follows: “Our Patriotism needs to be channelled to uphold our State, a lot of good goes on here, outweighing the bad, let us value it”.
The background to this declaration was the recognition that so much of negative narratives about the State were going viral in the media space. The opposition which never gave the state government, under the leadership of Nyesom Wike, a chance to succeed, contrived negative campaigns to wish away all the breakthroughs that the government of the day was making in the areas of infrastructure and human capital development. I recall that when the campaign train came to the Rivers State Television, the then Permanent Secretary Stated that the “people of Rivers State must see the State in the right perspective”.
According to him, this is a State where so much good have transpired in all sectors of development under Governor Wike’s Watch.
The vision and mission had a clear focus, as the state traded the New Rivers Vision which is a blueprint for sustainable development of Rivers State. The government of the day did not leave any one in doubt that it was ready and committed to provide the dividends of democracy to all parts of the State. The populace were therefore expected to show not only support but to speak well of the government as a show of patriotism and gratitude in the spirit of citizen-government reciprocity.
Most importantly, the message of the campaign was for all institutions, NGOs, individuals and the media to blow the trumpet very loud, that so much is happening in the state, so that good will ultimately outshine negative propaganda.
The ultimate message of #OurStateOurResponsibility# is that “there is a shared prosperity to protect”. Every stakeholder must stand up to protect the interest of the State in their respective endeavours. The campaign has moved to the doorsteps of all stakeholders in the public and private sectors including military and paramilitary organisations, that is, Army, Police, Nigeria Security Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC.
The vocal advocacy has also knocked on the door steps of religious groups, the Rivers State House of Assembly, as well as private and state-owned media, labour institutions including professional and labour unions.
Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, now the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Communications, has flagged off the second phase of the campaign.
We can see in him the vigour, zest and passion of the former Information and Public Enlightenment guru, Professor Jerry Gana, in his MAMSER campaign of 1987.
The Mass Mobilization for self Reliance and Economic Recovery was blessed with Professor Jerry Gana as Chairman and Ken Saro-Wiwa, Dr. Jonathan Zwingina and others as board members. There has never been a time earlier in Nigerian history that we have seen a gathering of eminent Nigerians for an ethical reorientation campaign.
The campaign was focused on a theme, “Shun Waste and Vanity, Shun all Pretenses of Influence in Life Style”.
MAMSER propagated the need for the citizens to eschew all vices in public life including corruption, dishonesty, electoral and census malpractice as well as ethnic and religious bigotry.
Professor Jerry Gana would say, if you are a Director, direct well, a Professor, profess well and like a “Troubadour”, he traversed all the corners of Nigeria with the sing song for all Nigerians to change their life styles and tastes in order to enthrone economic prosperity and reform the institutions.
Pastor Paulinus Nsirim in his second phase of #OurStateOurResponsibility campaign is riding on a horizon of vision, power, passion and compelling euphoria similar to Professor Gana, to reach the very essence of our psyche as a people, to handle our state with due patriotism.
It is expected of us as a people, who strive in our daily activities to earn a living, to realise and understand that no one pulls his house down because it is leaking in the roof. A sensible man mends his roof and keeps his home safe.
Rivers State is a prosperous State, a tourist’s destination with abundant opportunities and potentials for economic investments. The state has its challenges, and the most sensible thing to do is not to dwell on the negatives but to embrace all the prospects for a prosperous society, irrespective of political, ethnic affiliations and beliefs. The new phase of the campaign mantra #OurStateOurResponsibility has not lost the vibrancy of the first, but has new promises of reaching out to a larger space and focus.
The Honourable Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim while addressing journalists in his office reminded them that the initiative is aimed at mobilising persons who live and do business in Rivers State to promote the giant strides “recorded by Governor Nyesom Wike in the last six years”.
He expressed joy that in the last two years, there has been an overwhelming buy in by residents and people of Rivers State.
The second phrase promises a new vista as the Ministry has introduced a reward system to the programme for persons within the ages of 16 and 25 to propagate the essence of the campaign through Essay competitions, in the minds of the younger generation of Rivers State in a sustainable manner.

By: Bon Woke