Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said that voting revolution would be one of the strategies Rivers electorate shall deploy in the 2023 general election to ensure that haters of the state fail at the polls.
Wike spoke at Obodhi-Ozochi Junction, venue for the flag-off of Obodhi-Ozochi Road/Bridge construction in Ahoada West Local Government Area, last Wednesday.
The governor explained that the voting revolution was to ensure that the Consolidation Team that would be headed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Sir. Siminialayi Fubara, was elected.
He disclosed that the PDP in the state would commence its campaign by Monday in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
The governor said it would be in the interest of the people of the state to vote for the PDP governorship, national and state legislative candidates in order to consolidate on the gains of the past seven years.
According to him, the state would suffer stagnation, if any opposition party was erroneously voted into power.
Wike urged voters in Ekpeye land to be ready and be part of the voting revolution, with the same excitement shown as they received the democratic dividends delivered by his administration in the area.
The Rivers State governor recalled how some of their sons like the Deputy Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie; local government chairmen, Hon Hope Ikiriko and Benjamin Eke, amongst others, had supported his bid to become governor in 2015.
They believed in his course, he said, and today, they were delighted that they are part of the government, and were attracting development to communities in Ekpeye land.
Wike, particularly, thanked God for enabling him change the development narrative for communities as they had not witnessed government’s presence.
According to him, Ehie was the first to notify him of Ozochi that has never been linked by road to any neighbouring town.
The governor frowned at the non-execution of the contract for the reconstruction of Government Secondary School in Okarki by Ekpeye sons, even when the state government had paid 100percent of the contract sum to the contractors.
Wike, however, announced that his administration would re-award the project to another company and ensure its completion.
The Rivers State governor warned youths in the area against attacking road construction workers, as government would not hesitate to discontinue the project.
Also awarded by the governor was the contract for the construction of Eleume-Oshiobele Road.
Wike further pronounced government’s recognition for the paramount rulers of Ogbogolo and Odiokwu communities in Ahoada West.
The governor frowned at the King of Igbu Ukpata, Eze Felix Otuwarikpo, for his recent activities that clearly mark him out to have shifted his political interest.
He said his administration, which recognised and upgraded the traditional stool upon which Eze Felix Otuwarikpo sits, would not tolerate the situation in which it would be used to stage a political fight against the state government.
In his description of the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr Dakorinima Alabo George-Kelly, said no vehicle has ever driven on land into the two benefiting communities.
This construction work, he noted, would provide asphalted road of 11.2KM in length that would have 100milimeter pavement thickness with 200meters’ long, 10span bridge.
The work, handled by SETRACO Nigeria Limited, he said, would be completed in eight months.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it was now ready for what it describes as “the good fight”.
The party, in a statement in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, by the Director, Directorate of Publicity and Communications of the PDP Campaign Council, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, said all was now set for the party’s outdoor campaigns.
“Early in the week, the PDP in Rivers State released its official campaign time-table. We have barely four days to go to the commencement of the outdoor campaign of the PDP.
“Beginning from Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area on January 16, we shall go from local government to local government to showcase our candidates and what the PDP will do for Rivers people in the next four years under SiminialayiFubara, flagbearer of the PDP in Rivers State.”
Nwuke noted that the battle ahead was one between darkness and light, empty promises and promises fulfilled.
“Let no one deceive Rivers people: This is a fight between light and darkness; a fight between empty promises and promises fulfilled; a fight between deceitful lies and a great will on the part of our leaders to serve the people”, the statement emphasised.
Rallying the people and its members, the campaign council emphatically declared:”It is, therefore, time to gird our loins for the good fight, time to roll up our sleeves, and time to put our hands on the plough, in a determined effort to further uplift the pace of development in our state along a defined path that puts the people first and selfish personal interests, last.
“It is time to enter into another social contract with our people, and time to execute a new understanding that works for all through the consolidation of efforts that are rapidly shaping the future of the Rivers State.
“We urge all lovers of our great state, all who are born in our dear state, who reside in our urban and semi urban areas, who reside in our local government areas and our local communities, to turn out enmasse to receive our resourceful, ebullient and dynamic leader, Governor NyesomWike, and all other leaders of our great party on the campaign trail as we embark on a journey that we believe, will end ultimately in victory by the special grace of God”, Nwuke remarked.
“Given what has happened in the state in the last seven years and what is still going on today in terms of the execution of well-thought out development programmes at the grassroots”, the campaign council pointed out, “nobody who has a pure and discerning heart can be in any doubt” about the “capacity of the Rivers PDP to take the state to a new threshold of progress and growth.
“As a responsible and focused political party, experienced in the delivery of good governance, we are prepared to take our message of economic prosperity, social transformation and political consolidation to all nooks and crannies of Rivers State.
“We are similarly ready to share our message of great hope, and outstanding achievements of the Wike administration that eyes can see, with the good people of Rivers State.
“By the grace of God, the report card, eminently earned by the performing governor of Rivers State, adjudged the best in the country, has been well received by detribalised Nigerians and all true Rivers people.
“Rivers State is PDP, PDP is Rivers State. It is on record that successive PDP administrations in Rivers State have worked tirelessly to deliver dividends of democracy in pursuit of a common vision that we share with the people”, the statement added.