Recently
Rivers state has been on the news over the sacks and counter sacks of
government officials by the Rivers state governor Chief Nyesom Wike. While
commenting on the sack of some of the commissioners recently, the state
governor had told newsmen that he was sacking the Commissioners due to their
non loyalty to him. His statement was coming on the heels of statements
credited to some sources that the commissioners had paid subterranean visits to
the former governor of the state and leader of the All Progressives Congress
APC Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi to protest their redundancy under the Wike administration.
The state governor has recently appointed commissioners but curiously, it seems
most of them are from a particular area of the state and while he was
appointing them he also chose to sack another set of Local government Chairmen.
Whatever his anger is, it definitely does not reflect the wishes of Rivers
people.
While Rivers people continue to
retrospect how governance in the state has gone down to the lowest point in its
history since the present democracy, I am forced to rewind the events that took
place during the 2014 primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and the
sham that pervaded the primaries leading to its boycott by over ten aspirants
of the party. A key member of the party then Chief Barr. Dumo Lulu Briggs had
complained of the fact that the party had failed to get the primaries right
while raising concerns that its inability to get the primaries right will lead
to wrong governance. Dumo Lulu Briggs has since moved to the better organized All
Progressives Congress APC and his prophecy seems to be gaining credence by the
day.
How can one explain the removal of government
officials just because they do not seem to be loyal to the governor? How come
the state has become the personal property of the governor? Should loyalty be
to the state and its development or to the state governor? These are pertinent
questions which Rivers sons and daughters are asking in the cocoon of their
homes especially those of the depleting Peoples Democratic Party PDP in the
state who are increasingly becoming scared of reprisals from the governor’s paranoia
staccato that has become the order of the day.
As much as loyalty is a key ingredient
in democracy, loyalty should be for the state and the party but what we are
seeing today is that the state governor expects loyalty to be on his foot. This
is regrettable and it has become a major regret which many of those that
foisted the present contraption in the state back in 2014 are regretting today.
It is a bit late today for most of them but not for the generality of the people
of the state who have a better option in the All Progressives Congress APC.
It is not also too late for the APC as a
party because there is the need for them to get the politicking right at the
first instance to avoid throwing up leaders that see governance for themselves
alone and not for the good of the generality of the people of the state. As it
stands today, the APC looks to be in the path of getting it right especially if
what transpired at the non elective LGA congress is anything to consider.
It is something worth commending that
some patriotic people in the state have opted to join the APC in order to
salvage the state. With the clout of such personalities and all what they
personify, I see no reason why the All Progressives Congress APC will not take
over the state come 2019. But there is a strong proviso to that and that will
be if they learn to get the politicking right at all times.
We at the Rivers Liberation Movement RLM
remain resolute in seeing that the calamity that has befallen the state is
removed and Rivers people liberated from the shackles of bad governance, ethic domination,
cultism etc. This is why we are expecting a situation whereby the geographical
definition of the state is recognized whenever the time comes to allocate
positions. The riverine people of the state have suffered silently for long due
to marginalization and I believe this time around such scenario will change.
Politics without carrying all facets of the people along will not bring about
development it will rather bring about disenchantment and all what not. To this
end, it is important that the party and the likes of the former governor of the
state and other party faithful are commended for giving a body language that
suggests that the riverine people will get the ticket of the party when the
time comes. The position of major stakeholders of the party has continued to
send shock waves to the ruling party in the state who despite their bravado,
have become so distabilised leading to mutual suspicion of who is loyal and who
is not loyal.
The people of Rivers state are not
interested in personal loyalty but to a loyalty that will see the state move
forward and that is exactly what the APC represents in the state and as we look
ahead to a coordinated electioneering period, it is important that Rivers
people choose the path of progress by aligning themselves to the All
Progressives Congress APC. It is also important that we all ensure that we
partake seriously in registering as voters for the forthcoming elections by
obtaining the permanent voters card.
Comments
Post a Comment