Rivers Guber and The Ogoni Question

Rivers Guber and The Ogoni Question

The race for who becomes governor of Rivers state is heating up by the day. It has not only been a case of who emerges the governor of the state but which ethnic group will produce the number one citizen of the state which is highly heterogeneous.

In 1999, a minority Sir Peter Odili from Ndoni in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area was privileged to be governor of the state. Having completed his two terms of eight years, he handed over to Sir Celestine Omehia from the Ikwerre axis as Governor. Omehia's tenure in office was short-lived with the Supreme Court judgment that brought in Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi as governor of the state. By 2015 power continued to remain in the Ikwerre ethnic nationality with the emergence of Barr. Nyesom Wike as governor of the state.

Almost four years since the emergence of Wike as governor, there is a strong clamour that it will be unfair for the Ikwerres to continue to govern the state for another four years. This position is shared by majority of Rivers people including Ikwerres that crave justice and fair play in the state. Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi despite his seeming opposition to an Ogoni candidate especially the aspiration of his former ally and Secretary to the Rivers State Government Sen. Magnus Abe, has also championed this position of power rotating to another ethnic stock outside the Ikwerres.

But as the clamour for which zone should be given the position of governor continues to soar, the question is which zone should be given the ticket or do we just give it to any zone without recourse to the competence, accessibility and acceptability  of the person that will be elected as governor of the state?

One particular ethnic group that has sacrificed so much for not only the state but the Niger Delta in general, is the Ogoni ethnic stock. From the early nineties through the advent of democracy in 1999, the Ogoni people had suffered so much oppression and deprivation that has never been experienced by any ethnic group in the Niger Delta region. The climax of the oppression of the Ogonis was the hanging of their son and renowned playwright Ken Saro Wiwa. This gruesome killing which received worldwide condemnation made those that went for the 1995 Constituent Assembly to among other issues insert the 13 percent derivation policy so as to address and assuage the issues of economic marginalisation that was one of the hall marks of the Saro Wiwa led campaigns.

More than twenty years after the sacrifice of Ken Saro Wiwa and others, the clamour today is that power should move to the Ogoni axis especially considering the fact that they have a competent person in Sen. Magnus Abe who has despite conspiaracies in some quarters shown interest to occupy the Government House Port Harcourt.

Without any intent to diminish the office of the state governor to ethnic considerations, I wish to state clearly that what is needed today in the state is competent leadership and if a son of the Ogoni extraction proves or is seen to be capable for the position as Magnus Abe is clearly seen, then we as true Rivers people that crave for justice must give him all the support he needs to be there. This is not just a case of political or ethnic sentiment but rationality and understanding. Some persons have talked about the upland - riverine dichotomy but the issue today is that there is nothing like such dichotomy because if it is brought into focus then the riverine which is minority in the state will not see the seat of power in the foreseeable future. What we are looking at today is the case of ethnic groups and since the Ogonis have sacrificed so much for the state and the Niger Delta region, we owe it as an obligation as true and patriotic Rivers people to support an Ogoni son for the post.

Interestingly, Sen. Magnus Abe who has shown interest for the position happens to be a personality that has strong appeal to majority of the people of the state not minding their ethnic or political affiliations. In fact he is responsible for the series of defection which the party has got into his fold from other parties in the state. I was impressed with the statement credited to one  respondent  I spoke with last week who said the present administration in the state has failed the people and the state needs a personality like Magnus Abe to change the way things are done in the state. His statement which clearly was not based on ethnic sentiments but rational and articulate point of view clearly reflects the position of the people of the state.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the aspiration of Sen. Abe has received backlash from some quarters especially from the former governor of the state Rotimi Amaechi who once received support from the Senator during his Odyssey. Whatever his reasons may be may likely not hold water because the people of the state have made up their mind to support a candidate that in their view will altruistically, independently and purposefully impact positively on the generality of the state without recourse to ethnic sentiments.

Comrade M N Nwokoma contributed this piece from Abuja