A prominent Kalabari chief, His Highness Anabs Sara Igbe has revealed that it is the turn of the Kalabaris to produce the next governor of Rivers State.
Sara Igbe who is also the spokesman of Rivers Democratic Movement (RDM) made this disclosure while speaking with journalists at Abalama during the launching of Kalabari Times magazine recently.
According to him, since 1999 till date, as one of the leaders that produced the governing principle of Rivers State, it was all agreed in a meeting that Rivers State is zoned in to 9 so as to make the governing principle of the state easy for all ethnic groups, to produce the governor of the state.
He explained that the reason of zoning Rivers State to blocks is for development to go round the state, where every zone is expected to produce the governor of the state, hence when the Kalabaris wanted to take their turn in 1999, the Ikwerres came and since the RDM had decided the Kalabaris have to step down for the Ikwerres to produce the governor of the state. That informed the coming up of Omehia and after a rift the court produced Amaechi and the Kalabaris had to let it go because, it is still the Ikwerres turn and they have to complete their tenure, that also made all Kalabari guber aspirants to step down for Amaechi to go in.
Chief Sara Igbe further explained that the zoning system stands like this, after the Ikwerres, the Kalabaris after the Kalabaris, the Ogonis after the Ogonis, the Ibanis, after the Ibanis, the Etches after the Etches the Oboolos after the Obolos, Oyigbos, then the Ekpeyes and others in that order.
He said that this formular is known and agreed by all chieftains in the state, for example, G.U. Ake, Uche Secondus and Sir Peter Odili, as some of the personalities that could be contacted for the truth about this zoning formular how Rivers State could be producing her governorship candidates by each of the ethnic blocks as he calls it.
He pointed out that now that is the turn of the Kalabaris to produce the next governor of the state, the Kalabaris are prepared if the zoning is blessed with good great leaders, who have the leadership/ managerial acumen to take Rivers state to a new level.
He called on all Kalabari sons and daughters to be more proactive to take their chance in producing the next governor of Rivers State.
Sara Igbe pointed out that he would not want to aspire for the governorship position, but if the zoning principle could go round each ethnic bloc, he will be happy and would see himself as a hero during his life time. ###
