In politics they say, there is no permanent friend or enemy. A saying that encourages dishonesty, trust-worthiness and reliability amongst loyalists and supporters.
The brief drama in the Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State last Sunday, August 11th, 2013 during the inauguration of the council and wards executive committees of the Grassroots Development Initiative GDI, re-enacted the adage.
The Andoni Local Council, The Newswriter gathered had issued a press statement against the conduct and hosting of GDI inauguration in Andoni, alleging non-recognition of the body by the council.
The Newswriter inside source who pleaded anonymity explained how intimate the council boss Hon. Orom Nte Ereforokuma was with the grand patron of GDI, Barr. Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike and wondered how such event that Wike was involved could be hindered by the chairman.
According to the source, the council chairman who Barr. Wike fondly addresses as ‘small pepper” has shown the Minister of State that indeed he is a small pepper.
This weekly also learnt that, the chairman opposed the programme to show his loyalty to the state governor Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi.
On the stance of the chairman in the current crisis rocking the state, the source said he could not be precise, but noted that the Andoni council’s boss is known to be working with the governor, but could not ascertain his loyalty to any group or individual.
Another source alleged that the council’s action against the Sunday event was a camouflage, saying that the chairman’s secret deal with the Obuah led PDP government, which according to it, is the auspices with which the chairman is seeking for a second tenure.
Meanwhile, another source in the Ereforokuma’s cabinet who gave his name as Godswill Ene-Awaji has distanced Prince Uche Secondus and Ereforokuma from the GDI and posited that the chairman had not in any way connected to the group or its leadership. He said that Ereforokuma was a close ally to Barr. Wike when he was the Chief of Staff to government house and has since been working with the present chief of staff, Tony Okocha.
On the issue of the chairman’s second tenure ambition, the source revealed that, it is the party that nominates candidates and if the chairman is re-nominated, he would have no option than to accept the offer.
It could be recalled that the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike played very crucial role for the selection and election of the Andoni council chairman, Hon. Ereforokuma. ###
