Ijaws under the auspices of the Ijaw Project have condemned the way and the manner in which development is taking place in Rivers State. According to them, development in the state is lopsided.
The Director-General of Ijaw Project, Comrade Somina Wokoma who made the condemnation, while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Local Government co-ordinators of the group, in Port Harcourt at the weekend, alleged that the much acclaimed giant strides of Gov. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi did not spread to the Ijaw communities in the state.
His words, “The time for the Ijaw agenda has come. The time for the Ijaw people to articulate plans for critical infrastructural development in all its communities has become necessary. If there are adequate Primary/Secondary schools, health centres and other social amenities and infrastructural development in the upland areas, there is need for same to be replicated in the riverine areas without sentiment.
For too long we Ijaws have lived in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, “Where some animals are treated unequally to others”, unfortunately we have been at the receiving end”.
Comrade Wokoma frowned at situation whereby all the tertiary institutions in Rivers State, none is located in any part of the Riverine communities.
“Such lopsided development system cannot continue because if it does Rivers will not be part of the State. God forbid,” Comrade Wokoma said.
He called for enacting of law that would tackle possible extinction of any of the riverine communities as result of exploration of oil and gas in the area Comrade Wokoma further faulted some developmental projects such as the “Greater Port Harcourt” which according to him, “the birth of this new town is a laudable one, but while we must support development, we must remember that, “what is good for the geese is also good for the gender”. This way, we will not be talking of a Greater Port Harcourt Town, but a Greater Rivers State.
The Director-General of the Ijaw Project who had earlier stressed the importance of an emergence of a Governor of Ijaw extraction in 2015, reiterated the resolution of the group to back President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid.
He charged the newly inaugurated co-ordinators of the various LGAs to mobilize the people to support the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Comrade Wokoma enjoined the new LGA co-ordinators by saying that, “as you are formally and officially given the mandate to function as LGA co-ordinators, you’re the crusaders that the world recognizes. Go and reproduce yourselves. As you have believed so will others. On the great day of mobilization for an Ijaw Governor next in Rivers State and consolidation for a South-South President of Ijaw extaction in each of your individual LGAs, we will not be expecting hundreds of people but thousands who will be as dedicated as yourselves. As you go, spread the message with peace, understanding and sincerity of purpose. Avoid violence, political forms of thuggery and vices of evil”.
Earlier in his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Warisenibo Osimini Mac-Pepple lauded the members of the Ijaw Project for their initiative, which according to him would concretize the struggle for the emanacipation of the Ijaw nation.
Mac-pepple who was a one time chairman of the Eastern zone of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) called on the people to disregard party affliation and focus their attention on an Ijaw Governor in Rivers State in 2015 “Let us not play politics with our demand of an Ijaw governor.
Let us take political party and ethnicity out of it, and look for an Ijaw man that can deliver,” Warisenibo Mac-pepple said.
He said that the era of election rigging is over and challenged the organizers to set up a technical committee that would facilitate the realization of an Ijaw Governor come 2015.
In his remarks, a former member of House of Representatives, Arc. (Hon.) Eniye Braide called for unity among the Ijaws to actualize their dreams in 2015. ###
