On our Vol. 4, No. 41 edition, Four Local Government Councils were featured as preparing for the upcoming Local Government polls which may hold between March and April 2014, a period the incumbent administration of the Local Government chairmen elapses in Rivers State.
As a follow up to the edition, and information made available to our political desk has it that, the situation in the Ogoni speaking Local Government areas of Gokana, Khana and Tai are not having any difficulty on who succeeds their sitting chairmen.
The Newswriter gathered on good ground that, the chairman of Gokana, Hon. Deemua Ledee Deemua is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure he is returned to power in the upcoming council polls.
Gokana council boss, Demua, apart from serving his first tenure is the anointed servant of the serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Magnus Ngei Abe and also of the Commissioner for Works, Victor Tombari Giadom. The duo are loyal compatriot and allies of the State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi who will have no problem endorsing Hon. Demua for another tenure in office.
Though Deemua is faced with pockets of inter and intra communal crisis in his local government, Gokana, the people of the area seems flowing with his administration, an indication that further solidify his secret ambition of returning to office.
Hon. Demua who is said to have stepped into a larger shoes left for him by the immediate past council boss and serving commissioner for Works in the state, Victor Tombari Giadom is reportedly battling with developmental activities in the area even as he is faced with incessant crisis in the area.
According to some loyalists of Deemua, “no one is contending with him for now except if that may come up later, but even at that, we will overcome them”.
In Tai Local Government, the people seems satisfied with the same administration they characterized as unproductive as the chairman’s plots returning to office in the up coming council polls is never an issue to them.
A competent source closed to the Council Chairman, Kwuapee Gbenekanu while interacting with The Newswriter has it that the chairman must vie again to have his constitutional two terms of 6 years in office, whatsoever. According to the source the chairman is yet to relate his ambition to anyone but from his body language, it is certain he would run for a second term.
On his chances to overcome such election considering his non performance at the running first tenure, the source debunked the allegation that the executive chairman of Tai has not performed, saying that such are rumours that have no bearings, yet he could not ascertain any project executed by the present administration in the area.
But he was optimistic that his boss would get the nod of the people to come back, believing that he is a core supporter of the distinguished senator Magnus Abe.
According to the source, “Any man who would not support senator Magnus Ngei Abe in his ambition from the Ogoni extraction cannot emerge as chairman of any of the Ogonis Local Government areas”.
On his explanation on what he described as Magnus’ ambition he said, “Are you not from South-East Senatorial District to have known that he is the Ogoni anointed servant for that big job in the state?
For Khana Local Government Area, Hon. Greg Nwidam is reportedly ready for the battle ahead as he is said to be bent on running for a second term.
The Khana Council boss, irrespective of the opposition looking him on the face is said to confront it headlong as the time approaches.
The Grassroot Development Initiative, GDI, a group piloted by the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike is publicly making moves to take over the council during the coming polls, but our source in Khana disclosed that such moves are empty show positing that Nwidam is well rooted to take Khana again.
It is further gathered that a former federal lawmaker senator Lee Meaba has vowed to take over Khana. Meaba is currently embarking on door to door campaign to take the leadership of Khana in the coming dispensation and according to reports he is reaching out to important stakeholders in the area to ensure his aspirations come through.
The Newswriter, however, further gathered that the Four Ogoni Local government councils are intact for senator Abe and would not compromise their chances of winning the upcoming council polls.
Meanwhile, as said in the opening paragraph, Andoni was one of the Local Governments featured in that edition, but fresh facts have emerge that three loyalists of the incumbent chairman are also eyeing the seat of their master alongside others.
This time, it was learnt that the people of Ataba extraction are agitating for the position of chairmanship to be zoned to their area. Ataba community comprises of two wards, 10 and 11 respectively.
In the current political dispensation, Ataba community in the Andoni Local Government Area have tested several elective positions while other wards are yet to take even one.
Honourable Jeffreys Owor of Andoni ward Ten (10) Ataba, had tested two terms of Eight (8) years in the Federal House of Representatives, as honourable Ikunyi-Owaji Ibani, serving Chief Whip of Rivers State House of Assembly also of Ward Andoni 10 is serving his second tenure.
As if that take was not enough, the Ataba people are of the opinion that they must take the chairmanship slot, that is, if zoned to them by any political party.
Chief whip, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Ikunyi-Owaji Ibani is reportedly eyeing the number one seat in the LGA, wishing to sail smoothly as his Ogu/Obolo counterpart, Hon. Maureen Tamuno.
An aide to the Chief whip (Name withheld) disclosed this to his perceived supporters while urging them to support the lawmaker. But contrary to his claims and aspirations, a good number of Ataba indigenes and Andonis in general are opposed to such arrangement, saying that even if Ataba would produce the next chairman of Andoni, the choice of the lawmaker is an indirect means of wishing Andoni people an untimely farewell journey to hell in the hands of hunger and deceit.
Also spotted as eyeing the no one seat in the LGA is the serving leader in the Andoni legislative Assembly, Hon. Charity Gogo Willington.
Willington is said to be set to launch her campaign organization as she intensifies her secret consultations with some stakeholders. A source close to Willington and an aide (Name withheld) told The Newswriter political desk that the leader may run for the chairmanship position in the LGA.
The source which confided in The Newswriter reveals that the leader was in the Port Harcourt Township within the week with her aide to hold talks with some prominent indigenes of Ataba extraction residence in town.
However, others view her thought as an attempt gung to hear the position of the people on her, since she is aware that even as leader of the house, her people and indeed entire Andoni people are yet to see any mark of leadership or a single bill passed by the house. Our source appeals for calm while the time draws nearer.
Also mentioned is the councilor representing Andoni ward eleven (11) Ataba, Joseph Nloke to be interested in occupying the hot seat of Andoni.
To Mr. Joseph according to our source, everything is set for him while urging those he dine with to support his ambition. His ambition according to his kits and kins is a mere noise and nothing to write home about.
The former chief of staff to the executive chairman, Mr. Ata Esuiku is also noted to be eyeing the top political seat in the area. It would be recalled that in one of our publications, it was reported that the dissolution of Andoni cabinet by the executive chairman was not unconnected with the aspirations of some of his aides to scuttle their ambitions before hand.
The Newswriter political desk is handy to bring to its esteemed readers, the events leading to the next local council polls and beyond in the political environmental. ###
