There is no doubt that Rivers State is totally broke. The State’s treasury is emptied. As a result of this, the State Government under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi resorted to borrowing to keep the state going. On the 29th January, 2014, the Governor sent a letter to the “factional and divided” Rivers State House of Assembly headed by the embattled Speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree requesting for approval of a N100bn loan from Bank, without wasting time the controversial speaker and his factional team told the Governor to go ahead and borrow the said sum.
Shortly after the Governor secured the January, 2014 loan of N100bn, in the month of February, the factional RSHA gave the Governor another approval to spent N30bn out of the N53bn saved so far by the State Government. Sometime ago the Commissioner in charge of the State Ministry of Finance, Mr. Chamberlain Peterside told Rivers people that the state had borrowed N30bn from Zenith and GTB.
Of recent the State Assembly which has its sitting in the Government House, Port Harcourt announced through its speaker, Dan Amachree that the House has approved the borrowing of N120bn to enable the Government of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to complete some on-going projects in the state.
Looking critically at the frequent borrowing by the State Government, the debt profile of the state has increased over N600bn.
Information reaching our financial desk has disclosed that one of the major banks, where the State Governor sources for loan frequently, has trapped the last month federal allocation due to the state. This is as a result of billions of naira the state borrowed from the said Bank.
According to what we are reliably informed, the Bank decided to track down the Rivers Allocation, because of fear of being investigated or probed by the new Governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele.
The non-release of the Rivers Allocation has negative effect on the administration of the State in terms of salary payments and other financial expenses.
Meanwhile, civil servants in the state have cried over what they called non-payment of their salary and also indiscriminate deductions of salaries and arrears.
Civil servants who spoke with our correspondent have threatened to embark on strike if their salaries are not paid next week.
“We cannot work without salary. Government should settle us, so that we can do our job with happiness. We have concluded that if nothing happens next week, we have no option than to go on strike,” a civil servant told our correspondent.
All efforts to contact the Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari proved abortive as she failed to respond to a text message sent to her by our Editor.
Andoni: Zoning Of Chairmanship, The Preserve Of A Political Party…As Favour Knocks On Ngo Mainland Communities, Wards
Selection and zoning of chairmanship candidate has been described as an exclusive preserve of a political Party irrespective of Wards affiliation, Community status or individual relevance.
Some frontline politicians in the Andoni Local Government Area such as Hon. (Apostle) Felix Fyneface Ayayi, High Chief Elijah Elebe Ogodo and Hon. Esuku M. Esuku bear their minds while in their respective chat with The Newswriter Political Desk, Tuesday on the position and chances of Ngo Community producing another chairman, following the end of tenure of the immediate past administration led by an Ngo indigene, sir. Orom Nte Ereforokuma.
It was in response to the clamour for the chairmanship of Andoni Local Government Area to be zoned to the Unyeada extraction by politicians in the area, who posited that Ngo Community has completed its tenure with the expiration of the tenure of Orom Nte Ereforokuma on May 30th, 2014.
The agitators who were without proof maintained that it is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure that after Ngo community must have served a two term of six years tenure the ball will roll to the Unyeada axis.
According to the Unyeada agitators, with the aborted Apostle Ayayi’s administration and that of Sir. Ereforokuma, the tenure of Ngo Community must have come to an end.
However, Hon. Esuku M. Esuku, a chieftain of the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers and also an indigene of Ngo Community observed that some politicians say whatever they feel like saying probably because of opportunity, whereas they have nothing to say. “When certain politicians have nothing to tell electorates, they say anything they feel like saying.”
Esuku noted that, with or without tenure the APC programme was quite different form that of the PDP, adding that where PDP picks its candidate is not APC priority but who is a salable candidate that would enhance APC victory is their concerned.
While stressing that either Ngo Community or not, the choice of a candidate is the decision of the Political Party concerned, he submitted that the APC shall soon come up with its programme as to determine where its candidate would come from, concluding that candidate could emerge from anywhere.
In his contribution, Apostle Felix Fyneface Ayayi has said that, choices of any candidate is not a right of any individual but an exclusive preserve of the Political Party which decides who fly its flag or where such candidate hails.
Ayayi, however advised all agitators for zoning the chairmanship to their area, wherever it might be to sheathe their sword and not to overrun the Party but to be law abiding to the Party, nothing that it is the Party that has answers to whatever clamour.
Ayayi, was a former elected executive chairman of Andoni whose administration was forcefully and illegally truncated in 2009 and also a chieftain of the ruling PDP.
Like his APC counterpart, Esuku, Ayayi maintained that very soon all the Political Parties would real out their blue prints on the next action, hence politicians should be patient to see the programmes of political parties.
In a similar development, another chieftain of the PDP, High Chief Elijah Elebe Ogodo has corroborated the views of the last two chieftains saying that the choices of where a candidate emerges and who fly a Party’s flag is a constitutional right of a Political Party.
High Chief Ogodo, while buttressing his claims posited that the issue of zoning was not documentary stating that Political Party has the right to choose a candidate from where it considers suitable for it to win an election, provided they are constitutionally qualify to stand an election.
The Chief who encourages all to patiently wait for the decisions of the Party on the issues of chairmanship said everybody has constitutional liberty to aspire when the time is due but are bound to Party decisions on the choice of where and who.
On the issue relating to the seat of the Federal House of Representatives, the Chief Ogodo emphatically stressed that the people of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area are good people who understands the working of the system and would acknowledge the fact that the LGA will be serving for consecutive Eight years when the current assembly will be terminating in May 2015.
By that understanding, the Federal House of Representatives would be shifting to the Andoni LGA, and would be the time for the people of Ngo mainland Communities and Wards to produce the next member of House of Representatives. According to him, the Ataba, Unyeada and Asarama axis of the LGA have produced candidates for the Federal House, while the Ngo Mainland Communities and Wards are lacking behind.
Meanwhile, the people of Isi-Ama, Ilotombi and Agwut-Obolo Communities in Andoni Ward 3 as well as the Agana and Unyengala Communities in Ward 2 are calling on the power brokers in the LGA to consider them for an elective positions maintaining that irrespective of the large and bloc votes they severally turned in, they have been marginalized in both appointive and elective positions emanating from the LGA.
It would be recalled that, Ataba Community had produced a two term House of Representatives member, Hon. Jeffreys Moses Owor (MFHP), and a serving two term State House of Assembly member in the current Rivers State Assembly- Hon. Ikuinyiowaji Ibani (whip).
The Ataba Community equally produced an elected chairman (Hon. Julius Dimiari) in Andoni LGA, what remains for them now could be producing a Governor if its Godswill.
The story might be incomplete without making mention that the Unyeada Community did also produced a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Sampson Gilbert Egop (MFHP) the current Chairman, Caretaker Committee, honestly the period was short lived due to Military intervention. They also had elected members in the Rivers State House of Assembly in the persons of Hon. (Barr.) Christian Mba and Hon. Sam Etetegwung with Hon. Emmanuel Eneyo elected chairman and Hon. Emilia Gilbert Nte who completed the remaining two years and 2 months (26months) of the Apostle Ayayi administration in 2011.
Asarama Community was not left out on the gainers chart as they had produced an elected member in the State House of Assembly (Hon. M.F.Urang) representing Andoni State Constituency as well as an elected Chairman of Council for 6 years of two terms in the person of Hon. Monwon O. Etete.
In a progressive wheel, the Ekede community had also tested the honey pot of Andoni when Late Hon. Sham Ezekiel Asuk was elected to prepresent the Bonny/Andoni/Opobo Federal Constituency. They also had late Chief Hon. Tamunotonye Thamas Elijah as elected Chairman.
The People of Ngo Community which won the battle of Ngo Agenda (Ogwu Ngo-Obosi), for the first time of having an elected chairman, however connived and allowed the golden opportunity slip off their hands. But it was however returned by the election of Orom Nte Ereforokuma. Ngo Community had also tested the seat of the State House of Assembly with the election of Hon. Gogo Oboya Offiaja.
Consequently, the Ikuru Town Community had not only tested but enjoyed the rosy part of government when the incumbent APC chairman in the state was elected Chief (Hon.) Davies Ibiamu Ikanya as chairman of Bonny LGA. It has also the luck to have the elected serving Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Engr. Telenyem Renner Ikuru.
Having gone through this, Political pundits suggests that Political Parties and Power brokers in Andoni politics should as a matter or doctrine of necessity accord and consider Wards 2 and 3 the right and opportunity to represent and serve the people of Andoni in the respective capacities come 2015. ###
