The Six — Ward Community of Bakana in Degema LGA went festive on Saturday, January 10, 2015. The event was the PDP joint stakeholders meeting of all the six Wards in the town called to bring to speed the party’s faithful on developments within the party in the past 3 months particularly as concerns the interest of Bakana.
The decision to hold the parley, our correspondent gathered, was taken and disseminated less than 24 hours hitherto but the attendance was overwhelming. In fact people are of the opinion that the crowd was unprecedented in terms of gatherings for any single political party in the community.
Not only that, the zeal and enthusiasm exhibited by participants at the meeting spoke creditably of the acceptability of both the Peoples Democratic Party and the message of the meeting namely-” Victory for all PDP flag bearers in ‘Elections 2015’“.
In an opening speech at the event, Hon. Tombodie T. Philmore, a former Executive Chairman of Degema Local Government Council, who is the leader of PDP in Bakana, gave the gathering a load down of recent events within the PDP family in Rivers State and assured the Community that although a Bakana person didn’t get the party’s ticket for the Rivers State House of Assembly election, Bakana people should rest assured of proper placement in the PDP Government that will emerge after the elections.
According to Hon. Philmore, “The party leadership and the PDP Guber Barr. Nyesom Wike have Bakana in mind and thus juicy appointments, opportunities and projects await Bakana and her people when the PDP forms the next government come May 29th 2015”.
Hon. Philmore reminded Bakana people of the un-kept promises of the APC Administration in Rivers State for Bakana, particularly the Bridge to Port Harcourt which the APC Governor made even in a church, a House of God in Bakana adding that “it’s obvious that the governor deliberately refused to do that bridge for us. The excuses given were only aimed at misdirecting our attention. The governor has even gone ahead now to acquire Abonnema Wharf, our only point of entry into Port Harcourt making it more difficult for us to communicate with the rest of the state. This is sheer wickedness”.
Concluding, Hon. Philmore urged the people that “The candidates and party sponsored by Gov. Amaechi a disrespectful Governor, godless man and one who treats the yearnings and aspirations of Bakana people with disregard, levity and reckless abandon should be treated with ignominy at the forthcoming polls”.
Also speaking, Mr Ipalibo Sogules, a business man, philanthropist and erstwhile aspirant for the Rivers State House of Assembly ticket of the party, and who has a considerably large followership across Degema LGA, informed the gathering that he has accepted the position of the party’s leadership in good faith and thus appealed to all his supporters and aggrieved persons in the PDP to forgive each other, sheath their swords and join energies and resources to ensure that all the PDP flag bearers come out victorious in all the elections.
Several other momentous and crowd-moving speeches were delivered by party heavy weights in the Town; these include Sir Victor lyalla, Hon. Mrs. Ngo Bob-Manuel, Deaconess Catharine Wokoma, Mr. Tammy Williams, Engr. Okiye Evans, etc. These speeches pointed towards the need to sustain the unity of purpose in the ranks of the party members, individual campaigns and enlightenment of the Bakana populace with a view to translating PDP’s obvious majority in the community into a resounding electoral victory come Feb. 14th and 28th 2015.
In his own speech, the Leader of the PDP in Degema LGA, Hon. Pleasant Braide, the first Executive Chairman of Degema Local Government Council in Nigeria’s current attempt at participatory democracy, expressed gratitude to the mammoth crowd of party members for keeping the faith despite the strangulating disposition of the APC administration in Rivers State towards PDP affairs. He decried the glaring and annoying insensitivity of Gov. Amaechi’s administration towards Bakana’s yearnings for attention. According to Hon. Braide “Gov. Amaechi’s almost 8 years in the saddle of Rivers affairs has seen no development project in Bakana despite the fact that Bakana produces huge volumes of hydrocarbon that contribute significantly to the billions of Naira the Governor receives from the Federation account every month”.
“It is pathetic that even the internal roads network the Governor promised to do for Bakana in lieu of the Port Harcourt — Bakana bridge which he cancelled for flimsy and indefensible excuses, have not seen the light of day”.
Continuing, Hon. Braide disclosed that “Today, electricity power lines have crossed the creeks from Port Harcourt to Oguruama and Bakana and ships and ocean going vessels pass beneath unhindered. But the Gov. Amaechi said a bridge over the same creeks would hinder the movement of ships and vessels, hence the cancelation of the promise he made to Bakana people in the house of God. What a shame”
Hon. Pleasant Braide however, urged the party faithful and indeed the good people of Bakana not to despair as the incoming Governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike is a responsive and responsible administrator with the interest of Bakana and her people at heart, adding “Our dream project of a bridge across to Port Harcourt will be addressed satisfactorily, amongst several other lives-touching projects and opportunities for our people”.
Hon. Braide further stated that the choice of Dr. Mrs. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo as gubernatorial running mate is also a blessing as she is also of Bakana routes.
Concluding his speech, Hon. Braide enjoined all party men and women to go door to door campaigning for both President Goodluck Jonathan and Barr. Nyesom Wike, and indeed all PDP candidates, and to turn out en- masse to vote in next month elections. He directed the leader of PDP in Bakana, Hon. T. T. Philmore to ensure that such fora are held more regularly and a plan put in place for a huge PDP rally in Bakana soon.
All the speeches and presentations by the party’s stalwarts received standing ovations at several junctures and were interspersed with heartwarming songs and choruses given the outing a carnival coloration.
After the speeches, the party leaders — Hon. Pleasant Braide, Hon. T. T. Philmore, Mr. Tammy Williams, Mr. Asemebo Dokubo, Hon. Mrs. Ngo BobManuel, Mr. Ipalibo Sogules, Engr. Okiye Evans, Chief Alfred C. C. Braide, Sir. Victor lyalla, Deaconess Catharine Sogules, etc. were taken round on a spontaneous procession round the community at the head of PDP music band and followers singing and gyrating.
Other PDP big Whigs in the community that attended the epoch making gathering were Chief Elias Davies, Barr. Sokari Fubara, Hon. Victor Thompson Braide, Mr. Ipulo Joe-Jim, Hon. Sime Benson, Miss Sherry Ojutiku, Chief Emmanuel Oriye, Chief Afonya Lulu Braide, Mr. Jene Sylver, Mr. Ibinabo Williams, Vincent Duke, Emmanuel Benson Barr. (Mrs) Taribi Lolo Berepiki, Collins A. lyalla, Bertram lyalla, Romeo S. Braide, Madam Rose Enene, Mr. Siki Akwabala, Prince Hulikin, Mr. Arupu-u Johnbull, Collins H. lboroma, Lawrence Davies, Sokari Yellowe, Deinbo Bagshaw, Asi Ekine, Hon. Konfaa Harry, Hon. Omboye Iboroma, Mr. Livingstone Braide, etc. Hon. Mpaka Botoye who was unavoidably absent also sent his solidarity regards. The PDP parley which was held at the Civic centre Bakana had Mr. Emmanuel Attadi, a seasoned expert in Kalabari language and traditions as the moderator.
lt will be recalled that PDP has always enjoyed overwhelming support in Bakana. Her people and voters keep faith with the party even when candidates of Bakana origin flying other parties’ ticket contested with non Bakana indigenes flying the PDP flag in previous elections.
The turnout at this impromptu stakeholders gathering last Saturday indicates that nothing much has changed in the status quo in the Community in terms of political leanings and acceptability. A chat with some indigenes by our Correspondent revealed that the failure of the Amaechi administration to actualize any project in the Community particularly the bridge to Port Harcourt, after these many years has not helped matters for the APC in this largest and most populous community in Degema LGA of Rivers State. ###
