Barely 10 days and less than two weeks to the March 28th Presidential and National Assembly elections, some citizens of Rivers State are yet to understand the state or the status of Rivers State and to crown it all what indigenes are loosing because of its tyrannical leadership drive at the moment. This episode intends to call to mind what the various government candidates of the respective political parties represents or the issues they raise as their roadmap to the betterment of the citizenry.
Let it be said that any candidate would always look for an escape route to fine-tune its chances and to convince the electorate in casting their votes for them, but there are issues some of them vehemently and intentionally skipped, and that is the plight of those innocent persons detained in the prisons, inadequate and ineffective legislations bedeviling the citizenry.
Issues base electioneering campaign were however seriously advocated for, while some are heeding to the call for issues base campaign, others are believed to be neutral even as the watchdog of the scenes have taken sides without the sense of sound judgment or make effort to correct the anormalies created by some of these candidates.
Just a matter of days from now and elections would commence. Either it is reschedule or not, the parties and candidates remain same. It is pertinent to note that in Rivers State, for over Ten (10) months running the judiciary and State House of Assembly have seized to exist. This situation does not inform some group especially the professional groups that people who are not suppose to be in detention are their innocently, it does not also pricks their hearts that no better legislation have been instituted since the advert of the sell of the state original mandate to our Assembly men and its executive counterpart.
The mandate to the governor and Assembly men were given under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. it would be recalled that, Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi while in Ogu town in Ogu/Bolo LGA during the 2011 election campaign said, “When we win the election, we shall kill the chicken, eat it and sweep its carcasses away with the broom.
Since broom are meant to sweep away carcass, not human beings, it is therefore obvious that people should remember the fingers that feeds them. Those who clamours for the extinction of PDP are those who benefited from PDP, what an irony. Could it be said that these men have climb up a roof and pull down the ladder with which they climbed? Can they equally descend without having fractures? “A child, who denies his mother’s sleep does not sleep, be ware!
Let us begin by calling up the campaign focus of the Labour Party (LP) which has just an agenda, “Job Creation”.
To be candid, it is a welcome development to vow for what one could achieved rather than going for numerous promises that are unachievable, hence becoming problem of unfaithfulness.
The candidate of the Labour Party, Prince Tonye Princewill, an experienced business man with knowledge of both impart of employment and unemployment has set his focus on employment aimed at reducing the high rate of unemployment in the state. With his angle of electioneering campaign, it means that the said employment of 13,000 workers mostly in the educational sector if at all they are genuine, are not enough coupled with the available unemployed youths in the state and revenue base of the state.
Before now, there were agitations that the purported 13,000 teachers were mere noise as the numbers were over blotted while assuming that those employed were less than 4,000 workers. Above, all, misplacement of priority greeted the exercise as those without formidable grades were posted to the primary institutions were it is generally acceptable as the bedrock of education. Prince Tonye Princewill if elected has the solution to that.
Remember, the LP governorship candidate was also in PDP and a friend to Governor Amaechi. They parted ways for several reasons undisclosed to the public. But according to Princewill, Governor Amaechi’s incessant disrespect to the President was his reason for abandoning him.
However, what could be the crime of the PDP that the Kalabari Prince should abandon it for Labour Party. Like it or not, all cannot be elected into governorship position same day. The Prince has contested under the Action Congress, AC, PDP and now Labour Party, how long shall politicians continue and be rescued from political prostitution? This egocentric or selfish drive should stop.
For the All Progressives Congress, APC and its candidate Dakuku Adol Peterside, their messages centred on continuity from where governor Amaechi has stop.
This campaign of continuity from the outgoing governor has possess numerous questions to citizens who are conscious of the happenings in the state.
The flagrant use of abusive words against the President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, by governor Amaechi, ceasure of the state legislative Assembly for a private business, grounding of State Judiciary, starvation of lawyers, congestion of the prisons, as well as other cases occasioned on inordinate ambition and quest for power. The police can hardly handle or prosecute any criminal matter now rather grant bail because of prison congestion.
The issues of embarking on uncompleted or abandon projects as well as some elephant projects does not escape the list of questions on the lips of the people.
Which of these records or steps of Governor Amaechi would Dakuku Peterside if elected emulates as he repeatedly echoed in several of his campaign tours to LGA’s of continuing where Amaechi stopped.
Undoubtedly, Dakuku if elected would resort to antagonizing the President of the nation, be it Buhari as they claim or Jonathan if re-elected. “A lion cannot give birth to a chick”.
It is envisaged that a vote for Dakuku or APC in Rivers signifies votes for Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi acknowledging that he would be the ruler not leader behind such a governor. It is worrisome if Rivers would be practicing Parliamentary system of government.
At this point, why do citizens of the state remain adamant over the betrayal on senator Magnus Ngei Abe. Abe, was to be the APC candidate but something went wrong. Don’t hear from Issues Abattoir but the truth remains that it has spread like wild wind why Abe was denied the ticket, but no one challenges that amongst the APC stalwarts.
Having suffered for over Ten months for lack of judiciary in the state, would Rivers indigenes vote for a government that is promising them, no judiciary, no state House of Assembly? May be other institutions would be added later if APC is elected.
The APC candidate throughout his campaign had never mention anything concerning the reopening of the State Judiciary or bringing the State Assembly to effective functions, what an irony of a government to lead the people.
Dakuku Peterside might not be a bad figure so to say, but who are those around him? What legacy of Amaechi would he emulates? Could it be the importation of a road construction indicator vehicle after construction must have been done?
As a matter of fact it is regrettably that no report has been presented to the public on what the findings of the multi-million naira vehicle are.
That is to say, the vehicle has never dictated any road as poorly constructed or not if at all it was put to use either at midnight or at the wee hours by the outgoing government led by governor Amaechi.
Let it be on record that a government that does not respect those in higher authority but prepares to replicate self in authority is nothing but a complete violation of the scriptural injunction that orders the people to pray for and respect those place above them in authority.
The Bible in 1 Peter 2:13-17 clearly have done this for all. …….. it is taken or not, one who does not respect authority can never be respected. If a governor does not regard a president of a country, it is obvious that those that would succeed him (if it is possible at all) would definitely not respect him.
It is on record and Issues Abattoir observed that since the inception of APC in Rivers State, in 2013 no significant project was awarded, initiated or embarked upon by the government, hence the APC government has not imparted positively in the state were carried out during the PDP led government.
It is dangerous to place something on nothing, like the Labour Party candidate stated that he could not continue with an institution or individual without respect for constituted authorities as his reason for throwing in the towel against his movement with Amaechi, can the governor’s preferred successor point at a project the governor or himself as commissioner or member House of Representatives had embarked upon while in the APC?
Facts are scared, truths are bitter, but let those who sings praises for these ones provides answers to the questions for the overall benefits of the people and as means to confidently support and propel their course or cast votes for them.
The Unity road suffers set back, the federal constituency name for Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency almost went on extinction, all under the watch of the APC governorship candidate, shall the people fold their hands and watch another era of abandonment of projects? The time to decide is now.
Talking about the drawn State Judiciary as well as the legislative Assembly and the suffering masses, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Chief (Barr.) Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike has repeatedly promised the state at virtually all LGAs visited of his administration’s readiness if elected to revamp the dead institutions in the state.
The PDP has consistently realed out some of her programmes to the admiration of the citizenry. In the history of politics in Rivers, they in the running calendar demonstrated its commitments to give the female folk the required recognitions.
While the fear of continued stay without certain institutions working in the state have continued to generate untold fears, however the time to act is now as the PDP is battle ready and conscious of the plight of the people and pledged its concern to tackling them if elected into office.
Monitoring political activities in the state, it was observed that many politicians who are practically ignorant with the happenings are not only confused but undetermined on the candidate to vote for.
This form the trust of this episode as clarion invitation to citizens to steer clear of groups, political parties that would hinder or further ground other institutions including the already dead ones in the state but toe the line of those who are serious, eventful and conscious of the people’s plight and aim at improving lives in the state.
Further deprivation of the course of justice in the state is condemned in its entirely, therefore let the citizenry wake up, shine their eyes, and utilize their votes wisely. The time to make the profitable choice is now. ###
With James Mgboineme
