As the 2015 gubernatorial gathers momentum in Rivers State, a cross section of the people have endorsed the demand by the Ogoni ethnic nationality to produce a successor to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
This was the outcome of a live radio phone-in programme, which centered on agitation for governorship position by the Ogoni people.
The programme featured the President, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) Psaro Pyagbara.
Over 90% of the callers supported the course that an Ogoni should be the next governor of the state, describing their demand as genuine and legitimate whereas other callers opted for the Kalabaris in the Rivers West Senatorial District that produced Governor Peter Odili in 1999.
The participants noted with dismay that the people had over the years faced high proportion of neglect, injustice, degradation, abandonment of their environment and economic well being, lamenting that the UNEP report that placed them as endangered species had not been implemented.
Callers particularly from Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Bonny, Oyigbo, Abua/Odual and neighboring Bayelsa State observed that the Ogonis would have lost confidence in the Rivers and Nigeria projects save for the effort of the incumbent Governor Amaechi.
They said it was high time other parts of the state gave Ogoni people the chance to produce a governor, pointing out that such opportunity would give them a sense of belonging in a state where they are one of the major ethnic groups.
The callers advised political parties to feature only Ogonis for the 2015 Rivers gubernatorial election, as was the case with Ikwerre in 2007.
MOSOP President, Psaro Pyagbara had during the programme said Ogonis were prepared to produce the next governor and called on other parts of the state to give them the needed support like they gave others in the past.
“It is our time to be considered for the governorship position; Rivers State is divided into three senatorial zones. Now, Rivers West has gotten it, Rivers East has gotten it, Now, is the turn of Rivers South-East. We are saying under this zonal arrangement, two zones have produced, why don’t you want the other zone to produce”? He queried.
Pyagbara stated that “the clamour for the creation of Bori State by the people of Rivers South-East Senatorial District will not stop the people of Ogoni ethnic nationality from demanding to produce the next governor of Rivers State”.
The MOSOP president stressed that “it is time for Ogoni people to produce a governor either of Rivers State or of Bori State”.
He urged the Ogonis and all Rivers citizens of goodwill, to be united in the demand for justice.
