As one of you who has had the privilege of living and doing business in and out of Rivers State, I think I have a moral obligation to reach out to you at this time to ensure we do not misuse the lifetime opportunity this coming elections presents us.
I have had the opportunity of witnessing Rivers State at the peak of its glory, economic bliss, environmental splendour, agricultural prosperity, emerging tourism potentials and massive industrial and employment opportunities.
Before the advent of Gov. Wike”s administration, the budgets of Rivers State and Lagos State were almost at par, with Rivers State budgeting N490.3b and Lagos State N497 billion in 2013. In 2014 Rivers had N485.5 billion and Lagos budgeted N489 billion naira. Fast-forward to 2022, whereas Rivers State had a budget of N483bn Lagos State made tremendous progress in it’s economic indices to necessitate a budget of N1.76 trillion naira. This year 2023, Lagos State has a budget of N1.8trillion leaving Rivers State behind with a N550.6bn budget.
Rivers State had the potentials – economic and human resource- to compete effectively with major states in Africa, Europe and beyond. Sadly, all those dreams and potential for greatness seem lost due to the mediocre and misplaced governance the Gov. Wike led administration.
Rivers State once had TIMARIV that gainfully employed thousands of our vibrant youth and brought sanity to our roads, today, it has been scrapped and replaced with a menacing taskforce whereas Lagos State still runs and maintains LASTMA a similar agency for traffic management.
Lagos State operates a Neighborhood Watch Security Outfit whose mandate is to compliment the efforts of the police in securing and protecting lives but in Rivers State, we have the exact opposite, a criminal-minded assemblage of thugs and touts popularly known as ‘Wike Boys’ harassing, intimidating and molesting motorist, traders and perceived opponents of the government.
In 2021 the Lagos State government launched a 5 year Agricultural development roadmap aimed at improving the state’s self sufficiency on food production from 28% to 40%. Unfortunately our painstaking investment in this sector has been abandoned to waste as in the case of the Songhai farm, the Buguma Fish farm, the Ubima fish farm as well as the Tai Banana Plantation, all of which gainfully employed our fathers, mothers, sister, brothers and friends.
In the area of tourism development, we are all witnesses to what our once cherished CARNIRIV that gave job, business and opportunities to discover and build local talents has become. We can go on and on in highlighting the failures of the Wike administration which his candidate, Siminalaye Fubara has promised to continue if allowed to gain power.
Without doubt the two Front line candidates for the Governorship contest in Rivers State are Tonye Cole of the APC and Siminalaye Fubara of the PDP.
While Sim Fubara has promised to continue with Wike’s zero policy on education, zero policy on Health, zero policy on Youth development, zero policy on women empowerment, zero policy on Agriculture, zero policy on accountability and poor condition of the state civil service and criminal amassing of public wealth and sacrificing governance on the altar of politics, Arc. Tonye Cole, a Pastor of the Redeemed Church and a well experienced business tycoon and technocrat of global repute, on the other hand is promising a better Rivers State where he will put his wealth of experience to bear in creating jobs and building a civilized society where opportunities are limitless. I believe God has handed us the opportunity to take our destinies in our own hands by choosing the Governor we want come Saturday March 11, 2023.
INEC has promised once again that votes will count and that the BVAs upload will be trust upon which a winner will be elected. In the light of these, It’s my humble appeal that we come out and take responsibility for our destinies by casting that singular vote with the hope that your future and that of your family depends on it.
Let us vote for that man we can trust to effectively, efficiently, transparently and gainfully manage our collective wealth even while we sleep. Your PVC has the answer to your unemployment needs & security challenges.
I urge you to stay true to your convictions and resist the temptation of selling your vote for peanuts. Feel free to take whatever money they bring to buy your vote but ensure you vote your conscience and be proud of your contribution to a new Rivers State of our dreams.
We must rise and say “enough of the taskforce mentality” in Rivers State.
I and my household together with Rivers Students who have been denied bursary; in the past 8 years, the civil servants who have been denied promotion for over 7years and the business men in Ikoku who has lost his legitimate means of livelihood by to authoritarian styled government, of Wike will vote Tonye Cole of the APC for a Rivers State. of restored hope.
To God Be The Glory.
Chief Chima Nnokam.
Nkpolu Oroworukwo Community,
Rebisi, Port Harcourt.
8th March 2023.
