Women in the 23 local governments of Rivers State are calling for a riverine governor in 2019, to succeed Nyesom Wike, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as governors from the upland have governed the state for 20 unbroken years.
The women, under the aegis of Rivers Women Alliance (RIWA), a non-political and non-governmental organisation, spoke yesterday at a news conference in Port Harcourt.
RIWA, through its Coordinator, Ibiba Omotoso, who was with the group’s Secretary, Myne Wilfred, and others, this would be good for even development and ensure justice, equity and fairness.
It said: “Women of Rivers State observe with dismay how the leadership of our state has been domicilled in a particular section of Rivers State, whereas the state is made up of upland and riverine brotherliness. From 1999, Rivers State has been governed by our upland brothers.
‘’The call for a Riverine governor in Rivers State in 2019 became necessary, as it is the only path to equity, fairness, justice, togetherness and enhancement of peaceful co-existence in our state. It is only fair for every Rivers son and daughter to rally round a riverine governor.
“Our unity, well-being and togetherness are sacrosanct. Hence, the need for rotation of power between the upland and the riverine parts of the state. We remain committed to this cause and it is our belief and trust that in 2019, a riverine son or daughter will emerge in any of the political parties as the governor of Rivers State.
“We believe it will not be too much to allow all concerned in a common heritage to have a fair share of the commonwealth in service. Equity is in vain, when oppression is the order of the day in an indifferent society. The deliberate assent of this clarion call to rotate power in Rivers State is just, finest and clinches the order of the day.
“We call on all Rivers elders, the political class, traditional rulers, youths, women and every facet of life in Rivers State to join hands, so that our call and advocacy of truth, fairness, equity, justice, and togetherness can be a fulfilled will.”
Rivers women also stated that in their course of reach-outs, they had come across some asserts that Chief Rufus Ada-George, from the riverine part of the old Rivers state, was once elected governor in 1992/1993, but noted that the old Rivers state was made up of Bayelsa state and the present Rivers state, at a period when governance was managed and administered by the military at the centre and eventually the administration was cut short by the same military government that formed it.
RIWA noted that other people of Rivers state must not be alienated, insisting that everybody must live in oneness, without a heart full of troubles and seeming oppression, with the women declaring that on a riverine governor they firmly stood.
