KAGOTE, an Ogoni socio-cultural group in Rivers State, has debunked insinuations that its decision to host Governor Nyesom Wike at a grand reception on May 15 is motivated by the Ogoni people’s 2023 governorship interest.
KAGOTE which had at a town hall meeting last week, concluded plans for the programme, said the idea was to thank Wike for the projects he had completed in Ogoniland.
The group, the highest Ogoni socio-cultural union comprising four councils, namely Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, said there was no political undertone in the reception.
Emmanuel Deeyah, the President of KAGOTE, urged Ogoni indigenes, despite their political affiliations, to come out en masse to receive Wike and thank him for his developmental strides in the area, The Nation reports.
He said Ogoni monarchs had decided to confer on the governor a chieftaincy title on that day, adding that appreciating the governor would motivate him to do more for them.
Deeyah said: “We are receiving Wike to show appreciation for all he has been doing for us. We feel he has done a lot for us. Everyone knows that the best thing when you want to ask for more is to say thank you.
“People will say he is elected as governor to do these projects. If he spends the number of years he has and decides not to do the jobs, will he be removed from office? No, he will complete his tenure.
“If we are saying thank you for the little he has done, we believe it will make him to do more.
“We are talking about the Sapenwa-Bori road. Those of us from here found it difficult to go home because it was a nightmare travelling from Port-Harcourt to home. But now he has done the road, the first phase.
“He has also paid the contractor and mobilised him to start the second phase of the road, which is taking the road to Bodo.”
He said the governor also gave their people employment.
The Chairman, Mobilisation Committee, Fred Kpakol, said the grand reception was devoid of 2023 politics.
“What we are doing here is to appreciate the governor for what he has done. It has no political undertone. It is neither PDP nor APC; all the parties are in line. Every person from Ogoni land is involved here. We are just appreciating him for what he has done,” he said.
