Desmond Iwuchukwu
A political interest group in Rivers state has warned the former Commissioner for Water Resources and Urban Development, Dr. Doris Cowan, over her recent outburst against the ancient Kalabari Kingdom and its people.
Arising from a crucial meeting on Thursday in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, the group, DELGA-17 said the persistent outburst of Dr. Cowan against the collective decision of the Kalabari people was replete with lies and misrepresentation of facts in a bid to gain public sympathy while attempting to denigrate and demean the character and personality of well-respected sons and daughters of the Kalabari Kingdom and the Kalabari traditional institution.
In a statement issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the leader of the group, Hon Alphine Whyte, former deputy Mayor of Port Harcourt City, titled “A Stumble May Prevent A Fall”, the group said while it recognizes the undeniable right to freedom of expression as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, “we also recognize that such rights are not absolute. Therefore, the right to freedom of expression if abused, calls for restraint realizing that one’s right of expression ends where the other person’s right begins”.
The group further said that Dr. Cowan in exercising her right to freedom of speech appears to have thrown away all sense of decency and decorum. “She rather resorted to venomous words propelled by a beclouded sense of reasoning and judgment as a result of hatred against the Secretary to the Government of Rivers State, Dr. Tammy Wenike Danagogo.
It will be recalled that the former Commissioner for Water Resources in former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s administration was alleged to have condemned the recent grand reception at Abalama in Asari- Toru local government area of the state-organized in honour of the state Governor, Nyesom Wike. She also slammed the secretary to the state government, Tammy Danagogo, saying that the SSG can never be the governor of Rivers state in 2023.
On the strength of the above, DELGA-17, a socio/political group, therefore described Dr. Doris Cowan’s attack against the organizers of the Civic Reception as the biblical “kiss of Judas which was the time appointed gesture of betrayal.”
“We unequivocally express our displeasure and disappointment of the unedifying remarks made by Dr. Doris Cowan at a time when the Kalabari people are in pursuit of the unity of the Kingdom. No genuine Kalabari son or daughter would allow his or herself to be used as portrayed by Dr. Cowan.
“We further express our displeasure in her inconsistent, unimpressive and deceptive account of events before, during, and after the well-organized Civic Reception in honour of his excellency, Chief Barrister, Nyesom Ezenwi Wike, CON, GSSRS, POS (Africa), Executive Governor of Rivers state.
“We are poised to observe that Dr. Doris Cowan, a well-respected figure has become so obsessed with her inordinate ambition to the extent of sacrificing the interest of the entire Kalabari Kingdom”, the statement said in part.
The group went on to allege that the actual target in all of Dr. Cowan’s diatribe is to demean the person of the Secretary to the Government of the State, Dr. Tammy Wenike Danagogo. We believe, Dr. Cowan is envious, pained, and scared of his growing fame and could no longer hold back her pain.
“We reiterate that Dr. Tammy Wenike Danagogo is eminently qualified to be Governor of Rivers State and the Kalabari people would stand by him in any capacity he desires to serve”.
