Tina Amanda
A Group under the aegis of Rivers Conscience Initiative (RCI) has called for a developmental plan to be setup and pass into law by the state assembly, which will serve as a template for any Governorship candidate elected to govern Rivers State.
Chairman of the Group, Kalada Wilson, who made the call during a public sensitization and stakeholders dialogue in Port Harcourt, said the development plan has become pertinent because Rivers State must return to the original industrial template it was founded on.
He maintained that it is time to change the narrative as most of the things left behind by the founding fathers such as industries and scholarships are no more in existence.
“We are not happy with the state of affairs in our dear Rivers State. Like minds came together to see how we can change the narrative, no industries in the state and successive attempt in creating one or two have not been encouraged. Rivers State has nothing to show for it. States are creating businesses, industries, attracting investors but we do not have any of such.
“The legacy, industries and so on our founding fathers left for us is no more visible, the only visible business industry in Rivers State now that is employing people is taskforce.
“We want to speak to successive leaders in the state to try to change the narrative. Let’s have a vibrant state House of Assembly that can discuss and debate budget, have people defend budget so that at the end of the day we would have something to present as budget and not the way it is currently. It is like a one man show, it is not Democratic.
“We came together and elected them as leaders and we should be able to interrogate them, they should submit themselves for questioning. We should be able to ask questions and have answers from those we elected into positions of authority, we want democracy to act out in Rivers State.
“All the Elders in the state have gone to sleep, once you vote in someone into power in the state, the person does what he or she likes. This has to stop, nobody owns Rivers State, it is for all of us, people should begin to question the leaders and hold them accountable.
“There are development plans, we have always had that but we do not have that anymore now in Rivers State. Let’s go back to having plans for the development of our state, that is all we are asking and we are saying from the next government, let’s have things the way it should be”.
Also, Spokesperson of Rivers Conscience Initiative and Former General Manager 3Garden City Radio, Dagogo Ezekiel-Hart, in his paper presentation titled “This Darkness Could Blind Us All” said since August 2021, the role of Parliament in the state has been in comatose, while urging the public to elect political leaders into various position according to their conscience.
“There is this darkness which currently pervade our land born from poor governance, arbitrary decisions, comatose legislature. These have birthed the darkness that have rendered us all blind. By blindness I mean we will be going into a place of inconvenience comfort tragedy.
“Already, we know about the economic situation but we think that some states would have gotten it right, we think Rivers State is one of those states that would have gotten it right and we hope going forward, our people and everyone concerned should subscribe to their conscience.
“Let your conscience rule you, in choosing our legislators, government house candidates, judiciary, anybody in authority that is in a place where he can direct or influence activities that affect other people. Let your conscience guide you right, because that is where you separate light from darkness. We need to get it right.
“It is not a secret that since August 2001, our legislature became almost comatose. The role of Parliament is to speak for the people and push their best interest. Parliament engages government and keep an eye on what government does while in office, Parliament guides the people by sensitizing them, leading people on how to go forward on any matter, it is a middle ground.
“I do not think we have seen such Parliament in the state for twenty-one years. It portends tyranny, lack of accountability, detachment from the people. We should become more aware, more discerning, selecting men and women with conscience, with integrity, people should not vote by party this time around, but vote in credible individuals”.
