Architect Pastor Tonye Patrick Cole, the 2023 Rivers APC governorship standard bearer, says his administration, will create opportunities and an enabling environment for young talented people to thrive in the state, when elected.
He said his government will not tell lies to the people of the state, rather it will respect, provide and care for the needs of the people.
Pastor Tonye Cole made this declaration, while speaking at the All Progressives Congress Governorship campaign flag-off rally in Abua/Odual local government area.
“When a government does not care about you, you will know, you will know who is lying to you, you will know when someone does not like your progress. My government will care about you”.
“We are supposed to have access to each other, you are supposed to have access to your Governor without fear. Our government will be for you, not for me alone”.
“Our youths have talents, they have skills, we will bring opportunities to meet your talents, we will give you a better life, we must connect your communities to development”.
Architect Tonye Cole lamented the poor level of development in the local communities in the state and expressed his shock over the level of underdevelopment and infrastructure decay in the area, especially lack of roads and bridges.
He wondered why Abua/Odual, such a large local government area, especially Odual communities are yet to be connected by roads to other parts of Rivers state. The only access to the community is a long road going through neighboring Bayelsa State.
Patrick Cole assured that his government will not allow such sufferings of the people to continue under his administration, adding that the long-time trade relationship that hitherto exists between the Kalabari and the Abua/Odual people will be reconnected through building of new roads and bridges.
“Today, Abua/Odual people, we have moved round this local government area, my annoyance is, you know I am from Abonnema, my community is very close, across the stream it’s just 5 minutes to Abonnema. But instead of a small distance to Odual, we have to go through Bayelsa State before we could connect Odual. This is unacceptable, my government will not allow this happen again”.
“Abua/Odual are neighbours to the Kalabari kingdom. Our Forefathers were sensible, they were working together, Kalabari and Abua/Odual LGA are one, we know ourselves, we fish together in same river, we traded together, but today our government, rather than bringing us together, they are separating us. We won’t allow such to continue, our government will connect us together”.
“There are no bridges connecting communities in Abua/Odual LGA. We have to walk long distances on wooded bridges before we could connect Odual area. I am an architect; that wooden bridge is a death trap, it will soon collapse, it has faild and its dangerous. The suffering of the people is enough”.
The Rivers APC governorship candidate appealed to the people of Abua/Odual LGA to come out and vote massively for the APC, to guarantee a better life and access to good governance.
“All of us must come out and vote because you want a better government, because you want access to me as your Governor. I feel your pains, I share in your joy and pains”.
During the rally, Pastor Cole granted a life time scholarship to a 15 year old local, ‘Progress’, who presented an architectural model to the APC gubernatorial candidate, during rally.
Earlier before the rally, the campaign train of Architect Tonye Cole had visited traditional institutions in Emelego Odual and Abua central communities, as well as carrying out door-to-door campaigns in Abua central market.
