Election Re Run In Rivers State; Gov. Wike Almost Making The Same Mistake Former Gov. Amaechi Made. By Barr. Joshua Obinna Samuel

It is no longer news that recently the Court of Appeal nullified all elections into the federal legislative seats in Rivers State, with the final appeal for that of the state's gubernatorial election still hanging, to be finally determined by the Supreme Court. Going by the trend of the already determined petitions, no outcome would be strange to the Rivers man and followers of events in Rivers State.

The title of this article? Don't finalise yet. Yes, it is not from an APC stooge. the article is from an ardent lover and supporter of the PDP. At least, to show my commitment to the PDP, I campaigned for her, donated my time and resources to her course including footing my transportation bill all from the North twice to Rivers State for the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections. This to express my solidarity to former President Jonathan and affirm my support for the PDP. My support for the PDP as I have often said was not because the party has superlatively "betterd " our lives but more because, it was a consciousness, after all, GEJ was not the worst President Nigeria ever had. More also, the North voted President Buhari not also because they believed or even understood the meaning of the " change mantra" he sang. I tell you, the North would have supported any other Northerner to ensure that power moved back to the North. It was also a movement. No wonder, the santa clause of all time was so benevolent to donate some tubers of yams to the retired general even when he knew the farm wasn't his or that of the general.

Back home, if the PDP rigged the gubernatorial elections, then it is the position of the Court. If they say, there was no election, then they have their reasons but I personally know that if the election then was free and fair, with one man one vote, Gov. Wike would have won Dakuku with a far margin. Rivers people wouldn't have voted Dakuku not because they saw Gov. Wike as much better than him in terms of ability to deliver and function as a governor but the vote went for Wike in solidarity of that same " south south, South East Consciousness".

By the tail end of fmr. Govenor Amaechi's tenure, his policies, programmes and actions were greatly conceived to be anti people, anti Rivers State, and anti south south( Don't forget former President Jonathan his arch political opponent is an inlaw to Rivers State) Gov. Amaechi allegedly made some unguarded statements against the wife of the then president and even the presidency. Every public fora was an opportunity to do what many perceived as raining of insult and abuse on former President Jonathan and his wife. Deep down the blood of Rivers people, this was a betrayal. it was greed, totally uncalled for and reprehensible, hence the metamorphosis of fine plot of "Judas" that sold and and bought the hearts of Of Rivers State.

The Judiciary was long on strike, the House of Assembly was polarised and hijacked. Most of the honourable members lost their dignity as they were mere messengers of the executive due to the manipulation by the executive arm. The government shunned and shut every opposition. A sect of ASUU lecturers from the Rivers State University was affected. The government made sure any one with a diverse opinion from her had no food on his table. It was so bad, that almost all opposition politicians ran over to Abuja then. The mass feeding of APC and her stooges while the rest of Rivers State hallow in poverty was prime. There were no new projects apart from a group of 6 to 8 men with three bags of cement and spanners marking time at the billion gulping wasteful monerail site. The people were alienated from their government. Apart from the APC kitchen cabinet that ate fat, every other Rivers man was crying. Despite the propaganda Lagos media campaigns, it was clear that the government's was too anti people. Even the thirteen thousand teachers employed cried too. Remuneration was a challenge.

With all these and many more, Rivers people would have voted and did massively vote for PDP and Gov. Wike. Of course, with the PDP control of the security agencies, having faith solely on the power of the thumb might have been getting an easy thing through a long and rigorous process, So I believe many thought. Eventually PDP was announced as the winner in Rivers State and the rest of the story is not news.

Governor Wike as expected right from the onset hatched on the mistakes of his predecessor. Few minutes, he was sworn in as Governor, the repairing started, first was the opening of the judiciary, another the recall of the suspended ASUU lecturers of RSUST, days later we saw a rapid re construction and revitalisation of roads.

Many other mistakes were corrected as the days went by. Gov. Wike's promise to to terminate the jobs of the thirteen thousand teachers brought him a dear place in the hearts of Rivers people. His open declaration for God alone contrary to the claims and fears of some made him the Rivers Governor.

However, not many days gone by,it seems our governor has started dancing to the same music his predecessor did. The running of the state for months by just few appointees brings to wonder whether the governor takes into cognisance the diversity and multifarious nature of Rivers State.

Construction of roads it seems is concentrated in just two LGA's. One of the reasons his predecessor campaigned against having his fellow tribesman as his successor. While that of these LGA's are done immiedetely, the other LGA's are to wait for 2016 and 2017 budget, due process office etc, etc.

Again, the provocative decision of Gov. Wike to abandon Rivers kids studying abroad is and would remain a major disenchantment between Rivers People and himself. This decision to say the least is anti people, retogressive and untoward. Has the governor considered the effect of this on Rivers people? The kids, their parents, relatives and friends?

Though former Gov Amaechi administration accumulated most of the huge bill as he refused to cater for the lads he took abroad, Gov. Wike's decision to further abandon these kids is the worst of it all. The promise of Rivers government to secure places in RSUST and UniPort is also a grand deception and greatly unbecoming. I ask, of the kids already deported, how many have secured admission into any Nigerian University? These kids are left in the streets of Europe and Asia, some can not even write their exams after attending lectures for a school year, many are kicked out of their accommodation, no food, no shelter, no cloth and no school. Is this not anti people?

One would have thought that Gov. Wike should have stopped sending new set of students abroad, instead of the abandonment of the kids already there. Better still reaching an agreement with the parents of this kids for the government to either pay their tuition fee or keeping allowance while the parents supplement the other would not have been totally fatal. Definitely, the decision to play deaf ears to the plight of the kids might be a near or future nightmare for the PDP in Rivers State if not reversed. Of course, the APC though they started the crises is now using it to campaign against the PDP.

Another mistake of the former government which Gov. Wike should be beware of is public expression. The Edo " go and die" saga is not new to us. Infact it is already being peddled that the governor said his decision to abandon the Rivers kids studying abroad was because they were " APC Children" if this is true, I now ask, is Gov. Wike a governor of PDP or of Rivers State? HThe kids are children of both PDP and APC supporters and even if they were all kids of APC supporters, that should not be a ground of denying them of the benefits of Government as Rivers indigenes. Has the governor considered the amount spent so far on these kids? Why would Gov. Wike want to waste the already spent Rivers money?

One more mistake of the former administration that is almost repeating itself is the government trying to satisfy, empower and feed only a select few to the detriment of the larger Rivers indigenes. You would agree with me that most of the benefits of government in the last administration was reserved for only APC members. Sure P" beneficiaries, so called Agric loans etc were shared based on APC membership. The re occurring appointment of only GDI members into local government care taker Committee's looks very much like the former Governors action. Gov. Wike should understand that it is not only GDI members that worked for him and voted him. As much as it is not wrong to appoint GDI executives because they are also Rivers people, it is very wrong to make being a GDI executive the sole criteria to having any government benefit in the state. Rivers State is very much bigger than GDI or any other political organisation. Again, the rumoured death threat to INEC staff for the re run of election if true, is not encouraging. There are many ways to express ones message. A death threat is the height of it all. No true Rivers man apart from stooges would support any party that is not against killings and murder.

The sack of the newly employed staff of Rivers State Polytechnic Bori( Now Ken Wiwa Polytechnic) the disbanding of RSDDA staff and that of TIMARIV are decisions taken in a rush by the present Rivers government. As much as ensuring compliance to due process in employment is advocated as regards to the sack of Rivploy newly employed staff, the Governor should realize that those sacked or employed are still Rivers people with not just their thumbs but great powers to influence the thumbs of their nuclear and extended families, churches, associations,villages etc. The disbanding of RSDDA only because they were about to protest for their salary is not the best decision in the circumstance. TIMARIV had lots of young Rivers men and women in their employ. It is not possible to get their votes after sending them abruptly to the biting Nigeria's labour market again.

No parent or relative of any kid deported from abroad would dream of voting PDP. Some might overtly pretend but I tell you the truth, deep down, Gov. Wike and PDP would never be their friend.

It has been difficult for me convincing my people from my LGA to vote PDP again because till now, not even a single PDP's led government presence is sited in the entire LGA. Untill we cried, we never had any appointment in the government. Not that we have enough now, just a " special Adviser" is no great for an entire LGA.

The re runs are now a reality. This time, the PDP have lost the federal might, if the PDP must cruise to victory, they must correct these mistakes now at the bud. It is not too late. Gov. Wike and the PDP strongest backbone is now the people, if the PDP must win, the anti people policies must stop.

Afterall, power they say, belongs to the people.