Ogoni and Oyigbo Peoples Endorse Tinubu For Second Tenure
– Said FCT Minister, Wike Is A Leader They Are Proud Of.
Said is their turn to produce the next governor of Rivers State.
Dez Mayorz News.
The Ogoni and Oyigbo Peoples Assembly, a multi-political convergence of five (5) Local Government Areas within the Rivers South East Senatorial District today met to reaffirm their support for the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s led administration and pledged total loyalty to the former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of FCT, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike – CON, GSSRS as the political leader of Rivers State; as well as reiterated that the Senatorial District’s upland is due for a governor and should produce the next governor of Rivers State come 2027.
Dez Mayorz News gathered these, as Senator Barry Mpigi read out the communique and noted the following at the stand of the Ogoni and Oyigbo Peoples Assembly;
1. The Ogoni and Oyigbo Peoples Assembly is an umbrella body of the people of Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, and Oyigbo LGAs and is committed to having a people assembly as a vehicle to advance the interest of the five Local Governments in particular, Rivers State and Nigeria in general.
2. The Ogoni and Oyigbo Peoples Assembly express gratitude to God Almighty for a successful assembly, loyalty, gratitude, and support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We also affirm complete faith, loyalty, and commendation to the Minister of the FCT, Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike not only as our leader in Rivers State but as the extraordinary unparalleled achiever in public service both as governor of Rivers State and as minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
3. This Peoples Assembly as an organization will educate itself along the lines of sister organizations such as Kagote, Mosop, Ofalaru’ Eleme, Asa/Ndoki progressives, etc for the pursuit of our political and economic freedom and advancement.
4. This Assembly recalls that at the end of the tenure of Nyesom Wike as governor, he directed that his successor should come from the Rivers Southeast Senatorial District. This was indeed the right thing to do as it was the only senatorial district that has yet to produce the governor of Rivers State since its creation. He chose Sim Fubara of Opobo as governor despite it being the smallest LGA in the district. In our usual loyalty to the party’s position and the decision of our leader, we allowed it to pull through. The battle to secure victory for Sim Fubara was difficult as he was seen as non-Ijaw, semi-Ijaw. It is ironic but we accept the fact that those who opposed and voted against Sim Fubara that he is unworthy and unfit are today his friends while those of us who worked tirelessly for his hard-earned victory under the leadership of the FCT Minister are now and ever his worst enemies.
5. In his position again, Chief Edwin Clarke needs and must be told that the Ogoni and Oyigbo People are committed to whatever thing has to do with the Minister of the FCT, and at no point in time should he address the FCT Minister negatively because he was never in support of Fubara at the initial time.
6. The years leaders of Rivers State have tried to unite our people despite our ethnic fault lines but no one more than Clarke sees anything outside Ijaw. He criticized Fubara as not Ijaw at night but once the problem between the Gov. Fubara and Minister Wike started, Fubara suddenly became an acceptable Ijaw to Clarke. For Clarke the interest of other ethnic groups doesn’t matter but only the Ijaws.
7. It is important to mention that we are the Ogonis and Oyigbos and we are one of the largest ethnic groups in Rivers State, perhaps second or the most outstanding after the Ikwerres. We voted for an Ijaw man to be governor only to be condemned by this Ijaw Leader.
8. We are asking Chief Clarke to most respectfully withdraw any form of hatred and insulting words against our leader and Minister of the FCT immediately. We have out of respect for his age and person restrained ourselves from joining issues with him. There are issues in Delta his home State that require his attention. His obsession and rudeness in Rivers State affairs have divided us and cut us apart and kind of consciously threatening our peace. Please, this is a good enough time for him to put his energies into his legacy and attend to his unfatherly behavior. His ignoble act has spurred characters like Hon. Ugochinyere Imo and Chief Dan Anyanwu among others. These individuals are conflict merchants and rent seekers with no roles in their own States. Their easy or leased access to Rivers State resources has intruded into our affairs irresistible. Like Clarke, they will pick on Wike and say the most outrageous things on national TV in other to get the little they seek from Rivers State. They do not fact-check or consider the gravity of their attention-seeking media appearances of those false allegations against Wike or of us.
9. We wish to mention that we stand with the 27 authentic and the only recognized members of the Rivers State House of Assembly as we also stand with the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. We also stand with the decision of the Supreme Court that CTCs are unlawful.
10. We are disturbed by the continuous disbursement of funds to Care-Takers Committees… which constitutes one of the most wasteful expenditures of our time. A time will come when all these funds will be demanded.
11. While from time to time we shall speak further on contemporary issues, we wish to believe that the Ogonis and Oyigbos will no longer stand by and be helpless in fighting for our interests. For us, our time has come and our time is now. Our time to fight for the education of our children, our time to pursue the rights of our people, to create opportunities, to empower our youths and women, and to create the environment for our people to actualize their innate potential.
12. This is our moment, this is our time. We demand our right to seek the highest office in our State. It is time to ensure that the next governor of Rivers State is from our zone. It is only if and working with the Ikwerres, the people of Orashi, Etches, Ijaws of Rivers State, and others, we shall prevail, we shall win. We want to thank you for listening, God bless.
Senator Barinada Mpigi earlier challenged all political actors who visit the Aso Villa at night to come out publicly to declare their support for Mr. President.
He called on Mr. President in the spirit and mind of the Assembly to contest the 2027 general election in other to consolidate his current efforts at improving the comatose economy he inherited from his predecessors.
Sen. Mpigi also commended the FCT Minister and leader of Rivers State politics and also condemned the action of the supporters of Gov. Sim Fubara who destroyed the original venue of the program with hired thugs.
Ambassador Desmond Akawor who is the Chairman of the occasion stated that since the Ijaw people within the senatorial district have segregated themselves from us the upland, we are going to make a statement that will change the political history of the state come 2027.
Hon. Chief Victor Giadom the South-South Deputy National Chairman of APC in his speech thanked the Minister of FCT Chief E. N Wike for the peace and unity of purpose by uniting the entire Ogoni and Oyigbo politically and the President of Nigeria His Excellency Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR for all his people-oriented reforms. He also added that the last time a major political party in Nigeria gave an Ogoni/Oyigbo man opportunity was in 1983 which was Chief Kemte Giadom on the platform of NPP, thereby using this medium to advise the two major political party’s (PDP & APC) to look into Ogoni/Oyigbo in 2027.
On his part, Sen Olaka Nwogu who maintained that Chief Wike will continue to be the political Leader of Rivers State queried the decision of Gov. Sim Fubara to send the police to protect hoodlums that came to destroy properties at the venue of a peaceful assembly which ought to have held at Eleme and condemned such bad and ill-fated politics by the governor.
Senator Magnus Ngei Abe advised everyone to embrace peace and unity noting that it is the only way they can achieve their dreams.
He stressed that peace doesn’t just come by mere pretense rather deliberate efforts must be made towards achieving it.
Rt Hon Dumnamene Dekor Member Representing Khana Gokana Federal Constituency explained the importance of Ogoni and Oyigbo to the political system of Rivers State, he urged other tribes to reckon with us as we have served the state enough and also have the capacity and wherewithal to produce the next governor of Rivers State.
RT Hon Emmanuel Deeyah the President of KAGOTE in his speech said we are here to thank the Minister of FCT for being a friend indeed for the Ogoni people and the President of Nigeria His Excellency Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR for his immense contribution to the development of Ogoni and Nigeria. Adding that Ogoni will continue to stand with credibility and performance.
Dez Mayorz Report.
Credit: Ogoni/Oyigbo Decide Media Team.
14/09/2024.
