Governor Chibuike Amaechi is no doubt a history maker. Having being sworn-in as governor of Rivers State without elections, history will never forget him. History will also not forget the Nigerian judiciary for this landmark judgement . It is only unfortunate, we have lately come to know of the corruption within the Nigerian judicial system.
Today, March 26, 2013, Amaechi is expected to meet with a delegation of politicians mainly members of the Peoples Democratic Party. They will tell him they represent the Ogoni people. They will pledge their loyalty to one man because he governor and they will switch their loyalty by May 2015 when Amaechi steps down.
They will want to send a signal to the presidency that Amaechi could defect to another party and if he does, the entire Ogoni will go with him.
I wish i had a chance to be in this delegation.
It would have offered me the opportunity to Amaechi very simple truths that his PDP loyalists and friends wouldn’t.
I would have reminded him of the N4Billion water projects he promised all four Ogoni local government areas. He needs to be told that poisoned water from Shell’s contamination of over 50years is killing Ogonis.
I would have urged him to set up a judicial commission of enquiry in the killings in Sogho during protests against the Banana farm. I would have told him his actions regarding the Sogho banana project led to the death of over 20 persons and thousands remain homeless till date – the living need to be rehabilitated to gradually return to normal life.
Amaechi should be told that Shell is a big problem just as the Nigerian military. I would have urged him to stop Shell from using soldiers to harass our people and force its way into Ogoniland.
I would have reminded him of the Sakpenwa-Kono road he promised to dualize during his 2011 election (or was it re-election) campaign.
I would have have told him of the link road between Ken Khana and Nyokana streaching from Bane which has been abandoned
The governor should know that our primary schools are delapidated and the children take classes sitting on bare floor and sometime under the shade of trees.
The governor should know that we do not have electricity in all Ogoniland.
Then i would have told him that this visit is just nothing but sycophancy. I would have informed him that some of the people in the over 100 member delegation were hired to be there. Yes, the PDP men have voted out some money to shop for 25 persons from each LGA so we can have a large crown from the Ogoni axis. Yes i heard my uncle telling his friend a list of likely idle people who would be useful in the project “solidarity with Amaechi” and i also heard him say “How we go do?”
I wouldn’t have stopped here but they will at this point bully me down. I may get some some penalty and will never be allowed on any visit to the government house again. But at least i would have spoken the mind of over 1 million Ogoni people.
Dumnaata Nwike contributed this piece from Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Source: OgoniNews