As the ground swell of support for the administration and the political struggle of the Rivers State Governor and Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi continues to mount, stakeholders across the spectrum in Ogoniland have expressed unalloyed support for the governor and his government’s struggle to protect the interest of the state.
The stakeholders spoke in separate interviews last Saturday, at the 21st anniversary celebration of the Ogoni struggle for justice at Bori, the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people.
The stakeholders include community and environmental rights activists, traditional rulers, members of the Ogoni elite, women and youth leaders, and a cream of the Ogoni population from all the four local government areas of Khana, Gokana, Tai, and Eleme in the state.
Speaking in an interview, President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Legborsi Pyagbara, said that Ogoni people were strongly behind Governor Chibuike Amaechi on the cause he was pursuing, which according to him, was “in line with goals of the Ogoni people in the Ogoni Bill of Rights”.
Pyagbara stated that Governor Amaechi has shown to the Ogoni people in all the four local government areas that he loves them through many development projects, which spread across all communities.
He reiterated MOSOP’s stand to support Governor Amaechi in his genuine cause to ensure justice for Rivers people and all Nigerians, irrespective of political leaning or religious affiliation.
Pyagbara expressed dismay at Federal Government’s delay tactics in the implementation of the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme report on Ogoniland as promised by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and pledged to work with the governor to ensure implementation of the report to the letter.
Also speaking, Chairman, Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers, His Majesty, Godwin Gininwa restated the commitment of Ogoni traditional rulers to support Governor Amaechi in his struggle to ensure that the state was given its due and treated as a major player in the nation’s political life.
Gininwa, whose position was made known by the Mene Bua Bangha, Chief Suanu Baridam, said that “any Ogoni person who fails to support Governor Amaechi’s political struggle is blind.”
The traditional ruler said that Ogoni people have every reason to support the administration of Governor Amaechi because of the government’s policy of ensuring justice, equity and economic empowerment for all Rivers people.
He enjoined the Ogoni political leaders to shun selfish interests and tendencies, and work with Governor Amaechi to achieve the collective good of the people, saying that personal aggradisement and selfish ambitions would not lead the people anywhere in the nation’s political map.
In his remarks, the Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe, commended Governor Amaechi’s administration for its stand and pressure on the Federal Government to speedily commence the implementation of the UNEP report for the sake of justice.
He said the report was not all about Ogoni people alone, but about the survival of the entire people of the Niger Delta, whose natural endowments had been devastated and degraded by crude oil exploitation and exploration in the region.
Saying that only an evil government would decide to do nothing about a report which indicated that its citizens were in danger and in urgent state of peril, and called on the Federal Government to fulfill its commitment in 2008 to the people of Ogoni to the effect that the UNEP report was implemented without any adjustments.
He promised to continue to work with Governor Amaechi to pressure the Federal Government to begin implementation of the UNEP report as quickly as possible, saying that the governor has carried the crusade for the implementation of the report to every fora as one of policy thrusts in the state.
Abe called on all Ogonis to support Governor Amaechi in his struggle to get the Federal Government to give Rivers State its due in terms of revenues, infrastructural projects and appointments.
A cross section of other stakeholders, including women and youth leaders, who spoke in separate interviews expressed readiness to continue their unalloyed support and commitment to the cause undertaken by the Governor Chibuike Amaechi-led government until justice was seen to have been served in the state.
Source: TheTideNewspaper
