Issues
Battle For Okrika/Ogu-Bolo Reps Seat
In every election year, individuals’ ambitions run riot with political aspirants chronicling real or imagined woes of preceding years and attempt to make promises to better whatever existed, didn’t or should. Often, the line between self-seeking aspirations and those with actual desires to serve selflessly is so blurred that in the end, the electorates are more confused than convinced that things could indeed get better. This is because every aspirant says the same thing. My people have called me to serve. Which people?
This is another year preceding the next general elections that would see the election of President, state Governors, and in some areas chairmen of Local Government Area Councils. But it is not all about the executive arm of government.
In fact, the areas with the largest number of people seeking elective positions, are into the Legislative Houses of the Federal, State and local government areas, where Senators, members of the House of Representatives, of State Assembles and Councillors, in some states would be elected.
Against familiar misconception that membership of the legislature meant making laws alone and nothing else, recent experiences have indeed shown that such representatives can also identify and indeed attract to their various constituencies development plans, programmes and projects, in addition to their primary responsibilities of enacting laws.
Today, countless projects litter various communities, thanks to the ingenuity of some patriotic politicians in the legislative arms, while in others there is very little to cheer, a reason that engineers many contenders to aspire to such offices. At other times, even if such flashes of development do exist, other ambitious politicians still put up challenge with pledges to do things better.
In this series therefore, The Tide will hear directly from the aspirant what the driving force behind his or her ambition is, what he or she hopes to achieve or plans to do differently and most importantly, what such, aspirant’s antecedents are to justify the mandate of the people. More importantly, the aspirant is expected to state how such pre-election promises can be actualised.
The Tide hopes to hold such aspirants to account over such promises where, they are in the breach after electoral victory in the near future.
Today, we feature two gentlemen seeking the same seat, on the same party platform, from the same constituency and even from the same Ward.
Welcome to the maiden edition of MANDATE SEARCH, keep a date every mid-week. Happy reading!
Why I Want To Be A Rep – Mr. Bright Gogo
A lot can and has gone wrong, when the people on whose mandate one secures membership of the House of Representatives fails to establish regular contact with one’s constituents, not just by erecting constituency structure, but by periodic inter-face with stakeholders. The biggest hazard in that kind of representation is the likelihood of embarking on projects that have little or no direct relevance to the people. The other, is the tendency to undertake selective development endeavours that are often unevenly spread, if indeed such projects do not exist merely on paper.
It is to correct this form of representation, create strong empathy with the people, always identify their most pressing of needs and create a think tank that would regularly articulate priority areas for quick intervention that have, among others, pushed Mr. Bright Tamuno Gogo, to collect nomination form of his party, the People Democratic party (PDP) to contest next year’s elections into the House of Representatives, from the Okrika/Ogu-Bolo federal Constituency. But an incumbent stands in his way.
If elected Mr. Gogo promises to give true meaning to the word REPRESENTATION, by putting in place enduring structures for regular dialogue with stake-holders and through such consultations become better – informed of their hopes and fears which in turn will both tailor and guide his law – making pursuits in the National Assembly.
Mr. Gogo who identified job creation, small – scale entrepreneurial development, incentives for fishing and farming, commitment to peace and cohesiveness in pursuit of common goals, aggressive campaign for improved school enrolment and educational development said there are many more needs which only regular interface with the people can identify and address.
Being a grassroot person, a youth motivator, unrepentant believers in the enterprise of the average Okrika national, a Tailor, Educationist, Industrial Sociologist, Accountant, Philanthropist and Justice of The Peace, Bright Gogo believes that he parades the right credentials to make visible changes in the fortunes of his people, if elected.
Born Tamuno Bright Gogo in the mid- 60’s, the youngman attended Boys’ State School Okrika from 1973 to 1979, Baptist High School Port Harcourt, 1979 – 1984, Rivers State College of Education, 1987 to 1990, Rivers State University of Science and Technology 1992 – 1997 and the University of Port Harcourt, 2004 – 2006. Today, apart from the first school leaving certificate and that of the West African school certificate, Mr. Bright Gogo holds the National Certificate Examination. (NCE) Second Class Upper Honours Degree in Accountancy and a Masters in Industrial Sociology.
Employed as a classroom Teacher in 1991, Gogo rose to the position of Schools Supervisor with the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board, (RSUBEB) before being appointed Okrika Local Government Area Education Secretary in 2004, a position he held until 2009. Gogo says, it is common knowledge, that it was under his watch that a sizeable number of qualified Okrika nationals was employed into the RSUBEB, a gesture that he believes endears him to many families to which those employees are today bread winners.
Bright Gogo also served on the Okrika/Ogu Bolo Assets Sharing Committee as member, Care-Taker Committee Okrika LGA and today member of the State Executive Committee of the PDP.
If granted the mandate, Mr. Bright Gogo, hopes to pursue enactment of laws that would help address the fluctuating fortunes of his people and attract relief for their two primary occupations fishing and farming.
I have Done A Lot To Continue – Kalipa
The learned man representing Okrika/Ogu-Bolo Federal Constituency, in the House of Representatives on the platform of the People Democratic party (PDP) Hon. (Barr.) John Kalipa believes that he has not merely justified his mandate freely earned in 2007, but done enough to merit a renewal next year.
Convinced about this, Hon. Kalipa last month picked, completed and submitted his party’s nomination form to seek re-election into the House. What is the source of his confidence that his constituents are happy with the quality of his representation?
In a pictorial flier titled, Photo No Day Lie (Series No. 1) the Reps member listed projects and programmes which his representation attracted to his people within less than four years. The works include two motorise Bore-hole projects, one completed and the other under construction at Okochiri, in Okrika, three- classroom block at Bolo, two public conveniences at Adedemebiri and Awolomebiri also in Okrika, Provision of School furniture for St. Martins State School 11, Ogu, Community Secondary School, Okochiri, Okrika and same for the community primary School Bolo.
Others include Town-hall for Gream-Ama, Okrika, Solar Street lights at Okochiri, Gream-ama electrification scheme, donation of chairs and tables to Chiefs of ogu-Bolo local government area and another set of furniture to the Okrika Divisional Council of Chiefs (ODCC) which is almost completed.
So, why do other communites in Constituency feel that they are left out in the scheme of things? In a telephone discussion, Kalipa said there are some projects still pending, in the 2010 Federal Budget which he hopes will cover some others, like Oga-ama Town Hall.
Also listed among impending projects, according to him include, Solar Street lights for Okrika island and distribution of electric transformers to Wakama-ama, Igbiri-ama, Isaka Town, Ogoloma, Ibaka, ogbogbo, Gream-ama, Agbabiri, Oba-Ama, Bolo, Ogu-Town, Anyungu-biri, Awolomebiri and Adedeme Biri, among many other plausible projects.
In addition to these hopes, Kalipa says he has made his mark in legislative matters and contributed to nation-building through creditable representation as member of various national Assembly committees, particularly those on Constitutional Amendment and Electoral Act Review.
Kalipa represented Rivers State on the 1999 Constitution Review Committee, was one of 14 wise men (seven Senators and seven Reps members) named by the two chambers to harmonise the two versions of the Electoral Act 2010, passed by the two chambers and now one of four wise men (two Senators and Two Reps Members) appointed to amend the 2010 Constitution and also review the Electoral Act to accommodate the worries expressed by the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) towards the 2011 elections.
Added to these, Kalipa believes that no single Okrika local government leadership, in many years has achieved the magnitude of development projects he has succeeded in attracting to his people. One which he said many continue to relish was the regular free eye clinics in various towns to meet the yearnings that require the very delicate demand.
A seasoned advocate and legal counsel, Honourable John Kalipa is a practicing lawyer, a quality which he thinks is indispensable for quality representation at the national Assembly.
This is an open letter to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.
Your Excellency,
Sir, ordinarily, I would not be writing an open letter to you, but like a wise man once said, “Silence would be Treason.” So I prefer to stay alive than face the consequences of silence in the face of crime. With each passing day, and as the socio-political tides continue to turn, it has become more pertinent that more people speak up in a concerted MANNER to prevent the death of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as we appear to be, in the words of W. B. Yeats, “turning and turning in the widening gyre” heading for an end where the falcon will no longer hear the falconer
It is unfortunate that since losing control of the Federal Government, with the loss of President Goodluck Jonathan at the poll in 2015, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has continued on a downward spiral. It is much more painful, that where it is expected that leaders within the party should rise to the challenge and put an end to this decline of our great party, some have instead taken up roles as its undertaker.
It will be hypocritical to claim aloofness to what I believe is your grouse with the PDP and I am not a hypocrite. It will be uncharitable on my part to discountenance the role you have played in strengthening the PDP from 2015 up until the last Presidential primaries of the party. It is my belief that your grouse against certain members of the party who you perceived worked against the party and abandoned it in 2015 and then came around much later to take control of the party, is justified. Also know that your decision to remain in the Party and stifle its progress on the other hand, as a sort of payback, stands condemned. For a man of your pedigree and stature, it is a dishonorable act, highly dishonorable and stands as testimony against all you claim to stand for.
At least, it can be argued that those who you hold this grudge against, abandoned the party completely and did not sit back while actively working to destroy it from within. But what then can be the argument on your own part, seeing that those you are currently working with against your party are the same people who set in motion, and executed surgically, the plans that not only ended our Party’s leadership at the centre, but ended up dislodging the first Niger Deltan to occupy Aso Rock as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Is this not akin to “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face?” That will be worse than folly. Let us not throw away the baby with the bath water because we do not like the soap used in bathing the baby. It will be a grave mistake.
Honourable Minister, sir, it is rather unfortunate that of all people, you have also decided to play the role of an undertaker not only for our party, but for our dear Rivers State.
I will like to take you down memory lane a little. Let me remind you of your emergence as Guber candidate of the PDP in Rivers State, against all fairness and justice in 2014. You will remember that despite the reality being that you as an Ikwerre man was poised to replace a fellow Ikwerre man in Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in our multiethnic state, Rivers people overwhelmingly stood by you and pushed for your emergence as Executive Governor of Rivers State in 2015. I dare say that your popularity in the entire Niger Delta region was at an all-time high at this point.
I want you to understand why you were loved across board leading to your eventual emergence as Governor of Rivers State in 2015; it was because when it looked like all were against the second term ambitions of the first Niger Delta man to emerge as President of Nigeria, you became not just a pillar but a beacon of resistance by standing for Goodluck Jonathan. Rivers people, as grateful and rewarding as they can be, paid you back by ensuring your electoral victory against the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) led by your predecessor. On your emergence, where there were second term Governors in the region, you, a first term Governor, was seen by the people as not just the leader of the PDP, but the leader of the entire Niger Delta region. You earned it, and no one could dispute it.
In 2019, when your re-election bid was being challenged ferociously, Rivers people once again stood solidly behind you. Many were killed in the process of defending your votes. Do you remember Dr. Ferry Gberegbe that was shot and killed while trying to protect your votes in Khana Local Government Area? There are many more unnamed and unrecognised sons and daughters of Rivers State who sacrificed their lives so that you could emerge as a second term Governor of Rivers State.
In 2022/23, Honourable Minister, you oversaw a party primary across board that saw some candidates imprisoned and internal party democracy jettisoned for your wishes, leading to the emergence of flag bearers of our party all singlehandedly picked by you. You have on more than one occasion publicly stated that you paid for all their forms. Even those shortchanged in this process licked their wounds and continued to play their roles as party members to ensure the success of the party at all levels. In what will go down as one of the most keenly contested elections in recent Rivers history, with formidable candidates like Senator Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the vibrant youth driven Labour Party (LP), PDP emerged victorious across board except for Phalga Constituency 1 that was lost to the Labour Party. (Not that you did not loose in some other LGA’s but let’s stick to the official figures declared by INEC).
It begs the question, why then do you want to burn down Rivers State, when everyone who now holds political office emerged through a process designed and endorsed by you? Is it that you do not care about Rivers people and you are all about yourself? If so, I am forced to believe that those around you are not telling you the truth. The truth being that in a state where your words were law; where houses and businesses could be demolished or closed down without any recourse to legalities, where Executive Orders could be deployed to stifle the opposition, that your popularity is now at an all-time low. Probably because they are afraid of you, or of losing the benefits they gain from you, they fail to tell you that what you might perceive as a battle against your successor, has slowly but gradually degenerating into a battle against Rivers State and Rivers people. You know, there is a popular saying that, a man can cook for the community and the community will finish the food, but when a community decides to cook for one man, the reverse is the case.
LEAVE FUBARA ALONE
You have gone on and on about being betrayed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. You point fingers forgetting that some of those same fingers quick to spot betrayals point straight back at you. It is not Governor Fubara that has betrayed the PDP by working against it in the just concluded General Election, and working with the opposition at the State and Federal level to destabilise the party. It is you, Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that betrayed Rivers people by instigating a political crisis with propensity to escalate ethnic tensions in Rivers State. It is you Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that has declared himself God over all in Rivers State and has no qualms with burning the state to the ground to prove a point. It is you Honourable Minister. It is you Honourable Minister who told the world that the APC was a cancer and you can never support a cancerous party. It is you Honourable Minister who ended up facilitating the emergence of the same “cancerous” APC that has accelerated the economic decline of this country and further impoverished our people with no remorse. All so you can be a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory? The lack of self awareness is gobsmacking.
Some days back I came across a video where you talked about death and how you do not cry when you hear about the death of some people because you have no idea what might have caused it considering many a politician swear “over dead bodies” and still go back on their words. Those words made me think, and I could see the reason behind them. You see, in chosing to be God in the affairs of Rivers people, you have closed your eyes and ears to reason; you see nothing and hear nothing that can cause you to rethink on the path you have chosen. In your quest to “show Fubara” you have unwittingly united a vast majority of Rivers people behind him, so much that even those who despised him because of you, now like or love him, because of you too. In your scheming, I will advise you not to forget that “the voice of the people is the voice of God”.
Note that the war which you have or are waging against Governor Fubara, has gone beyond being merely political as you might see in your minds eye. It is now one that, fortunately for some and unfortunately for others, has evolved into a war against Rivers people. It is good to point out that no one has taken a stand against Rivers people and won. No one has gone against God and won. In your defiant characteristic manner, it will be unfortunate if you believe your own hubris and that of those around you on the possibility of you being the first to successfully go against Rivers people. It will be a needless gamble; one where if you win you create more enemies for yourself than you can withstand on your political journey, and if you lose, your legacy becomes an inglorious and irredeemable one in Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and Nigeria at large. For your sake as regards posterity, it is my greatest wish that you have a moment of sobriety and a deep reflection and introspection on this path you have chosen.
Honourable Minister, sir, what is left of your legacy is on the brink of being completely desecrated and relegated to the dustbin of our political history, and it will be a sad end to what I will say has been a wonderful political career that many can only dream of. The ball is in your court, and may God Almighty have mercy on us all and forgive us for our shortcomings.
Gabriel Baritulem Pidomson
Dr Pidomson is former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt and former member, Rivers State House of Assembly.
In 2015, I made a conscious decision to invest my financial resources, my time, and energy into supporting Nyesom Wike’s gubernatorial campaign. I poured my heart and soul into ensuring Nyesom Wike emerged victorious even at the risk of my personal safety.
Again in 2019, I doubled down on my commitment. I invested a significant amount of money to procure campaign outfits for all twenty-three Local Governments Areas of Rivers State. I spared no expense in supplementing Wike’s election efforts in my own local government, and once again putting myself at great risk to safeguard the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
However, despite my unwavering loyalty and sacrifices, I found myself abandoned and forgotten by Wike. Throughout his eight-year tenure, he failed to acknowledge my contributions or fulfill his promises and agreements. Even as a former Deputy Governor, Wike denied me my severance benefit.
My investment in Wike’s governorship was not just financial – it was a commitment of passion, dedication, and belief in a better future for Rivers State. Yet, his leadership style of dishonesty, greed, drunkenness and rash abuse of senior citizens brought me nothing but disappointment, misery and losses.
By the grace of God, today I speak not as a victim, but as a hero. I have accepted my losses, and I have moved on. And as I reflect on my experience, I cannot help but urge Wike to do the same and allow peace and development to reign in Rivers State.
Nyesom Wike, when you speak of investing in Governor Sim Fubara’s election, remember those like me who also invested in you. Remember the sacrifices I made, the risks I took, and the promises and agreements you left unfulfilled.
It is time for you, Wike, to let go of the past and allow Governor Sim Fubara the breathing space he needs to lead Rivers State forward. Allow him to focus on the challenges of good governance and the aspirations of the people. Spare him these unwarranted and ill-conceived political manoeuvrings founded on personal agenda and not for general good of Rivers State and her people.
I may have lost my investment on Wike, but I have not lost hope in the future of Rivers State. And together, we will continue to strive for a brighter tomorrow.
Long Live the Governor to Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara!
Long Live the Good People of Rivers State!!
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Engr Ikuru is former Deputy Governor of Rivers State.
Tele Ikuru
