By: Emmanuel Nlewedum
People of Ogoni Ethnic Nationality in Rivers State said they are ready to to honour the state Governor, Nyesom Wike at an elaborate ceremony for his good deeds in the area.
President of Ogoni apex socio-cultural organisation, KAGOTE, Honourable Emma Deeyah, who spoke at an enlarged stakeholders meeting attended by representatives from the four local government areas (Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme) that make up Ogoni, in Saakpenwa, headquarters of Tai Local Government Area of the state, over the weekend said the reception is not political.
The KAGOTE president noted that the Ogoni ethnic nationality has witnessed a lot of transformation and benefitted immensely under the Wike-led administration.
He said the essence of the meeting was to sensitize the Ogoni people on the preparedness for the event, which is to express their appreciation to the governor.
“The Ogoni people will be receiving the governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike on the 15th of May, 2021. So, we called this meeting to inform our people, sensitize and mobilize them.
“We are receiving him to show appreciation for what he has done for us, and when you receive someone, you will honour the person. So the chiefs have agreed among themselves and said beyond that, we are going to give him a chieftaincy title.
“We feel he has done a lot for us. Everybody knows that the first thing, when you want to ask for more is to say thank you for what has been done.
“Some people would say he is elected as governor to do all these projects, but ask me, if he spends the number of years he has and he didn’t do it, will he be removed? No, he will complete his tenure.
“But if we are saying, thank you for the little you have done, it will make him do much more than he had even planned to do.”
Speaking further on the projects executed in the area by the Wike led administration, Deeyah who is a former member of the National Assembly said, “we are talking about the hospitals, the schools, especially this road (Saakpenwa/Bori/Kono road). He has done the first phase and he has also mobilized the contractors to start the second phase of this particular road.
“We had to say thank you. He has other responsibilities but has decided to do this road.
“He has always given our daughters and sons support to get into offices and also appointed some of them into offices. He has also done some things for our people which is unusual”.
Also speaking, Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Fred Kpakol, said the decision to honor the governor was a collective resolution of the Ogoni people irrespective of their political affiliations.
Kpakol appealed to stakeholders and political leaders, traditional rulers, women and youths in Ogoni to see the occasion as an opportunity to attract more development to the area.
He said: “What we want to do is to appreciate the governor for what he has done. It has no political undertone. It is not tied to any political party. Everybody in Ogoniland is involved in the programme”.
On his part, a former senator representing Rivers South East at the National Assembly, Senator Lee Meeba said the event would be a memorable one. “It’s a grand reception. The Ogoni people are ready to role out their drums, and their cultural heritage to show the governor that we appreciate him.”
