By: Felix Ikpotor
Rivers State Governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo has promised to open up the account books of the state to allow anti-graft agencies assess.
Dagogo stated this shortly after he submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms at the headquarters of the party in Abuja.
Farah Dagogo who is also the member representing Degema/ Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, noted that repositioning Rivers State, starts with working in concord with the state legislature to vacate the perpetual injunction preventing anti graft agencies from accessing the financial records of the state. Such move, according to him, will engender transparency and accountability that will guide actions of office holders in the state.
The governorship hopeful promised to prioritize payments of pensions to retirees in the state.
He stressed that the blueprint for his governorship, anchored on ‘Diplomacy, Information, Security and Economy, DISE, will be made public in the coming days with all operational paraphernalia.’
” Submission has been done to the glory of God. Now we start the process of repositioning Rivers State. We will be looking at a youth entrepreneurship development trust fund, of course with legislative backing, to have at least five percent of Rivers State capital estimates set aside for youth entrepreneurs yearly with the understanding that the younger generation consist a larger percentage of the population.
” Our planned Industrialization will be fully cultivated with the novel STEAM Federal Polytechnic, Tombia, driving it. Employments opportunities, in an enabling environment, will be provided, as well as payment of pensioners, which will be a top priority. Monies for security votes will be duly allocated to the letter and above all with the quantum of mass popularity, the capacity to get the PDP ticket and eventually win the governorship election is foreclosed.
” My goal will be to serve the people and not rule. Like I had earlier said, ruling over the people has a dictatorial feature, but governing and serving give power to the people thereby entrenching the true tenets of democracy. Our government will not be sectional, it will be for Rivers people and those residing and doing businesses in the state. That is why we have to appeal and lift that perpetual injunction that had prevented EFCC, ICPC, NFIU and the likes from looking into the account and finances of Rivers State. There must be real transparency and accountability.
” A blueprint anchored on Diplomacy, Information, Security and Economy, DISE, in line with the ideas of the founding fathers of Rivers State, will be made public soon. It will explain fully our vision and mission on actualizing all aforementioned and more.
” I have said it before and I am repeating it, I am not waiting for an endorsement. I have never depended on endorsements in my political journeys and I will not start now. We have God and we have the people, Rivers people should be rest assured that victory is very certain. ” he added.
