EbonyHerald Stores Ebony Herald News24
Related Articles
Rivers State which was created by General Yakubu Jack Gowon on 27th May, 1967 among eleven other states as a political detour from Regionalism to Stateism is a multi-ethnic state that has the Ogoni, Etche, Ekpeye, Ikwerre with Ijaw as the predominant ethnic tribe.
Ijaws who are also the predominant people in the geographic Niger Delta region (Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Rivers States) are in Engenni, Abua, Andoni, Odual, Egbema, Degema, Ndoki, Kalabari, Okrika, Bille, Kula, Bonny (Ibani) and other kingdoms in Rivers State.
Politically, they are delineated into Ahoada West, Andoni, Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru, Abua/Odual, Bonny, Degema, Port Harcourt City, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Ogu-Bolu, Opobo-Nkoro, Okrika, Oyigbo Local Government Areas.
The above show that Ijaws are in 13 LGAs out of the 23 LGAs of the state. Beside Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Oyigbo, Port Harcourt City and Ahoada West LGAs where Ijaws share with other tribes, the remaining 10 out of the 13 LGAs are only Ijaws.
Rivers State was created because of the agitation of Ijaw people who were led by High Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye, Chief Melford Obiene Okilo, Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, Senator Obi Wali, Prof. S.F. Amakiri, Chief Zumo Efeke, Wenike Briggs, Chief E.J.A Orji and others including student bodies like National Union of Ijo Students (NUIS) and INIKIO which stood for Ijaw/Ijo/Izon, Nembe, Ibani, Kalabari, Ikontoru (Andoni/Opobo axis) and Okrika. Aside Senator Obi Wali and a handful of other non-Ijaws, over ninety five percent of the Agitators were Ijaws.
After the creation of Rivers State, a young Ijaw Naval Officer Navy Commander Alfred Diette-Spiff was appointed as the First Military Governor of the State.
Thereafter, another Ijaw man Chief (Sen) Dr. Melford Obiene Okilo CFR was elected as the First Civilian Governor of the state.
The third indigene of Rivers State that was Governor was Chief Rufus Ada George another Ijaw man from Okrika during the short-lived Chief Ernest Shonekan National Unity Government that was hurriedly put together by the General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida regime.
In the New Rivers State after the creation of Bayelsa State on 1st October, 1996 while Ijaw remain as the predominant tribe in the state, Ijaw leaders like Chief Marshall Harry, Chief A.K. Dikibo and others singlehandedly handpicked Sir Dr. Peter Otunaya Odili who was Deputy Governor to Chief Rufus Ada George as PDP flagbearer against another Ijaw man Chief Ebenezer Isokareri and ensured his victory at the polls. What the Ijaw leaders did was to give all sections and segments of the state a high sense of belonging.
Sadly, after the Odili 8years administration, he still handed over power to another upland person Sir Barr. Celestine Omehia who was later removed by the Supreme Court to pave way for his biological cousin Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Ameachi who ruled for 8years.
Under normal circumstance, someone from the Riverine was supposed to succeed Amaechi as Amaechi himself insisted on handing over power to a Riverine person for equity, justice and fairness.
Unfortunately, the political realities and the powers at that time felt otherwise and still brought another upland Ikwerre man in the person of Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezebunwo Nyesom who ruled Rivers State with martial law as Emperor, Shylock Merchant, Despot and Political Buccaneer.
Wike’s original plan was to hand over power to another Ikwerre man but for the pressure that was on him to resist such temptation to avoid political implosion.
His quest to hold on to power made him to bring his Accountant General Mr. Siminalayi Joseph Fubara KSC from Riverine Opobo/Nkoro LGA whom he wanted to use as a political stooge.
Beside choosing the Deputy Governor Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu who is partly Ikwerre, he also installed his puppet and surrogate Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule and others as Speaker, Deputy Speaker and leaders of the State House of Assembly.
Wike also imposed Surrogates as Chief of Staff, Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the Governor.
He went further to install over 90% of the members of the State Executive Council (Commissioners) who were all loyal to Wike.
Gov. Siminalayi Joseph Fubara was a governor by name, while Wike who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Abuja was the one that dictated and decided everything in the State.
The Governor was denied access to the two Private Jets that are owned by the state.
The Governor was not allowed to sign any document above Fifty Million Naira without the express Approval of Wike.
Gov. Sim Fubara was like a rubber stamp Governor who was never allowed to locate development projects in the Riverine area where the largest deposit of oil and gas in the State are domiciled while the people and areas are grossly neglected, underdeveloped and abandoned while all developments are situated within the Ikwerre areas alone.
Old Major who had a dream in the satirical fable and award winning novel “The Animal Farm” which was the reflection of the then prevalent socio-economic and political realities in England and major parts of Europe had a dream about the freedom of the animals, but never knew the date and time of such freedom.
Majority of the people of Rivers State were sick and tired of the draconian dictatorship of Wike even in the post-Wike administration Rivers State under Gov. Sim Fubara wanted total freedom but never knew the exact date and time when such freedom will come.
But like the case of the animals and Mr. Jones and his workers in Animal Farm, the freedom came earlier than expected.
It is a generally known fact that but for the negligent and cruel attitude of Mr. Jones and his workers towards the animal especially on the unexpected day of freedom when they were kept outside late in the cold which led to the rebellion and subsequent chasing away of Mr. Jones and his people and the total take over by the animal, perhaps their slavery would have continued.
The slavery of Rivers people would have continued longer if desperate and heartless Wike out of drunkenness of power had not ordered his puppets, stooges and surrogates in the State House of Assembly to commence the Impeachment process against a loyal and highly committed follower who had not committed any constitutional infraction or breach.
It is obvious Wike wanted to prove to all Nigerians his ownership of Rivers State but Almighty God and the great people of Rivers State proved him otherwise.
With the formal dismantling of all his political structures in the State from the Executive to the Legislature and Judiciary, very soon Nigerians will begin to see his political nakedness.
Wike is a typical example of rulers who fail to acknowledge or understand the fact that every Leader derive his or her powers from the followers.
Every General or Military Commander is strong because of his or her troop without which he or she is a nobody.
A warmly and heartily Congratulate all sons and daughters of Rivers State on the hard-earned Victory and Freedom and also urge Gov. Siminalayi Joseph Fubara KSC to set the ball rolling through provision of adequate cum basic infrastructure, empowerment of women and youths and others. Let him prove to Nigerians that Wike was the problem of Rivers State by performing excellently to earn the trust and total support of the people.
The brilliant and excellent performance of incumbent Gov Siminalayi Joseph Fubara KSC and proper reconciliation and unification of Rivers people shall drive Wike into political wilderness especially with the kind of problems he is having with Nigerian Muslims and the great people of Northern Nigeria that he has been undermining because of his position as Minister of FCT Abuja.
Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli aka Mirror and Conscience of Society wrote from the Federal Capital Territory FCT Abuja, Nigeria.
