BEING THE TEXT OF A PAPER PRESENTED BY
HIS HIGHNESS ANABS SARA-IGBE AT THE IJAW WARI WORLD-WIDE SUMMIT ON THE 30TH SEPTEMBER, 2022.
THEME: THE CHALLENGES OF ACTUALIZING RIVERS STATE OF OUR DREAM THROUGH NON-VIOLENCE, NON-ABUSIVE AND HATE FREE POLITICAL PROCESSES.
There were always challenges confronting the Riverine people, right from the pre and post Independent era of Nigeria, which led to the agitation of the creation of Rivers State.
Some of the challenges then include:
1) The fear of marginalisation
2) Promotion of Development in the riverine area.
3) Support for proper identification of the Riverine people.
Unlike the upland, the riverine area is a difficult terrain when it comes to driving and promoting development due to its coastal nature. It is more costly to develop the riverine area than the upland as it requires huge cost to transport materials and equipment to the area coupled with the existential security threat and safety hazards on the waterways of Riverine Communities.
Huge capital expenditure is also required in carrying out critical infrastructural projects in the Riverine area such as Dredging, Land Reclamation Sand filling, building of roads and bridges to connect the Riverine hinterlands to the urban centre.
The reasons for our under development was compensated by divine providence of natural endowment of oil and gas deposits of commercial quantities with humongous hydrocarbon reserve beneath the earth of our environment.
Rivers State was created on the 27th May,1967 by General Yakubu Gowon, after much agitation for the creation of the State by our respected leaders and fathers who include:
1) Chief Thom Manuel
2) His Highness Harold Dapper Biriye
3) Chief P G Warmate
4) Chief G K G Amachree
5) Chief Wenike Briggs
6) Chief (Dr.) Melford Graham Douglas
7) Chief D S Oribo
8) HRM Francis Alagoa ‘The Mingi of Nembe’
9) Chief Ordor of Etche
10) Chief Melford Okilo.
11) Chief Opuogulaye
12) Justice Hebrom Tom George
13) Chief (Dr) Napoleon Graham Douglas
14) Major Isaac Adaka Boro
15) Capt.Sam Owanaro
16) Capt. Nottingham Dick
17) Capt.Nyanayo of Nembe
18) Capt. Okumaye Amachree
19) HRM King Alfred Diete Spiff
20) Chief Ken Sarowiwa
21) Capt. Elechi Amadi
22) Chief Daniel Kalio
23,) Prof. Isaacs Deima
24) Chief Wenike Tienabeso
25) Chief Eke Spiff
26) Rev. E T Dimiari
27) Chief C T Horsfall
28) Chief Emmanuel Aguma. 29) Capt. Amangala
Amongst others.
Our founding fathers will feel disappointed and cry in their graves that fifty five (55) years after the creation of the state, their dreams of developing the area has not been actualized, rather more and more challenges have risen up because of the disunity, hatred, politics of betrayals & violence, self centeredness, nepotism and myopic leadership in the state.
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Rivers State was at par with Lagos State in 1999 but today the Lagos State without 13% derivation from oil & gas, is among the 4th to 6th largest economy in Africa, while Rivers State is nowhere to be reckoned with.
The parochial and nepotic leadership style in the state, have not enable us to realise and take advantage of the tourism potentials of the exquisite atlantic beaches in the riverine part of the state like Kula, Abissa, Elem Ifoko, Oyorokoto in Andoni and the Bonny areas, thereby losing so much in trade, social contact, businesses, cultural exchange,
developments, revenue ,including employment that would have been attracted to the state through tourism.
One of the greatest challenges facing Rivers State today is unemployment and poverty due to the destruction of the traditional ocupation of fishing and farming occasioned by oil and gas Exploration & Production activities in the area.
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The Oil & Gas Exploration and Producing Companies, in collaborations with the Federal Government and the NNPC Ltd have also refused to provide an alternative source of livelihoods for impacted oil bearing Communities.
Failure by successive governments of the state to harness the tourism potentials of the aforementioned tourism sites of the states is also contributory to rate of unemployment, poverty and low revenue of the state.
Worst still, the Rivers State Government that receives 13% derivation for the production of oil & gas and the intervention agencies like NDDC have failed to invest in activities that will create employment opportunities for the people, particularly the Youths who are unskilled, semi-skilled & skilled and the educated once in the state.
The unemployment and lack of productive activities that will occupy the minds of the youths, particularly the educated once, has forced them into crimes such as cultism, oil bunkering, oil theft, armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom, instead of following the part of honour like education and legitimate business that will lead them to national and international limelight.
Another major challenge is the unhealthy political and socio economic relationship and rivalries existing between the present Rivers State and Bayelsa State Governments, which was created out of the old Rivers State on 1st October, 1996 by General Sani Abacha. The two states ought to work together in synergy as its done in other part of the country like the western and norhern part of the country. There has been no collaborations between the two sister states, who were created to fast track economic, social and political developments in the areas.
Other challenges in the state are disunity, disharmony, suspicions, hatred, strife, envy, love lost, greed, power tussle, betrayals, sycophancy, unnecessary pride and love of money & power above the interest of their communities and the state.
There is the need for us to borrow a leaf from the Politicians of the South Western Region, who always came together after the elections, to discussed, strategies and plan the advancement & development of their states and region on non-Partisan bases, which has placed Lagos and the entire South Western States ahead of other regions of Nieria.
The leadership style in Rivers State and the South South States, do not place priorities to strategic planning and developmental opportunities in their States and the Region but rather took to Party Politicking and quarrels throughout their tenure either as Governors or Ministers, thereby depriving the state and the region of the much needed infrastructural and human capacity development & advancement.
The Governors are not also utilising the 13% derivation funds to develop the Riverine areas and the host communities that produces or host the oil and gas actives in the state.
The oil & gas bearing and pipeline communities are still living in squalor without schools, health facilities, good drinkable water, electricity, roads, Jetties, employment, scholarships, toilet infrastructures, reclamation of land and shore protection etc despite the 13% derivation paid to the states in accordance with Section 162. 2 of the 1999 Constitution.
The above challenges have influenced so many persons in the states to the extent of having a predetermined mindset of hatred and violence towards the electioneering processes and this is largely due to desperation and inordinate ambition in the quest for power by all means by politicians.
Therefore, for us to actualize the Rivers of our dream through non-violence, non-abusive and hate free political process, we must be focused and learn from the developmental politics of the South West Region and also appreciate the fact that politics is a game of service to the people and not war. I hope these will eliminate the evil thought and hatred amongst the interest and people of Rivers State.
Finally, let me advise whoever that will win the next Governorship election in the state to run an all inclusive government that will usher in the much needed development across the state. The era of the Governor carrying out sectional development should be over.
In conclusion, the Governor that will emerge should also collaborate with the Bayelsa State Government and other States in the Niger Delta Region to provide the much required developments in the areas.
Thank you.
His Highness Anabs Sara-Igbe
A Niger Delta Activist and an Elder-state-man
