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The South South Youths Initiative have over time stood for integrity, justice and fair play, knowing that these are the ingredients that will drive the change our people desire from public officers and our representatives in government.
While we are bent on the aforementioned, we have often been heartbroken with the repeated failures of our leaders to adopt the principles of fair play and justice in the dealings in the members of the public.
We are worried that in spite the trust that the Governor Siminialaye Fubara would represent conscience and understanding, he has resumed the political rascality that our politicians are known for.
However, we condemn in totality the appointment of the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, AMB. Desmond Akawor, to chair the Palliative Sharing Committee set up by the State Government to share the N2 billion and the 2 16,000 bags of rice released for the poorest of the poor in the state.
From the outline of the federal government, it is clear that the palliative is far way from politics, so we wonder the reason the governor of Rivers State would play around known politicians in the state in the process of making these palliatives available to the right people.
The appointment of Desmond Akawor is not welcomed in the state because it will breach the principle of fair play. Akawor is the chairman of PDP. There is no way he will not bring party into this mandate given to him; there is no way Akawor will perform beyond party affinity.
If he is allowed to carrying on with this responsibility, what will be the fate of those in opposition to his party?
The Local Government chairmen, appointed to take care of the local government sharing are also chieftains of the PDP. How is it possible that they will share this palliative without recourse to party affiliations.
The action of Gov. Fubara casts suspicions that the he (the governor) is only trying to convert the efforts of the federal government to alleviate the suffering of the masses for cheap political settlement for members of his political party, else why would he centered the sharing around leaders of his political party. This palliative was not provided for PDP as a party, so why handing it over to leaders of the party?
We are calling on Governor Fubara to with immediate effect remove Amb. Desmond Akawor as the chairman of the palliative distribution in the state because, the people of the state lack confidence that he can do the job without shutting out those who are to benefit, but are members of other political parties.
We think that Fubara should be the governor of Rivers State and not a PDP representative in that office. If he wants to serve the state then he should not start by bringing those who represent party to handle sensitive public responsibilities like this palliative distribution.
The governor should stop considering politics in his dealings with Rivers people. He is thinking politics before governance and this will be the point of his administration’s failure.
The Leadership of South South Youths Initiative wants to be involved in the distribution of this palliatives. We want to know those that will benefit and those that will not benefit. We want Gov. Fubara to involve interested persons that are willing to be part of the process in order for there to be transparency in the sharing. We want to ensure that the palliatives get to the right persons that need them and that it is not used as a political gift to party members. We cannot be sitting on the fence on this and watch things go the wrong way. We want to be involved to monitor the whole process. The governor should see leadership beyond party and politics. We want to be involved to monitor and observe the process in the different local government areas.
On a plane noted, we don’t see Akawor doing justice to the sharing, except the government wants to use this opportunity to empower PDP members. If this palliative is truly for Rivers people, then somebody that neutral to any political party should have been made to head this committee. Why are reverend fathers, respected clerics not part of this committee. We need clergy men and other stakeholders to be part of this palliative distribution.
The governor would have looked for somebody who would have his integrity to protect and not somebody whose interest will be to protect his political party. On another thought, members of opposition parties could also have been made members of this committee so they could ensure that people of their party got it too, if party must be brought in.
We urge Gov. Fubara to purge himself of this seeming bias by immediately removing Amb. Desmond Akawor as the Chairman of the Palliative Sharing Committee and replacing him with some who is not a card-carrying member of any political party, to ensure that people of the state get this dividend of democracy.
This is not leadership at all, rather, it is politics and we condemn it. We call on Gov. Fubara to remove Akawor as chairman of the committee, then we will have confidence that the palliative will not end up as political party settlement.
Signed:
Imeabe Saviour Oscar
President, SSYI
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