Your Excellency,

Please permit me to use this medium to join other democrats to congratulate you for setting up Justice Kayode Eso-led Truth and Reconciliation Committee to unravel the misery behind the upsurge of violence in the state. I believe the Committee will draw a disparity between political violence and an unbridled communal clashes; a discrepancy between militancy, the increased cases of kidnapping and hostage taking which are all contrary to the ideals, vision and struggles championed by late Isaac Boro, late Harold Dapper Briye, late Sen. Obi Wali, late Ken Saro Wiwa, late Chief J.H.N. Nwuke among others.

Sir, we are all sentient of your salient programmes lined up for execution within the shortest time as you assume office as the governor of River State. We are also mindful of your passionate commitment to restore the dignity of our dear state and improve the living standard of the people who suffer wants in the midst of plenty.

In political appraisal, every administration is usually remembered for something, but posterity in its judgement will not exonerate any government that produces more refugees, recorded more violence, failed to curtail criminality, pauperise the citizens and deny the electorate basic necessity of life.

Previous administrations in the state had appealing programmes, but the impediments to their success lie on the machineries and absolute dedication to their implementation. For your information Sir, those elements that crippled previous administrations have metamorphosed into powerful forces waiting in the wings to take a pang on your administration. They may be found in the cabinet, legislature, party, civil service and other settings.

Your Excellency, it may be necessary to forewarn you to tread softly as the political prostitutes may have rolled-out their drums, singing and eulogizing another God-sent, fully prepared to turn the Government House to the nearest Vatican Towers, eager to bestowed on you the highest chieftaincy titles and best trophies, but all these for the stomach-sake, which will end when you are no longer holding court as the chief executive of the state.

Sir, you should note that you, and you alone, cannot tackle the problems you inherited in the state, if relevant agencies and stakeholders are not actively involved in your policy thrust. It is gladdening to note that you have maintained the full disclosure of the stateʼs monthly allocation from the federation account, to prove your readiness in using the state resources to develop the state. But have the 23 Local Government Chairmen responded in this approach to ensure purposeful Grass root mobilization and rapid development of our communities?

Some pertinent questions need to be answered: How is the Civil Service prepared for hitch-free service delivery? How committed are the multinationals towards corporate social responsibilities in their host communities? How ready is the state government to adopt the public private partnership approach as well as partner with the media rather than resorting to harassment?

Despite the increase in the monthly allocation and drastic budget expansion since 2004, the Local Government administration in the state has been business as usual with reckless spending that have not impacted positively on the people.. This is more prevalent in Etche Local Government and others as published by Human Right Watch. If this ugly trend is not brought to a halt, your hard earned administration and reputation may be brought to disrepute: everybody knows that the state government is responsible for the oversight of the local government areas.

Since the Ministry of Local Government Affairs has a supervisory role over the LGA in spending patterns and with power to sanction errant councils, it therefore necessary to wake up from its slumber to ensure that the rural dwellers benefit from the dividends of democracy.

The Auditor General to Local Government Areas who is also empowered by law to inspect the accounts of the LGA or imposes financial sanctions on officers who are deemed to have improperly diverted Local Government funds need to be responsive.

Your Excellency, having been a Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly for 8 years in the capacity of, my argument above is not in any way designed to explain what you already know, but as a reminder to your total commitment to enforce policies and ensure that one is liable for an offence one committed in as much as ignorance remains no excuse before the law. People have openly called for amnesty as the surest means of resolving the conflict in the state, especially in the Okirika axis. Well, if they are talking of the type granted to Saddam Hussein, Slobodan Milosevic, Charles Taylor and other partners in crime against humanity, compassionately; I think they are right.

The worst error in life is the error of self-deceit; emphatically we are tired of deceiving our selves. What we need at this juncture, is sincerity of purpose in both the State and Local Government councils in addressing youth restiveness, by engaging them meaningfully in economic activities. This will make more sense, instead of using them as thugs, only to be dumped when the elections are over.

Your Excellency, in as much as we hope that your administration is poised to correct the errors of the past, we envisage a state where the youths are genuinely engaged; where we have sincere leaders who do not misappropriate monthly allocations; where the Civil Service is repositioned for effective and efficient service delivery; where government ensure prompt payment of salaries and allowances and where the citizens have a sense of belonging. A legislature, with the likes of Honourable Chidi Lloyd, that will not chase shadows, to cry louder against injustice and misdemeanours, a state where residents could sleep with there eyes closed, where the fallen standard of education and healthcare are repositioned, where infrastructural development is placed premium

When all these are sustained, the Treasure Base of the Nation will re-assume its hospitable pride in the comity of states.

Yours patriotic subject.

Prince Ikeokwu

National Press Centre, Abuja

Robot  Villager

# 1 Your Excellency, Please permit me to use this medium to join other democrats to congrat...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 16.06.2008 23:11