Chairman’s Maiden Address

PREAMBLE

Let me first, in the capacity of the new title which you have collectively given to me as Chairman, Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, warmly welcome you all to this mementous event.

This auspicious occasion heralds a new dawn in the annals of our great Local Government, as today is not just a continuation of celebration of our victory. It is, rather, the beginning of service, the beginning of another phase of renewed hope agenda at the 3^rd Tier level of government. I, therefore, stand before you, my beloved people and party faithfuls, humbled, honored and deeply grateful.

GRATITUDE

First, I crave your indulgence to join me to give all glory to God, who makes all things possible at His own time. Needless to state the obvious: without His awesome grace, we would not be here today. All power belongs to God Almighty, the King of kings.

Our gratitude also goes to the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, His Excellency, Chief Barr. (Dr.) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, POS (Africa), Life Bencher. I call him God-ordained leader and the rubicon breaker. You can call him “Socrates” of Nigeria Politics typified. Sir, your steadfastness, courage, and determination to keep our political structure intact have given us this platform to serve. Because of you, Obio/Akpor has regained its glory, and today we recommit ourselves to building on that legacy. May God bless you more for being our leading light.  

Let me extend my gratitude to the State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok Ete Ibas for effectively managing the affairs of the State and for the peaceful conduct of the just concluded Local Government Elections in our dear Rivers State, which is an indication that democracy is, indeed, alive and thriving in Rivers State. In the same vein, I salute the immediate past Sole Administrator of Obio/Akpor LGA, Sir Dr. Ndu Walter for his leadership in steering the affairs of the LGA these past months.

Let me also congratulate our Vice Chairman, Dr. Mrs. Gloria Joyce Nyeche, and the 17 ward Councillors – elect. I am confident that our partnership will bring lasting progress to Obio/Akpor LGA. Together we shall serve with fairness, humility, and purpose.

To our political leaders and elders, your guidance remains priceless. To our people-the true owners of this mandate-I say thank you for your trust. This government is for you, and it is by your will that we shall serve. Your implicit confidence in us, which manifested in the massive votes returned at the polls, will not be taken for granted.

To the staff of our Local Government Council, let me assure you, this administration will be anchored on fairness, justice, and respect. You will find in me not a boss, but a leader who values your contributions. I am not a boss who is in charge of those under him, but a leader who cares about those under his charge. But in return, I ask for diligence, discipline, and sincerity in service. Together, we can raise the standard of governance in this local government.

My dear wife Flora, I thank you for being a strong pillar of support, an encourager and the good keeper of our home. Your sacrifice and patience have not only been infectious but also the propelling force that made this journey possible. I dedicate this moment to you and our wonderful children, Christabel, Chioma, Ovunda and Jeffrey.

PHILOSOPHY OF OUR CAMPAIGN

The philosophy of our campaign was anchored on unity. It is my conviction that a people united can never be defeated. Unarguably, unity is strength, as it is often said. Unity is pivotal to the upbuilding of any human society. With unity of purpose, the flame of our Local Government will glow brighter and brighter. This will ultimately translate to peace, love and progress for the mutual benefit of all.

OUR WORK BEGINS

My very revered party faithfuls, Royal Fathers and good people of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, the respected Legend of Nigerian political history, Pa Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory said,

“In any great undertaking, there are two crucial moments – the moment of promise and the moment of fulfillment. The latter being more important than the former, that is why too many otherwise, a great man, has fallen in history.”

Now elections are over, celebration of our collective victory will end hereafter. The next three years, which is about 1,095 days, that our tenure would last, will represent moments of “fulfillment”.

My beloved people, our mission is simple and yet profound: Our unity of purpose will only be meaningful if it manifests in quality grassroots development that touches lives directly. We are not oblivious of the fact that hunger, poverty, insecurity and unemployment are among the many enemies of our common destiny. We shall strive to re-write the narrative.  This is the essence of the 3^rd Tier of Government. Accordingly, under my watch, the Council will intentionally focus on the following:

• We shall consolidate on the gains/achievements of the Barr. George Ariolu-led administration to creatively build a modern,smart metropolis to reflect the Gate-Way-to-Port Harcourt status of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. We shall create a friendly environment where both indigenes and non-indigenes can prosper together in peace through engagement in legitimate businesses. We will leave no one behind.
• In education, we shall not fold our hands and watch our children, the leaders of tomorrow, study under leaking roofs or sit on bare floors. Accordingly, we shall complement the efforts of other relevant institutions to repair schools, provide facilities such as desks etc, rebuild collapsed perimeter walls and take other measures to restore dignity in learning.
• We shall pay more robust attention to human capital development in a manner that will support the professionalism and employability of a citizens.
• In Primary Healthcare, we shall, in partnership with relevant agencies intervene in delivery of services that work. We shall push for the establishment of more Health Centres if need be, better medicare with a view to ensuring that no child, nor mother nor the elderly is left without care.   
• In Road Infrastructure, we shall liaise with the Rivers State Government and development agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), FERMA, etc, to fix our roads, grade earth roads and link our communities. You cannot divorce good network of roads from quality life.
• In utilities: We shall seek to improve utilities supply to our communities. Electricity supply and availability of quality water are not luxuries –they are necessities that are intricately tied to good health.
• In Commerce: We shall support our local markets to thrive, improve the conditions of our abattoirs and generate more revenue for the mutual benefit of the people.

More deliberate efforts shall be made to seek collaborations to build more markets, as well as improve the coordination and functionality of existing markets, with a view to supporting the economic development of our people.

• In Youth and Women Empowerment: We shall seek and also open doors of opportunity. Our youths will not just be dreamers-they will be doers. Our women will not just be supporters-they will be leaders in business, in politics and in community development. Additionally, we shall cause the implementation of subsisting polices on employment of indigenes so that our people can find jobs and have some measure of dignity.
• In Education support, we shall offer Scholarships/Bursary to our bright students in tertiary institutions to enhance their life-long learning experience. We shall also design programmes for skill acquisition for our teeming youth.
• Above all security will be given utmost priority. Unity without peace/progress is farcical. We shall strategically engage and collaborate with relevant agencies and community-based outfits/structures to keep our land safe. We will not lose sight of the extent to which social vices have ravaged our society, with a wide range of youths involved in drug consumption and trafficking, cultism, gangsterism and different shades of fraudulent indulgence. The LGA, under my watch, shall intentionally take strategic steps to address these age-long concerns and emerging ones like land grabbing, an illegitimate activity that drives away investors and hinders our collective progress.
• This administration shall also show serious commitments to tackle the seemingly insurmountable problem of traffic management, committed to creating a reasonable level of sanity on our roads in line with road use best practices.
• We shall vigorously seek to collaborate with all critical stakeholders to address the monstrous issue of waste management in the LGA. We will be seeking the involvement of our local communities to address this issue. We will also take a closer look at existing policies and procedures while seeking these collaborations.

Let me state that we need a significant cultural re-orientation among our people to stand any chance of bringing about the needed change in our LGA. We shall engage in vigorous campaigns in pursuit of creating and sustaining newer, better values and norms.

My people, this is our guiding vision. This is our mission. And, I firmly believe that where there is a will, there will be a way. We have the political will, but we need citizen participation.

CLARION CALL FOR COOPERATION

To bring the foregoing to fruition, we shall inevitably make bold, tough and sometimes “unpopular” decisions. But such decisions will be guided by the principle of fairness and common good of the greater majority. Please join me to re-introduce our fast-eroding values such as respect, hard work, integrity, pursuit of excellence and creativity. Let these drive us to create and sustain positive change.

Finally, I urge that we stand together as a people of common decent, common language and common culture. Let us focus on the things that unite us, eschew party differences that divide us. Our eternal slogan reminds us that a people united can never be defeated.

May God bless Obio/Akpor

May God bless Rivers State

May God bless the Federal Government of Nigeria