Governance is a Holistic Thing -Dr Abiye Sekibo
He said the ACN in the state intends to give to Rivers people a government that would listen to them and develop their human resources.
Dr Sekibo went further to reel out the areas where he intends to urgently affect the lives of Rivers people as soon as he gets into office. He stated that education would be the key to unlocking and releasing the potentials of the state indigenes, starting from the nursery level.
According to him, an ACN government in the state would be one for the youths who would be empowered through education. He added that not until the creative energy of youths in the state is released will the state have a balance polity.
Beyond education, the ACN governorship hopeful said preventive health care would be emphasized, stressing that it is better and cheaper to prevent ailments than to cure them, even as he noted that the development of health personnel would be his government's key to achieving good health programme in the state.
Dr Sekibo also stated that poverty alleviation would be tackled with ferocity, stressing that if a yearly budget of N415billion is put into the hands of Rivers people, their economy would turn around. He noted that fighting unemployment by re-industrializing the state would address idleness and crimes, adding that, at the same time the housing needs of the people would also be taken up.
He recommended good planning and genuine concern to move the state forward, stressing that agro-allied projects in the state, if well driven would work magic.
Besides petroleum, he said, Rivers economy revolves around rivers and fertile agricultural lands. Thus, he said, fishing and farming would be largely taught and supported, while sea transportation would also be enhanced.
While advising Rivers people to register, Dr Sekibo urged them to vote out the PDP which has failed them and insulted them and vote in the ACN which he said cares a lot for them and wants to involve them in its effort to re-direct the fortunes of the state into the hands of its individuals.
Why I left the PDP - Dr Abiye Sekibo
The former Transport Minister, and Governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for Rivers State, Dr Abiye Sekibo says his leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was necessitated by the derailment of the self-acclaimed largest political party in Africa.
Dr Sekibo, a former chieftain and one of the founding fathers of PDP in Rivers State said the party was upon conception and formation programmed to be people oriented with the interest of the masses as a focal point but was later hijacked and distorted by those in power.
Worse still, the last minute reforms championed by like minds in the party was utterly frustrated by a select few who wouldn't allow anybody, not even the members have a say in the party.
Coincidentally, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which was reforming at the time provided an alternative platform for the former Secretary to the Rivers State Government under the Odili administration (1999-2003) to present himself for service to his fatherland.
Dr Sekibo who made the clarification while fielding questions on Rhythm 93.7 FM Radio in Port Harcourt over the weekend is however not happy with the level of development in Rivers State under the Amaechi administration in the last four years despite what he described as monumental federal allocations.
With the about one trillion naira purportedly received by Governor Rotimi Amaechi in less than four years which according to Dr Sekibo is much more than what Dr Peter Odili received in eight years, Rivers State ought to be better than what it is.
Dr Sekibo attributed Governor Amaechi's failure to lack of focus, not connected to the people, high- handedness, arrogance, lack of respect for the integrity of the people etc.
Rather than dialogue and consult with the people, Dr Abiye Sekibo said Amaechi prefers to insult the people, scorn the elders and would not allow lawful assemblies.
“Even in the so called town-hall meetings where only selected people are allowed to convene and attend, anybody that tries to ask some vital questions is arrested by Governor Amaechi”, the ACN governorship hopeful further alleged.
On the way forward for the Rivers people, Dr Sekibo said if voted into office as the next chief executive of the Treasure Base of the Nation, the State will experience a new life rooted in human development beginning with the numerous youths with abundant talents yearning for attention.
According the medical doctor turned politician, infrastructural development without corresponding human development is useless.
He faulted Gov Amaechi's visionless approach of demolishing the viable structures like schools and hospitals and building new ones without the trained personnel and equipment to run them. He described all the money spent on such structures as resources thrown down the drain, moreso, as most of the schools and hospitals are uncompleted.
The Okrika born politician insists leadership is a holistic thing that must not divorce the people from policies and the kind of projects they require.
Given the mandate to lead the Rivers people, he said Rivers economy will be run to revolve around Rivers people with the right people in the right places and without necessarily politicizing everything which is basically the cause of the dwindling fortunes of the State economy.
“Under my administration, the schools will be alive again beginning with the nursery to tertiary level, training of the medical personnel will be a priority to run our hospitals from primary through secondary to tertiary healthcare delivery, dialogue will be used to address the problems of striking lecturers, appreciating their problems and making open government constraints honestly, award of contracts will not be politicized as abundant qualified Rivers indigenes will be hired to prosecute them, siting of projects will be based on the needs of the people all over the State. Concentrating the projects in a particular area as is the case with Governor Amaechi administration is a disservice to the State”, Dr Abiye Sekibo stated.
On the controversial Okrika ring road, Dr Sekibo expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the road started well over a decade ago under the administration of Rufus Ada-George at about N200 million.
According to him, Governor Peter Odili re-awarded the uncompleted road contract at less than N500 million but was shocked to learn that the project which was 70% completed at the point of abandonment by the contractor was again re-awarded by Gov. Amaechi at over 400 billion (for the remaining 30%) yet the road remains uncompleted.
Dr Sekibo also used the radio interview to clear the air on allegations of sponsoring cultists, dismissing such as baseless and deliberate falsehood by political opponents who available facts have proved to be the real cult members right from their school days.
He challenged anybody with any proof linking him to any cult member to come up.
Dr Sekibo maintained that it was during the period he served as the SSG that Rivers State experienced relative peace, stressing that the mayhem that later befell the State was after 2003 when he was already in Abuja as Transport Minister.
“But rather than ask those in government then majority of whom are now running the State some are deluded to look for the culprits at the wrong place”, the State ACN Guber Candidate imputed.
Sekibo to ACN Faithfuls, SWC: Be united, Open to Achieve Success
Pursuant to a resounding victory in the 2011 governorship election in Rivers State, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) flagbearer, Dr. Abiye Sekibo has urged the party in the state to remain united and open, and stand up in defence of every member of the fold in all circumstances, in all places and at all times in order to achieve success at the polls.
The governorship hopeful came out with this in his inaugural meeting with the ACN state working committee (SWC) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital recently.
He urged the SWC, local government chapter chairmen of the party and party faithfuls across the state to build a formidable family where love and care are every day watch words and basic ingredients of existence.
Sekibo, a former transport minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, remarked that the ACN in Rivers State has the people of the state who are the determining factor in a general election.
He advised the party to ensure that all people at the grassroots, the polling units and wards of Rivers State feel the presence of the ACN in a clear manifestation of peace and unity as, according to him, peace cannot be achieved in a divided house or atmosphere of rancour and acrimony.
The ACN in Rivers State, he said has worked out a blue print with every minute detail in place to offer the state and its people a new lease of life and promote their general well-being and economic growth.
Though a task shunned by past leaders, the medical doctor-turned politician held that only a clear vision and requisite commitment would deliver economic growth as soon as the ACN claims victory in the state.
He announced that the ACN governorship campaign office for the 2011 elections would be commissioned on Thursday, the same day that the guber campaign organization would be inaugurated, and charged party members to dorn their campaign armour, take up the challenge and solicit the understanding of the electorate in all nooks and crannies of the state.
He charged the SWC and party faithfuls to brace up for sincere service to the people of the state because a lot would be demanded of them in that direction from all manners of people in their different constituencies and wards, adding that it would behoove them to satisfy the people as that would be the only way to make a clear cut difference from what is obtainable in the state.
The former secretary to the Rivers State government (SSG) again reiterated that ACN campaign in the state would be issue-based and targeted directly at the needs of the electorate.
Re: Dr Abiye Sekibo's Rhythm 93.7FM Interview
The superlative interview granted Silverbird Radio, Rhythm 93.7FM in Port Harcourt by Dr Abiye Precious Sekibo, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship flagbearer in Rivers State last Saturday has, to say the least been a ghost that has intensely haunted political opponents in the state.
To prove that Dr Sekibo and the ACN in the state are the ones to beat, groups of political jobbers and even tactless individuals in opposing political families have ever since inundated the media, print and electronic, with what could stand for image saving reactions to the interview to either seek relevance in the scheme of affairs of the state or strengthen their grip in the misrule that is the order of the day.
One such organization is the Princewill Political Association (PPA) which has one Eze Chukwuemeka Eze as its media consultant.
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While we refrain from joining issues with a visionless an insipid group such as the PPA, the Dr Abiye Sekibo Campaign Organization in Rivers State makes bold to stand facts of the interview straight for record purposes so that posterity will be properly guided.
The PPA, to any right thinking Rivers man or woman is only synonymous with deceit, political harlotry and dubious pranks that can only bury Rivers State deeper than it lies currently, being a pawn spun round the fingers of these jobbers who do everything and anything to extract the milk in the state and leave it dry even though they are not in office.
It is an established fact that the present administration in the state has spent about N1trillion, only succeeding in awarding mega contracts through which it siphons money while mortgaging the future of Rivers State in a loan and bond transaction that was condemned by all.
This amount, received in less than four years is about what Dr Peter Odili received in the eight years of his two tenures as governor of the state.
It remains a fact that Dr Sekibo spent his valued time on the radio programme unfolding his blue print for the state, and had little time to talk about the present government. He, however was compelled to shed light on the “iniquities” of the state administration by the barrage of ill-motivated and, probably sponsored questions that were thrown at him. Thus, he merely faced the truth as demanded by the questions.
We further wish to make it categorically clear that Dr Sekibo had nothing to do with the Action Congress (AC), especially as led by Prince Tonye Princewill, but had genuine and democratic reasons based on his personal conviction, to join forces with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which metamorphosed long after the untrustworthy PPA had abandoned the AC in the state to fully share table with the present state administration which, in any case has been the main beneficiary of the group's political tricks and machinations.
To further warn Rivers people about the leaven of the PPA, we stand boldly to state that it was an insidious contrivance of the PPA to plan the reception into their virus infected AC of a man who, as at then neither decamped from his former party nor officially declared for the unwholesome AC. Definitely, they were putting the cart before the horse in that irrational and malicious contrivance put together to keep a strangle hold on the AC machinery in the state which they deceitfully hijacked from Chief Sergeant Chidi Awuse preparatory to the 2007 general elections in the state.
The PPA, in their feeble reaction to the explosive interview which they unwittingly described as a “comedy of errors and an exercise in futility” only exposed their intrigues and infantile miscalculation in which they intended to make Dr Sekibo a King by proxy since by November 7, 2009 the political elephant was staunchly in the PDP and had absolutely nothing to do with the AC which remained untouchable to him until its metamorphosis into the ACN and the ill-wind that blew in the PDP.
So haunted by the interview is the group that it desperately wants Dr Sekibo to “retrace” some of what it sees as “falsehoods contained in his outburst during the Rhythm FM view point”, adding that, for failing to sue them by his statement in November 2009, they are left with no option than to assemble seven SANs to sue him to refund N45million spent in the dream reception of 2009.
Such jokers as these definitely have nothing to offer Rivers people. All they are up to is the huge jokes they crack with Rivers treasury and the motor park jobs they do for the state administration.
The ACN in Rivers State stands to pose the greatest threat they have ever seen and will save Rivers people from their hands and the mess they want to turn the state into, come rain, come shine.
On insecurity in the state, the Okrika-born indigene who was in Abuja from 2003 could not have sponsored groups like De Well and other cult groups that spread through and devastated Ikwerre land, Ogoni axis, Ekpeye, Engeni and Abua as well as other non-Okrika regions within the period when cultism was at its peak in the state which was beyond 2003.
We are happy that Tonye Princewill who had given the PDP all sorts of names in the 90s and castigated it to high heavens is in the same PDP today, licking up his own vomit.
Dr Sekibo and the ACN will strongly challenge for the Brick House by issue based approaches, but will not hesitate to throw bare any foul play by anybody any time the need arises, especially through questions by those who only mute mischievous ideas in their efforts to seek relevance. These will be the first to condemn the state administration tomorrow when it is out of power.