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Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has attributed electoral victory his vast grassroots support across the state.
Wike spoke, yesterday, when he received elected councillors from all the wards of the state at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The governor was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chukwuemeka Woke.
He said: “I want to thank you for your support during the last elections.
“We were confident because we had the support of the grassroots. I will work with you and cooperate with you as we move the state forward.”
He urged councillors to work with their council chairmen as they strive to deliver development to their respective communities.
The governor said councillors must desist from fighting their council chairmen as they were elected to serve the people.
“Cooperate and work in synergy with your council chairmen, with a view to serving your people. Service is a responsibility that has been entrusted on you by your people,” he said.
The governor urged the councillors to mobilise their constituents for the state thanksgiving on Saturday and the second term inauguration on May 29, 2019.
Leader of the Rivers State Councillors’ Forum, Collins Omunnakwe of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, said the councillors staged the victory walk to celebrate Governor Wike’s victory and emphasise their loyalty to his administration.
“We stage this victory march to celebrate the governor’s re-election because we believe in him.
“We are from the 23 local government areas and we are publicly saying all the elected councillors are solidly behind our governor.”
Meanwhile, people of Rumuokurusi community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State have pleaded with Governor Wike to save them from land grabbers.
Also, they urged the state government to criminalise land-grabbing and treat anyone arrested for the offence as a kidnapper, noting that land thieves use guns in the area.
Members of the community who made the call in Port Harcourt, noted that the land grabbers from a neighbouring community, in Igbo-Etche, Etche council, have encroached their ancestral homes, adding that they (grabbers) have destroyed several property.
The paramount ruler of Omuwokerebe, Eze Standford Achor, said the land grabbers use assorted rifles to chase away land owners owners.
Achor regretted that all efforts to scare away the persons involved had proven abortive, adding that they (land grabbers) have also flouted court order, which barred people from entering the said area of land.
He said: “As it stands, land grabbers have finished our land. They bulldoze and sell the land everyday.
“This thing started since 2016. There was a time they stopped, but now they have started again. They have sold over 200 hectares of land.
“There is order of court that bars people of Igbo-Etche and Rumuokurusi from entering the land, but when you go there, you see boys with guns selling the same land.”
Also, Rumuokurusi Town Council Chairman, Kingsley Ejekwu, appealed to Governor Wike to wade into the matter.
He said: “We don’t want to be evicted from our homes and we don’t want to carry guns and face them because if we do, that part of the state will become ungovernable.”
