Former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, now a two-time minister of transportation, and his associates, are distributing 12,000 bags of rice in the state. This seems to have added to the ones being shared across the state by the state government through the Desmond Akawor committee. These plus others being executed by the organized private sector (OPS) and other donors seem to be burning through Rivers State at the moment, reducing tension in the state from hunger and desperation.
The group handed over the items which include over 12,000 bags of rice to Green Nigeria Foundation Project, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to distribute to Rivers people. The associates said there should be no discrimination against non-indigenes of the state. Further details on how to share the items round to avoid accusations were not available at the time of filing this report.
One of the associates of the Transportation Minister, Chukwudi Dimkpa who represented the donors, however, said it became expedient to provide the palliatives following the suffering being experienced by the people during the stay at home orders caused by the closure of markets as well as inflation in prices of food stuffs.
Dimkpa urged the NGO to ensure that the items are distributed irrespective of religion and party affiliation.
The national president of Green Nigeria Foundation Project, a pastor, Warigbani Ezekiel, who received the items commended the donors and promised that distribution of the palliative to the people would cut across all parties and sections of the State, without bias and ethnic/political colouration.
Warigbani revealed that the distribution of the food items which would commence on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 will cover Ogba Egbema Ndoni, Abua-Odua, Ahoada East and West as well as Emohua Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Others areas will follow subsequently, he stated. The Rivers State government palliatives handled by Akawor started from Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt, Onelga, Eleme and Ikwerre LGAs. This means that ONELGA people have had double touch. .
Meanwhile, one leader, ThankGod Ohakwe of the APC Empowerment, Employment and Recruitment Bureau in Ikwerre local council area distributed bags of rice to communities including non-indigenes resident in the local government.
The palliatives/relieve materials were received from the Green Nigeria Foundation through the friends and associates of Amaechi. The distribution was carried out in Igwuruta, the country home of APC leader in Ikwerre local government area, Chibuike Ikenga.
Ohakwe, while distributing the bags of rice, charged the leaders of various communities to ensure that the palliative gets to the most vulnerable in their communities irrespective of party affiliation. He said that the palliatives would go a long way in helping to cushion the negative effect of the Coronavirus pandemic and the sit at home order by the government.
He also told the people to excise patience and continue in their prayers for Amaechi as plans were on top gear to ensuring that they got more palliatives.
In response the leaders of various communities thanked both leaders and most especially the Chibuike Amaechi and described him as a worthy son and an ambassador of Ikwerre land.
Also, non-indigenes in the APC in Ikwerre area have thanked former governor Amaechi.
The thank you message was made after receiving bags of rice from Ohakwe ThankGod who is chairman of the APC Empowerment group in Ikwerre. They also thanked their leader, Amaechi.
The leadership caucus of the APC, Obio/Akpor LGA led by Chikordi Dike said they have also received the allocation of rice from the NGO and Amaechi.
The items were distributed across the 17 (seventeen) wards of the local Government Area, where it was handed over to opinion leaders in the areas, who in turn, were instructed to distribute it judiciously across the needy and most vulnerable in their localities.
Speaking to newsmen, Dike expressed gratitude to the leader of the party in the state (Amaechi) for the kind gesture and for having the people of Rivers State at heart, despite having left office as a governor years ago.
Dike assured the needy within the Local Government Area not to hesitate in going out to collect the palliatives, irrespective of their political inclination. He stressed that the gifts were donated by Amaechi with the purest of intentions and has no political undertone.
Other leaders of the party in the LGA, such as Alex Wele and Sidney Madu Nyeche commended Amaechi’s kind gestures and described him as a man with a heart of gold. They also pledged to do more in their collective leadership capacity to consolidate on the good measures set out by the supreme leader of the party in the state.
Before now, snippets of cynicisms had gone out, daring the ex-governor to show himself (meaning he should show concern for the poor and voters by sending palliatives).
Ignatius Chukwu
