The mood at the UBE Primary School field in Bori, the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people and headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State was electrifying on Saturday as thousands of Ogoni youths, leaders and even the elderly struggled for space in an orgy of celebration.
Not even the presence of an early morning rain that threatened the event could sway the excited crowd as they joined the local masquerades in the endless jig.
They had cause to dance, as the youths, under the aegis of Ogoni Youth Movement (OYM), a socio-cultural organization whose goal is to vigorously pursue the socio-economic and political advancement of Ogoni people, had gathered to reaffirm their support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and to further urge him to contest the 2015 general election for another term.
OYM, whose membership cuts across the four Ogoni Local Government Areas, LGAs of Eleme, Tai, Gokana and Khana had equally stormed the event to lend their voices to the spontaneous calls on the Hon. Minister of State for Education, Chief (Barr) Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike to declare for the Governorship of Rivers State, come 2015.
They had gathered to issue a final statement that Ogonis are united and ready to embrace the wind of change that is blowing across the state; to refute the ‘lies’ that were being peddled to the effect that Ogonis were not in support of Jonathan’s reelection crusade as well as the clamour for a Nyesom Wike governorship ticket.
As further evidence of successful mobilization, the epoch occasion witnessed a spill over as the venue was no longer enough to accommodate the mammoth crowd, some of whom had to watch proceedings from the adjoining roads of Kaani, Hospital and Boue.
The event was graced by leaders in Ogoniland. The list, amongst others include PDP’s Rivers South East National Vice Chairman, Hon. Fred Kpakol (PhD), Chief Monday Ngbor, Hon. Kenneth Kobani, Rt. Hon. Dum Deekor, Dr. Jacobson Nbinna, Hon. Olaka Nwogu and Jerry Needam.
Also present were Chief Emmanuel Kanee, Chief Solomon Ndigbara (aka Osama Bin Ladin), Father Lawrence Bagbi, Hon. (Mrs.) Sarah Ntor-Ue, Mrs Charity Deemua, President unique Mothers of Ogoni and OYM’s leaders in the four LGAs.
As part of activities to spice the event, the Kpite Cultural Group and their counterpart from B-Dere in Gokana LGA were called up to thrill the audience, prompting wild excitement.
The performance from Gokana , named Kani who appeared half nude to drive home their ‘war’ against the All Progressives Congress (APC) got many in the audience reeling in laughter as they sang ‘balera APC’ meaning ‘we’ve chased away the APC’.
The performance set the stage for the President General of OYM, Comrade Sunny Bekanwah welcome address in which he reiterated the resolve of the youths never to make the mistakes of the older politicians by playing what he called ‘politics of self, inadequate consultations and negotiations which are the ingredients of a palatable political climate’.
It was in that vein; he went on, that the youths of Ogoniland unanimously endorse the second tenure bid of President Jonathan as well as a clarion call on Chief Nyesom Wike to contest the governorship of Rivers State.
Leaders of OYM in Eleme, Khana, Tai and Gokana each took turn to address the crowd with a firm pledge to work for the actualization of the Jonathan/Wike 2015 project.
“Our day of joy will not be long from now. The same God, who is doing it for Jonathan, will do it for Wike. No ethnic group will oppose him and this battle will not be a lost one” they prayed in unison.
The leader from Gokana, Dinebari Dee Holt painted a pathetic picture when he disclosed that all that the youths of Ogoni got as a reward for voting in Governor Amaechi and their kinsmen from Ogoni was ‘to be beaten and chased into the bush’.
In his speech, Hon. (Dr) Fred Kpakol said the event was an indication that power belongs to God.
“Your message is concrete, crystal clear and backed by God that you stand for Jonathan and Wike” he told the audience.
Kpakol reminded the Ogonis that ethnic politics would not be in their favour, pointing out that Ogoni with their 389,000 voting population would not match Port Harcourt, let along Obio-Akpor, adding “Nobody should deceive you that your own people must be governor. You need others to get there”.
Speaking as chairman of the occasion, a prominent Ogoni chief and politician, Chief Monday Ngbor declared “the entire Ogoni people have resolved to support President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of state for education, Barr Nyesom Wike. We shall deliver them come 2015 election”.
Others who spoke include Hon. Kenneth Kobani who congratulated the OYM for having the courage to tell ‘our enemies that enough is enough’, adding that ‘nobody is more Ogoni than you all here’.
KK as he is popularly called, called on Ogonis to be grateful to God for being part of the ‘New Vision’, an acronym for Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike.
In the same vein, popular social crusader, Chief Solomon Ndigbara (aka Osama Bin Ladin) caused a steer when he mounted the staged to make his solidarity speech.
“This is the right time for Ogonis to act wisely by moving with the winning train” he said and urged them to throw their weight behind Jonathan for 2015 Presidency and Chief Nyesom Wike for Governor of Rivers State.
Former Deputy Speaker, Rivers State House of Asembly, Rt Hon, Dumnamene Deekor, President General of Unique Mothers of Ogoni, Mrs. Sarah Ntor-Ue, Dr. Jacobson Nbinna and Chief Emmanuel Kanee, all spoke eloquently in support of Jonathan and Wike project in 2015.
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Ogoni Youths, Leaders Reaffirm Support for Jonathan, Wike
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