In a vox pop, Rivers people and residents shared their thoughts on Governor Nyesom Wike’s proposed empowerment Programme
It’s Good Governor Nyesom Wike Wants To Empower The People – Joe
It’s a good thing. It’s really a good thing because so many people have no job. Job is really hard right now. So it’s a good thing that he wants to empower people so that they have what is good. If it is money it is good. If it is job it’s also good. The end of his administration is close but the most important thing is if he can empower the youth it’s fine by me.
Youths Of Rivers State Need Finance To Help Themselves – Chianugor Uzorchukwu Dennis
Is it by giving out cash or by making available jobs for the youths? I feel when he gives employment opportunity thereby he has helped in stomach infrastructure because basically he’s after roads and I know it’s a good idea on roads but at the same point the youths of Rivers State need finance to help themselves. So it depends on the area he wants to meet stomach infrastructure but it’s actually a good idea. Cash infrastructure, it depends on the way the cash will be disbursed. We are conversant with Nigeria and we know how stuffs are being done and if the cash will get actually to the teeming population and is being followed up. Let’s assume he gives the youth some cash and asks them to put into their business and is being backed up by some laws or make sure that those things are been put in place, then it’s a good one. It’s a good idea and it’s a welcome development if it’s done properly so long as it gets to the people for which it’s meant. It’s a welcome development.
Let’s Manage The Way We Are Managing – Mr Calistus Nwachukwu
It’s not necessary. The Rivers indigenes are no more interested in that stomach infrastructure. We are just waiting for the government to fold up so that another government can come on board. What is the essence of stomach infrastructure? Stomach infrastructure has nothing to contribute to the citizens of Rivers. We are talking of employment. People have not been employed for the past seven years. Nobody has been empowered, no jobs. How many years is remaining? By next year he will hand over. Let’s manage the way we are managing.
It Depends On What Empowerment Is – Victor
It depends on what empowerment is. Giving people ten million or hundred million for them to share is not going to give them a future. We all know the old saying that says instead of giving somebody a fish, give him a canoe, let him go do the fishing by himself.
That is just a temporal thing and that is why Nigeria is where it is. If you are given ten million to share, how long will that take you? You may succeed in doing one thing for that moment.
We are talking about something that should sustain you after that, that you would be able t groom to become strong and sustain another. Giving money away and I’m sure that such kind of money will not pass through the State House of Assembly. Democratic system shouldn’t go that way. If you want to really empower people, there are better ways. We need industry. We need things that people can wake up in the morning am go to work and they know that they are expecting something. We’ve been given cash for years now and it has never helped anybody. It will just help you do something for that moment but we should not be thinking for the moment. We should be thinking for the future.
I Give His Excellency Governor Nyesom Wike Kudos For The Promise – Mendel Wokoma
Empowerment is good because that’s what the people need. Actually infrastructure is one of the basic things as well. So he has done well on infrastructure but on empowerment it’s also good but we lack that innovativeness what we should do when you are given money. So if he’s doing it, it’s very, very good for Rivers people because that’s another kudos for him as well.
Those Who Get The Money From Government Should Not Only Share To Their People – Ekine Sunny
Actually, politics is a game of loss and gain. It is all about interest. About the stomach infrastructure, we all know that it is all about politics. Is it only for the PDP or APC or any other party or people of the state? It will only go for the PDP. I know that it is all about politics. I don’t think the fund will come to me or to my family. If it’s not done on party basis I will appreciate it. Let it come in a way that everybody will know that they give particular money to LGAs and the Local Government Chairmen share it to Communities. In any organization there must still be that-selfish interest. Even in the LGAs they still have people in inner caucus the money will still go for. So I don’t think this is the best thing, so the best thing is for him to create employment. Employment is the best thing. Everybody is looking for work. Stomach infrastructure till not go round. I think that this stomach infrastructure will only go for inner caucus and inner caucus men will share it to their people.
So the best thing for him to do is to create employment, increase teachers’ salary. For me if I become a governor, the first priority is civil servants and security. I don’t subscribe to stomach infrastructure. Let him use the money to create employment.
I Welcome The Move – Joseph
It’s a welcome development since he can remember that his people are suffering. But let him fulfil his promise. If he means what he’s saying that he will channel his project now on stomach infrastructure, I think it’s OK. I welcome that.
Human Empowerment Is Very Important – Princewill Ogbonda
People might think stomach infrastructure would mean bringing out money and giving to the people and the people sharing among themselves but beyond that it could also mean getting people employed and at the end of the day they get paid. I think that’s also a way of empowering the people. I commend the governor. In his own wisdom he has done a lot of things that we can see infrastructurally. But now it’s about human which is very important also. Human in the sense that the country is so hard now and people are trying to survive by any way. So if he has come up to say he wants to do that, it’s a good one. It’s a welcomed one.
It’s About Politics – Diepriye Kalio
For me I still see the problem we always have in this country which is politics.
He would have used some of these flyovers to look for small industries and some things that can empower people of the state. You are stopping bunkering, they can use some of4w those money to open little refineries and keep something that can keep the people going.
They Should Carry Non-indigenes Along – Femi Ajiboye
I’ve been Port-Harcourt for over 25 years and when it comes to empowerment or stomach infrastructure I always think that there’s nothing wrong about that but what I know is that when it comes to empowerment it favours the so-called indigenes in this state and it’s only when they want to campaign and they want us to come out for elections that they carry non-indigenes along. There’s nothing wrong based on the way the economy is going now. Some people have idea what to do but they don’t have money. If you can empower them it’s good but other people that are not indigenes should be carried along. Look at the lockdown period. They were sharing palliative but they were selecting people. When it comes to election all of us will come out and queue in the sun but when it comes to benefit from the government they consider the indigenes. There’s nothing wrong in doing stomach infrastructure but it should be for everybody in the state. We’ve seen how the thing is being done in other places. They should carry others along.
The People Of Rivers State Should Enjoy The Projects – Anonymous
He hasn’t done much because we are suffering. For so many years now we haven’t been promoted. He’s talking about stomach infrastructure, is it because the election is coming up? As a graduate who have worked for 14 years, I’m still stagnant. So there’s nothing to write home about. We are suffering. We are hungry. We are humans and it’s the humans who are supposed to enjoy his projects. We are humans. Our children are suffering. We who are working are suffering. The stomach infrastructure is not possible. Nothing to write home about.
The Governor Has Plan That He Would Do Stomach Infrastructure – Isaac Abraham
He might have a better plan. We should not put our mind on stomach infrastructure. He might have a better plan because for somebody to say he has worked physical infrastructure and now he has come down to see that he does stomach infrastructure means he has a better plan because he has very few months to stay so let’s see it, that magic he can do it. Magic because he has drawn a plan before now that he’s going to do it at his last tenure. Normally, if you build a house and there’s no food in the house you cannot stay in the house. There must be food in the house. So after the building and physical infrastructure now he says he wants to provide food in the house. To provide food can be job, can be contract, can be many things, can be paying of pensioners. Those people that are crying out can be happy. Once he paid 50 per cent of the pensioners, you will see they will change their mouth.
The PDP Should Not Hijack It – Mr Jackrich
For him to say he wants to bring in stomach infrastructure I don’t know the area where it will come and trickle down to the masses. The governor is a party man and I believe his party will not hijack it.
