Rivers People, Residents Speak On Expectations From Next Governor Of Rivers State

Vox Pop Carried Out By James Febebebo

The Next Governor Should Develop Human Capacity – Mr Anthony Okuneh Evwiekpaomare

For me, the next governor of Rivers State should be someone that can increase the capacity of humans. The previous government came and built schools and built some infrastructure, this one has come and done roads and bridges. The next one should improve human capacity. That’s what is really deficient. The youths are jobless, people are jobless so once the human capacity is developed I think jobs and micro-businesses will spring up.

The Next Governor Of Rivers State Should Reduce Cost Of Living – Ekenma George 

It’s quite glaring that the current governor has looked at the roads. Before now we used to have issues bordering on roads. There are some areas you get to and you can’t cross. You just have to park your vehicle. Other governor that should be coming should be looking at other aspect in bid to improve the state. There are amenities that the state wants. One, I think road which has been cared for and light and if there is stable light, it brings a lot of attractions. It improves business and a lot of things will change. Basically that’s what the state needs: good roads and electricity. Then the next governor should also look at prices of things that are skyrocketing. The government should work on it if there are strategies to bring the prices down.

He Should Decentralize Development  – Mr John  Aklis Ozori

Mainly to decentralize development and to lay more emphasis on education because it’s only when people are educated they will choose what to do. They can contribute to the development of the economy in the state. Development is centred in the city alone right now. It’s good anyway but if you decentralize development people will migrate to rural areas and as well develop those areas. Education is paramount to the development of any society. If the people are educated they will make informed choices. They will also abstain from vices. Children will abstain from vices and they will make informed choices for the betterment of society.

The Next Governor Of Rivers State Should Follow In The Footsteps Of Governor Nyesom Wike – Ikpobari John  Sunday   

What I want the next governor to do, number one security, employment and development. Other local governments that development has not touched, let the next governor make sure that he touches those areas. I know the present governor has tried. If other governors have been doing like this I think Rivers State would have turned to London. His Excellency Governor Nyesom Wike has been trying to make sure the state is developed so any other governor that is coming should follow in the footsteps of Governor Nyesom Wike.

He Should Follow In The Footsteps Of The Present Governor – Ekani Kingsley Eruchi

Actually, I want the next governor of Rivers State to follow in the footsteps of the present governor. Continuity is good in governance. The next governor should follow in the footsteps of the present governor.   

The Next Governor Should Provide Empowerment For Youths – Life Dumzorabei 

The first thing I want the next governor to do is to bring peace to the state because if there’s no peace there won’t be growth, there won’t be unity but where there’s unity there will be progress. So what I intend for the next governor to do is to bring peace to both communities and youths because there’s no peace in Rivers State. If you go to riverine areas there’s trouble, if you go to the upland areas there’s trouble. Another thing is empowerment to the youths.

The Next Governor Of The State Should Provide Sound Education And Pay Pensioners – Pastor Clever Chima Israel, Unity of Faith Church Worldwide

The best way to take a nation forward is to educate the youths. The best way to take a nation forward is to give sound education. The outgoing governor concentrated on flyover projects and other projects. The next governor should concentrate on education and helping to prevent premature death in the area of pensioners. The pensioners are not taken good care of. Our fathers and mothers are not taken good care of. He should concentrate on education and taking good care of the pensioners. Develop projects that would have to do with creation of jobs, send Rivers State students abroad to study and create enabling environment for academics in our local governments. 

The Next Governor Should Work More On Job Opportunities – Akunbi Taofeek Olamide

The next governor should make more job opportunities available. The current governor has done a lot of projects but the next governor should work more on job opportunities for the people.

Port-Harcourt Should Be Decongested  – Femi Ajiboye

The present governor concentrated much on developmental projects, concentrated much in Obio/Akpor and Port-Harcourt Local Governments. Though he spread it over, most of the projects are being done in these two local governments I’ve just mentioned. When the next governor comes in I think he should open up the other local governments so that Port-Harcourt should be decongested. Port-Harcourt is much congested. There’s nothing wrong somebody living in Etche and working here. Everybody wants to live here. Most of the institutions here, some of them should be removed and be taken to outskirt areas so that development can go to those areas.

The Next Governor Should Support Those In Business  – Chioma

For me, I want peace in Rivers State. The next governor of the state should also keep his promises. He should understand we are one whether indigenes or non-indigenes. We are sisters and brothers. I’m doing business actually and the next government should take care of those in business sector. The next governor of Rivers State should give financial support to those in business and strengthen their position and we would pray for him. The next governor should be generous and remember those who voted him in.

God Should Give Us A Governor Who has Conscience – Viola Ohuabunwa

What I want the next governor to do in Rivers State is to carry people along. We need a man that has conscience. I want God to bring somebody that has conscience. We need a governor that will carry everybody along. To carry everybody along means that everybody benefits whether indigenes or non-indigenes. During Covid-19 most non-indigenes were left out of palliatives. Without you mentioning your surname they would not give you anything.

Let The People Up To Those In Villages Feel Impact Of Government – Mr  Bomo  Itoyio

I want the next governor or the next government of Rivers State to be conscious of or to play a politics of inclusion or to run administration of inclusion where every local government, every community, every component of Rivers State its footprints shall be there. Let the people up to those in the villages have a feeling of the government or the impact of the government. A situation where in your own administration you carry 70 per cent from one section and then the other 30 per cent spread about and around others I think that’s a very unfair distribution. Even in terms of project that’s what we are seeing here and I think that isn’t a good thing.

The New Governor Should Follow In The Footsteps Of Governor Nyesom Wike – Madi

I think the next governor should follow the line of (Governor) Wike because (Governor) Wike is really doing well. So he should just follow the line of (Governor) Wike: build infrastructures because in Rivers State we lack infrastructures. So I think the new governor should take up from where the governor stops.

Projects By Previous Administration should Be Maintained – Dr. (Mrs) Kadiri Fausat Ajoke

What I’ve observed in Rivers State is that subsequent administrations used to forget the past projects which is not good enough. Whatever the past governments have done they should work on it. For instance, during Amaechi’s administration he tried to build schools and hospitals but most of the hospitals now are getting dilapidated. Now Governor Wike is concentrating mainly on roads and bridges. At least, subsequent administrations should make sure these projects are well maintained. Then there has always been the issue of insecurity in the state so the new administration should make sure such thing stops. They should work on security. Also unemployment and it is Nigeria’s bread and tea. Our youths are becoming something else, a graduate is a taxi driver, is selling things in hold-ups. Unemployment should be worked on and then encourage people who are self-employed. 

We Want To See Impact In Governance  – Anonymous 

For how many years we have been driving on democracy, what has changed? Nothing. I’m not much interested in what they are doing. What is the current administration doing before you talk of the next? We should see what is on ground first that have an impact on the people before we talk of the next. We are living to see what the government is doing that have an impact for each and everyone in terms of employment and human capital development. There is no new thing that any of the aspirants in any of the political parties will say that is new again. It’s just the same old thing that they are just renewing for us. There should be employment so that there will not be much crime again.

Politicians Or The Governor Shouldn’t Intervene In Matters Concerning Traditional Institution – Chief Hezekiah Victor, Paramount Ruler, Ihuaba Community, Ahoada-East LGA 

There should be employment. The next governor should decentralize development. The next governor should engage the youths on security and give loans to real farmers in agriculture. The issue of paramount rulers, the governor or politicians shouldn’t intervene like what is happening at Ahoada now… when the whole thing should be hereditary.