…As Accord Commissions Campaign Office In Abonnema
The governorship standard bearer of Accord in Rivers State, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs has promised to donate his monthly salaries to women in Rivers State if elected governor of the state in 2023.
The Accord candidate who made the declaration in Abonnema, headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area (AKULGA) on Saturday while commissioning the campaign office of the party in the area, said the gesture would underscore his support and value for womanhood.
He said he had already demonstrated this by choosing a woman from the Ogoni extraction, Mrs. Tambari Hilda Dedam from Bane, as running mate.
He went on: “Bane is the home town of our late icon, Ken Saro-Wiwa. By choosing her, we have invoked the spirit of Ogoni struggle, we shall remember the pains of our brother, the Ogoni people in our government. Bori has since remained a glorified municipal council but in our government, Bori shall be a city.
“We have come to take Rivers State to that height where it ought to be, and that is what I ask God every day, to allow us the grace to win election and form the unity government so that we can do the work for the people; that is the only reason we want to be in government”.
The commissioning ceremony threw Abonnema City into celebration as people from all walks of life trooped there to show solidarity to Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs and his party, Accord.
Addressing the crowd at the brief, but colourful ceremony, Chief Lulu Briggs said he did not come to campaign but to commission campaign office that was donated to the party by well meaning people of Rivers State.
“I just want to tell us that you are beginning to witness the greatness of Rivers State again. We have christened our programme the ‘We Agenda’, putting people first. That is why our Hausa brothers and sisters in Abonnema are part of the ‘We’ that we talk about, and you can see that they are here.
“We are a family, family of Rivers State; we shall not do anything other than to put Rivers State and our people first.
“The name of our party is Accord not Accord Party. We are not about party; we are about people, so we shall do everything in one Accord with God”, he said.
Chief Lulu-Briggs advised members of other political parties not despair as Accord will form a government that would include everyone including the opposition.
“They are going to be part of our government. We intend to protect everybody who are law-abiding residents of Rivers State and give you the same opportunity we give to ourselves .There shall be no discrimination in my government. Let us not be surprised that we will find Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo men, women and people of other tribes in our government, as Commissioners, if elected.
“Our mothers are too sacrificial, they like to give everything to us and take almost nothing, women went to the National Assembly requesting for participation in Governance in way of 35 percent affirmative action, in our Government we shall give women 50 percent, in our government we will not have women that will be just Deputy Chairmen of LGAs. We shall support women to aspire for Chairmen of Local Government Areas”, he said.
In his speech, Kerry Briggs, the Local Government Chairman of Accord in his welcome address said the just commissioned Accord campaign office will aid effective campaign with the sole aim of delivering Accord in the LGA in all elective positions come 2023.
Earlier Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs had visited the Amanyanabo of Abonnema where he received royal blessing from His Royal Majesty, King Disrael Gbobo Bob-Manuel.
In attendance at the occasion were the state leadership of Accord, Deputy Governorship Candidate, other candidates, members of Abonnema Council of Chiefs, Youths and the Academia.
