BONNY PDP: WHO IS FOOLING WHO

By Lawrence Tuotamuno Banigo

Much ado about the negativity of politicking. No house divided against itself can stand. Bonny to the best of my knowledge is abundantly blessed with resources and skilled persons to harness her potential. However bad a person may be tagged in order to be hung, there must be sterling qualities in that person which may be ignored.

Earlier this year, we heard about a whopping N140million tenement from NLNG which was judiciously expended on projects, capital and human development, etc; and a certain fraction of people for whatever reasons politicised the whole story and tagged Bonny APC leaders "criminals".

The likes of Hon. George F. Tolofari (Ex-Commissioner for Transport), Hon. Edward E. Pepple (Ex-chairman), Hon. Omuso G. Abbey (Executive Chairman), Hon. Henry Halliday (APC RSHA Candidate), Hon. Aye Pepple (Former RSHA Member), Hon. Adonye Wilcox and Hon. Adonye Wilcox (Santos) were not spared in this campaign of calumny. Even little children on the streets of Bonny are not unaware of these tales, for every stakeholder or aspirant of the APC there are 1million tales to be told. 

Digging deep into why a Bonny man does not wish his brother well and why we must "bring him down" as a lot believe, I came across a story of a certain Chief Halliday, who was denied his right to ascend the throne and in a fit of anger proclaimed that there shall no more exist peace amongst the Bonny people and there shall never be a time when one would support the ambition of his fellow brother. However true this is, I cannot tell but will make more findings on that.

That being said, it is imperative to note that the spurious allegations have caused an untold bickering without these allegations being addressed in the open. Be rest assured that the truth to such claims will be made open in a few weeks as investigations have begun in earnest so as to save us the wild tales being spread in the name of politics.

In the Odili Administration, we had a Chairman, Hon. Rodaford Long-John. Subsequently, in the Amaechi Administration, we had a Chairman, Hon. Edward E. Pepple. Both of them, now on two ends of the divide, in the two administrations. We  had Hon. Toru Ofili and Hon. George F. Tolofari as Commissioners, respectively. Now there are issues bothering on projects and we have had all these politicians while some put in effort assiduously others did nothing. However, the Bonny people have been torn apart due to the unnecessary mudslinging from the PDP camp against the APC stalwarts.

Enough is enough! Our people cannot continue to grope in the dark over the inefficiencies of a microscopic few who have no vision for the people except to enrich themselves.

Enough is enough! We are tired of hearing how Mr A and his group looted the commonwealth of the people just hearsay without proper documentation to show.

Enough is enough! We cannot continue to have outsiders come in repeatedly to tear us apart with false promises that they never fulfil but yet live in peace within their people and their communities.

Enough is enough! We cannot continue to show unnecessary respect for elders who have thought it wise to short-change the people and leave them impoverished in the midst of plenty.

Enough is enough! We cannot continue to accept lies being peddled in a bid to smear the hard-earned reputation of well-meaning Bonny sons and daughters.

Who is actually fooling who? After all the accusations of illegal sharing of N140million from NLNG, our people are wiser. N35million came in from SPDC and going by the feelers our intelligence gathering team have been gathering, it's been shared amicably among party faithful.

The people have been disconnected from governance, ever since the CTC Chairman, Idawarifagha Benjamin Ibietonye, was installed by Nyesom Wike, there has been little or nothing to point to and this has reduced the people to massive wailing. Unlike previous administrations, we don't see people thronging the Council Secretariat in numbers as before.

Can the CTC Chairman, Idawarifagha Benjamin Ibietonye, Hon. Rodaford Longjohn, Toru Ofili, and other Bonny PDP bigwigs come out openly and show us what our N35million was spent on?

We use this medium to request that the CTC Chairman engage a forensic expert to please conduct a thorough investigation/inspection of the Council Accounts as we are tired of the endless tales of looting by the APC-led administration. This audit should preferably start from Hon. Rodaford Long-John's administration to the current CTC Chairman. Let's see who short-changed the people.

This is the 21st century and a certain percentage of us are well enlightened. So we know that if a letter/cash comes in, there are procedures before it gets to the Chairman and there's not only one-man access to the accounts. There's no need pulling down whoever held the seat of Chairman, show the people from the official records what went down. Till this is achieved there's no point in painting the APC as black.

We are coming out to the public with facts in due time because when one finger is stained it rubs off on the others. If one is guilty because he is in the APC, then there was a time when you were all together and you knew/took part in what transpired. We demand for a probe, let the people know who is actually fooling who.

Goodbye for now, till I'm able to write you again which won't be long. I eagerly await your response.