The Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty Ohna Serg Awuse DSSRS, along with other Traditional rulers of the state received in an interactive session the Rivers State Representative in the board of NDDC and the Executive Director Finance and Administration, Chief Tony C Okocha and Hon Boma Iyaye respectively.
According to the Paramount Ruler of Emohua Kingdom, the meeting was at the instance of Chief Tony Okocha through a request to the Council seeking to meet and interact with Government recognized traditional rulers, in a bid to share ideas on how the programs of NDDC would serve the best interest of the people of the state under the current administration.
While commending the NDDC guests for their thoughtfulness and courage to seek collaboration of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, the Paramount Ruler however, hinted that ironically, the Council since 2015 had in a series of letters requested to meet and dialogue with management of NDDC for the interest of the state but unfortunately those letters have remained in the shelves unattended to till date.
The Rivers State Rep in NDDC, Chief Tony Okocha expressed his gratitude to the Chairman of the Council for the warm reception. He went further to seek the collaboration and support of the Council as he asserts that Rivers state being one of the largest state and major contributors of the country’s economy is expected to have a greater share in the budgetary allocation to the states of the Niger Delta.
The EDFA on his own part hinted that he joined the state Rep, Chief Tony Okocha to the council purely because of his love and passion for the development of Rivers State.
“When the Rivers State Rep called and asked me to join him to this meeting, I quickly obliged because I know that I am first a Rivers indigene before I was now called a man from Niger Delta. And because my priority is to place the interests of Rivers State above that of any other state”.
He went further to assure the Council that today’s interactive session is purely between the Traditional rulers and the Rivers state Rep and not the management team of the NDDC.
He however assured the Chairman that in the coming weeks, the management team of the NDDC will pay a befitting visit to the Council upon which a broader scope of cooperation and engagement will be made open for the development of the State.
Other Traditional Rulers took turns to share their ideas, suggestions and advice to the State Rep.
However in a closing remark, The Chairman charged the members of the Council to continue in their usual character of putting the overall interest of Rivers state above their own personal or group interest, as more government agencies and corporations have shown readiness in seeking the collaboration of the Council.
Peoplesmind
