Tony Okocha, a former Chief of Staff to ex-Rivers state governor and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, has called on “peace and reconciliation” over an unending crisis rocking the APC in Rivers state.
Rivers State crisis has often been blamed on the rift between Sen. Magnus Abe and Rotimi Amaechi.
However, in an article titled “THE ROLE OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION IN RIVERS STATE APC REBUILDING – PART 3”, Chief Tony Okocha “dealt with the frustrations that accompany a disunited house and the corresponding collosal losses foisted on members” and the way forward.
Find the article, below:
RE: THE ROLE OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION IN RIVERS STATE APC REBUILDING – PART 3.
I listened to how I read the variants of jabs against my passionate appeals to fellow compatriots of the APC extraction on the need for decorum, peace and reconciliation in the Party in Rivers State.
Most of these supposed “arguments” came from equally fellow founding members of the party. Not minding the sojourn into character assassination, I read with open mind and immensely thank them.
I shall turn to this later.
On the second chapter on the aforestated subject, I dealt with the frustrations that accompany a disunited house and the corresponding colossal losses foisted on members.
WAY FORWARD.
I hold strongly that realisation of peace, tranquility and total reconciliation and winning back APC in RIVERS STATE, are not rocket sciences. There are plenty of low hanging fruits to pluck.
I restate that the imbroglio that has festered thus far and estopped our growth as a party, is not land disputation. It is not tribal or communal conflict between the protagonists and antagonists or put differently, the major dramatis personae.
It was largely of who takes WHAT, HOW, and WHY.
This is not allian in Politics and so not peculiar to APC, Rivers State. Ours is even more mature, clement and serene that we locate our problems within Leadership and obedience to orders. In some climes, intra-party squabbles degenerate into fisticuffs and other heinous acts of maiming and inflicting of body injuries and worst still, mindless assassinations.
Happily, in all these years of our disagreements, members across boards, have maintained crisp civility.
ROLE OF THE YOUTHS.
The Youth population taking to mean in this sphere, as between the ages of 18-45 years, constitute 60% conservatively, of the population/membership of the party and so, have ample roles to play, in the process of bringing about Peace and genuine reconciliation baring in mind too, that a greater chunk of the benefits derivable from Politics and Politicking, accrue to them. On the corollary, they are equally the most vulnerable in the event of a failed party situation.
“Ipso facto”, the Youths have the greatest responsibility to engineer and add vent to the processes leading to the goal in issue.
The youths are the Personal aides and chief emissaries to the Big Men who are the Principal actors one way or the other. It is their responsibility to respectfully and subtly admonish their bosses against certain decisions they intend to take that will ultimately decimate the party or fracture her unity.
In the extant cases, it is clear that the Youths are at the epicenter of the various litigations, howbeit, being egged- on by the “Big Men” (This is a mere prognosis. I am not too certain but your guess is as good as mine).
If the Youths are tools used for a hatchet job they are humbly advised to take a deep breadth and introspect into the likely damage their actions have caused the Party. If their actions stemmed from self volution, it is time to double-check.
In my Ikwerre land, there is a proverb that “When a Ram soils it’s abode with urine and faeces, the only available option is to stand all through, no more lying down”. This is where we are now.
The Youths should resist being used as emissaries of mischief.
The Youths must come away from eye-service roles. They must be bold and courageous enough to speak truth to Power without minding whose Ox is gored (though with utmost respect and serenity of mind).
Youths must refuse the temptation of being induced with “bribes” (which is temporary relief), to engage in actions or inactions that will hamper the realisation of a lifelong goal.
More than ever before, as Personal aides and ardent supporters to the BIGGER BOYS, the Youths must endeavour to keep sermonising to their Bosses on the need for Peace and Reconciliation of all interests in the party towards forging a robust cohesion and togetherness for a better achievement, namely:, Contestations and Winning Elections.
No more inciting commentaries, essays and or narratives on social media that may lead to hairsplitting arguments and invocation of Biles and general discontents.
Finally, the Youths knowing that their future is at stake, must helm together and withdraw support for any whose activities tend to destroy the party going forward.
WOMEN
I needn’t remind us the reason why, the Creator (by my Christian background), God, created the Woman from the Man’s Rib. By this account, the Woman ought to be perceived as the most beautiful of God’s creations.
Whilst the man was made of dust, the Woman was made from a part of Man ~Rib.
By their nature, they are helps to Men with the attribute of Care as their greatest strong point.
For our Female members therefore, my charge is that as either Friends, Wives, Mothers, Aunties, Sisters to the disputants, they have a responsibility to advise, cushion or scold their Husbands, Children, Friends, indeed, the male counterparts, to toe the part of Peace and Reconciliation in the Party.
We must concede that every virtuous Female in whatsoever garb, influences their Male counterparts howsoever. Their counsels are superb.
Therefore, I advise that they play the stabiliser role. They are usually less of a problem to any Political Party but their activism is second to none.
ELDERS.
It is for the reason of the importance of Elders in every human organisation, that most organisations even Political Parties create or designate an Elders Council.
Elders of the Party ought to be morale boosters in the positive, to the Youths, Women and Leaderships of the Party.
In the case in issue, our Elders owe it as a duty to speak up without fear or favour.
It is reason why Chinua Achebe and most writers highlight the proverb that “it is cruel kindness for an Elder to sit idly by and watch a She-Goat attempt to deliver in tetters”.
Both the Youths, Women, Leaders and the led, come under the supervision of Elders.
Elders of our Party must break away from allegiance to the feuding factions. They should come together and address the toney issues with a bid to finding solutions to the problems.
They should seek the leave of the Leader of the Party in the State, RT Hon CRA, to convene a meeting across all interests as quickly as possible.
This “Back Channel Approach”(credit to Senator Abe), is going to be the soothing balm to realising the long elusive Peace and Reconciliation.
The Elders, I maintain, should not be sided.
“The monkey should stop laughing at a felling tree in ignorance of the fact that it is her abode that is falling”.
We need the Elders now more than before.
They must forget the issue of patronage, weaved around sympathy and or who satisfies their pecuniary interests.
LEADERSHIP OF PARTY.
APC, RIVERS STATE has a central leader in the person of RT Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, CON, Minister Of Transportation, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Needless to drop his rich CV and his exploits in the Political sphere over time. What can be taken for granted is that he is not a green horn or a neophyte in the Political turf.
Permit me to say Sir with profound respect that you have the greatest role to play to bring about the desired Peace, Reconciliation and togetherness, in the Party.
It is trite to say that there can be no leader without followers. In other words, the strength of a leader is the followers.
When a Leader like a good herdsman, pastures his flocks in good stead, the flocks do not stray and vice versa.
Sir, You know more than I do, that your Party is not in the best of times in the State now.
Can I be permitted to suggest that you forget the past and be forward looking?
Knowing you the much I can claim, I believe strongly that one of your saddest moments in your deep recess, is knowing that Your Party hasn’t representatives in Elective Offices in the State.
You are not a sadist. I can thumb up my chest to put this on record.
(I am not patronising you Sir).
As a leader, you sure know the characteristic features of the homo sapiens.
Disobedience is innate in man. Other lesser animals can be tamed to behave in a particular way not man.
For example, a dog can be made to watch over a child and it maintains that daily. But with man, the day a rule is made to compel him do a particular thing, he sees it as enslavement and may tend to disobey.
You as an Ikwerre man knows that when an argument ensues between a rich and poor Ikwerre man, as soon as he says “Do you feed me?, Am I eating in your house?” If proper care is not taken, exchange of physical blows follow instantly.
Sir, can you let go the past, forgive and forget?
Can you not continue to give opportunity to crisis entrepreneurs merchandising in their trade of fanning the embers of mischief, sycophancy and seeds of discord?
Can u see every member of APC RIVERS STATE, as your loyalist necessarily?
As a leader sir, you know too that there is no “Know-All-And-Do-All”, known to history.
Consultations and constant engagements are key to the success of any Leader.
Kindly sir, can you drop the notion of having your preferred members or friends while others are betrayers and thus not in the mainstream of your contemplation?
Can you sir stop casting aspersions and showing perceived hatred to some party members who expressed certain misgivings and ill treatments of whatsoever?
Kindly sir, take your usual boldness to call all to a meeting and admonish on the need for all to work together towards achieving our goals.
When this meeting is called, all will know who the aggressors and enemies of the party are.
The meeting anticipated here, is a meeting widely publicized and all encompassing.
It doesn’t detract or make you a weak Leader Sir.
You have shown scintillating Leadership as Speaker, RSHA for 8 years and Two terms Chairman of Association of Speakers in Nigeria.
8 Years Governor of Rivers State and two term Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum. These are organisations of equals. Your prodigies while on these saddles are crisp and crystal. You are an acclaimed Emancipator. Come back sir. I offer this with the greatest respect Pls.
The plenty cases in court can be withdrawn and settled out of court without bruces. Ego trip may transport us to the Apex Court and we return with blemishes and skemishes and sours.
There might be the interest of an unseen hands in the imbroglio.
So sorry for “So Long a Narrative”.
I shall address the issues of jabs when fully compiled. Thanks all for indulging me.
My name is Tony C Okocha, Ksc, JP.
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