By Peter Duru, Makurdi

As the governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, draw nearer, one of the contenders in the Rivers State race, Engineer Emmanuel Tubotamuno Georgewill, has taken to prayers.

Some weeks ago, he came calling in Makurdi, Benue State capital, where he spent part of his early life, to seek the prayers of his bosom friends and associates.
Georgewill told the gathering that he needed the prayers of his friends to reposition Rivers State as the treasure of Nigeria.

He disclosed that his decision to join the race was informed by his conviction in the saying that, “If good men have apathy towards public affairs, evil will prevail.”
The gubernatorial aspirant, who hails from Abonnema-Akukutoru local government area of Rivers State, after engaging in long sessions of consultations with his people, party and critical political stakeholders in the state, the response to his aspiration was that of reassurance from a people who saw him as the bridge-builder that the state craved for.

”The people have already keyed into my dream and vision which is premised on building and strengthening our institutions, restore family values, create wealth and equal opportunities, upholding law and order and promoting peaceful and harmonious co-existence in a clean and healthy environment,” Georgewill said..

”We certainly cannot afford to be careless any more but have to be careful with our resources and plan for the future of our children , youths , women and the weak in our communities, otherwise history will not forgive us”.

He stated that if elected, his mission and vision for Rivers would be accomplished through focused leadership with a selection of the best and finest team to run a trusted and open system of government.

”We will undoubtedly accord special attention to regenerating a commercial and enviable industrialized state where we can all live and work peacefully,” he said.

”It is not lost on us that our society and communities are bedeviled with poverty, decay in moral values and most of all, fear of what the future holds”. The aspirant, however, assured that his administration would usher in a better and secured future for the people in a peaceful and clean environment; “because my priority will be to plan my work and work my plan.”

While acknowledging the polarization of the political class in the state, Georgewill vowed to bring everybody on board the train of his administration, after instituting good governance at all levels of government.

He said that as a member of the G8 Group of Businessmen and Technocrats of Rivers Origin who put together the first and successful internationally acclaimed Rivers State Investment Forum in 2011, he is well grounded on the challenges the people face.

”We are in the 21st century living in the 19th century in our communities and country at large. Therefore the need to invest in projects that will impact on the people of Rivers State.”

He said his four years as governor, the state average per capita income should increase over 10-folds while “For the first time in history, the living standard of the masses and ordinary people would witness sustained growth.

”There is a lot of work to be done, therefore all hands must be on deck to fix our communities. After all we are first, one Rivers people before any other affiliations.” He retorted.
On his chances of emerging governor in an All Progressives Congress, APC, controlled state, Georgewill said the people of Rivers would decide who becomes the next governor, and we all know that “PDP is the party to beat and I also stand  out among other aspirants.”

Asked if the zoning arrangement of his party would favour his aspiration, the former Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, board member insisted that his aspiration would not be inhibited by zoning.

According to him, “the primary focus for entrusting leadership responsibility is the content of the character of the aspirant first before any other secondary consideration, hence I am not encumbered.”

Reacting to Georgewill’s decision to join the Rivers governorship race, his international partner and  Managing Director of ALS Oil & Gas from the United Arab Emirate, UAE, Pascal Bartette, said Rivers people would live to celebrate the aspirant if he emerged the governor of the state.

“ In my view, a person who has, as it is the case with you, proven in all his career, deeply rooted values of honesty, integrity, respect for his colleagues and ability to work very hard and go the extra mile, has within himself all that is required, and more importantly expected, from a person occupying a public function,” Bartette said.

”Associated to that, is your leadership qualities and charisma which speak for themselves and I am absolutely confident in your chances to be selected for the highest responsibilities of your state.

”This is somewhat not a surprise, as I know the larger role that you have been playing in your community and I am also a good witness that you have in you all the skills and values that are required to act effectively in that role.” He added.

Childhood friend and classmate of the aspirant, host and moderator of the meeting, Prof. Isaac Itodo of the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi, described the aspirant as one who had over the years courted friends across the length and breath of the country.

He described him as a true Nigerian having been born in Ilorin, grew up in Lagos and Port Harcourt, studied in Jos and Makurdi.
”As a man of character and proven Integrity, there is hardly any discipline or sector that our friend Engineer Emmauel Tubotamuno Georgewill does not have a friend; that is the kind of person he is,” Itado said

”A quintessential production engineer who happens to be the first Nigerian Coring Engineer in the oil and gas industry.
”That is the more reason why his aspiration will continue to gain support from far and wide, because everyone believe that he is the only candidate in the Rivers state governorship race that would crumble the divide that pervades the Rivers political landscape.

”And at this time of our fledging democracy, we actually require men of immense character, and goodwill, who can unite Nigerians, at the helm of affairs.