By    Jimitota Onoyume, Port Harcourt
Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has decried the failure of the Federal Government to recognise  anyone from  Rivers State as part of the 50th independence celebrations.

Amaechi said he was surprised that nobody from his state was listed for the honour.
Noting the role of the late Harold Dappa- Biriye in the Nigeria project  in what could pass as a protest action, Amaechi went ahead to confer a post humours award on the late sage and  nationalist.

Recalling that Dappa-Biriye was among the foremost nationalists in the country,  the governor said the post humours award from the state government was to correct the omission on the part of the Federal Government.

Amaechi,  who said that his administration will pursue the interest and welfare of Rivers citizens in national politics, stressed that “on our own we have chosen to recognize post-humously Chief Dappa- Biriye” for his contributions to the nation.

The governor  commended all those who contributed to the success of the golden jubilee celebration and  observed that governance in the state has been quite challenging.

H e assured the people of the state of improvement in the security of lives and property, adding that with the Federal Government’s intervention in Abia State, the influx of criminals from neighbouring states would be nipped in the bud. Dappa- Biriye was a first republic politician.