BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

PORT HARCOURT: When the Rivers state government listed former Governor Chibuike Amaechi as one of the recipients of the state awards in celebration of the golden jubilee of the creation of the state most observers of political developments in the state were not too sure how Amaechi would react to it.

Opinions were divided in Port Harcourt as to whether he should accept it or not. Some said Amaechi who is currently the Minister of Transportation would reject it because they argued it was a Greek gift while others believed he should accept it since it was a recognition from his state.

L-R: National Caretaker Committee Chairman of PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Governor Nyesom Wike & Former president, Goodluck Jonathan at the Rivers Golden Jubilee Anniversary Lecture in Port Harcourt

Those who said he should accept it argued that the state government was larger than Governor Nyesom Wike. They said though Wike and Amaechi have been locked in a long battle for political supremacy in the state  the state government was beyond the occupant of office of the governor and as a result, the Minister of Transportation, Mr Amaechi should see the honour as a recognition of his positive contributions to Rivers state and accept it.

Some recalled that his friend, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka at a time accepted a national honours from the military government, an institution he campaigned vigorously against but the award did not stop him from his campaign against military involvement in governance.

Some of Amaechi’s supporters said he should have done the same, adding that he needed not to be physically present to receive it .

Those who were opposed to his acceptance of the honour said like Professor Chinua Achebe who rejected a national honour from the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo because of the failures of the administration to meet the expectations of most Nigerians, Amaechi should do same.

The former governor, few days after the offer was made, in a statement announced his rejection, describing the award as poisoned chalice. He accused his political rival, Governor Wike of lacking in moral uprightness to confer such honour on him.

Amaechi was not the only member of the opposition All Progressive Congress, APC, who were to be honoured during the celebration. Former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and chieftain of the party in the state, Prince Chibudum Nwuche accepted the honours and attended the ceremony to be decorated.

Governor Wike at the award night explained that the honour was extended to the Minister of Transportation, Mr Amaechi because the principle was that all former governors were automatically entitled to it regardless of any issues they may have had.

He said his administration was however going to amend the law to ensure that any former governor who has been indicted for corruption and abuse of public office would not be conferred the state honours.

Meantime, some Rivers state indigenes have expressed surprise that some prominent persons in the state who should have been honoured were missing on the list. One of such person, according to them, was late Boma Erekosima, who should have been given a posthumous award. Late Boma was a foremost journalist from the state who conceived pidgin English language as a medium of formal communication on Radio.

They said Boma, who was Editor of Tide Newspaper was approached by former Military Administrator of old Rivers state, Police Commissioner, Fidelis Oyakhilome to develop pidgin English on radio as a medium of wider communication because at that time all the local languages could not be accommodated in the local news time.

Boma did it to the admiration of all in the state, blending it with his rich sense of humour. The pidgin English news became the delight of everyone in the state and beyond and soon other radio and television stations across the country adopted it as a formal vehicle of communication to reach wider audience in their areas.

The late Boma also created Duo, a television series that was a delight in the state and it went round several stations of the Nigerian Television.

His admirers recalled that at a time when some sections of the state were embroiled in communal crisis, he was commissioned by Military Administrators like Godwin Abe, and Musa Komo to roll out special jingles laced with wise sayings to promote peace all over the state. And truly many communities saw the need to sheath their sword.

They said Boma’s pidgin English programmes largely made Radio rivers a household station in several parts of the country as many hooked up to it. The late Head of State, General Sani Abacha was also caught by the bug as he invited Boma who was also a Stand up comedian per excellence to perform at the State House

Continuing, they said Boma projected the proud cultural heritage of Rivers with his radio programmes that were rich in African proverbs and wise sayings noting that “there is no government that will not celebrate such a talent”

They said since his death in 1996 he had bagged posthumous awards at several events in Lagos state .

Former Chairman, Rives state chapter of Trade Union Congress, TUC, Mr Chika Onuegbu also said he was disappointed that a former leader of PENGASSAN, Mr Milton Dabibi could be missing on the list of awardees.

He said Dabibi who is about 84 years old, alongside Frank Ovie Kokori, former General Secretary, NUPENG , resisted military tyranny in the country

Unuegbu said the sacrifices made by Dabibi, Kokori , Gani Fawehinmi, Chima Ubani, Bekor Ransome kuti and several other pro democracy activists gave birth to democracy that brought about current political dispensation in the country

“ It is very unfortunate that the present crop of politicians will not accord these social crusaders their rightful place. It is sad that Dabibi’s name will be missing on the list of awardees in the state “, he said. Some persons said they also expected the awards to be extended to primary school teachers who gave their all to teach in deep riverine communities in the state at a time there were barely modern day comfort. They also recalled that the first black Principal of Government College, Umuahia, late Chief Erekosima should have been on the list.

According to commentators, “there are so many names that could have made the list. It does not sound logical that in 50 years we could only identify 127 names for honours with about thirty of them coming from the class of current active politicians”.