Rivers State Youths Lashes Out Fubara Over Palliatives

  Youth Group, South Youths Initiative, SSYI, have  condemned Governor Siminalayi Fubara for appointing Desmond Akawor, the Rivers chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as Chairman of the state Palliative Sharing Committee.

Fubara had announced that Rivers has received Federal Government’s N2 billion and the 2 16,000 bags of rice donated as palliatives to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal in the state.

Consequently, the Governor appointed Akawor to chair the Committee for sharing of the palliatives.

But President of the SSYI, Imeabe Saviour Oscar said the appointment of Akawor as Chairman of the Committee amounted to politicization of the sharing of the palliatives.

He said ” The appointment of Desmond Akawor is not welcomed in the state because it will breach the principle of fair play. Akawor is the chairman of PDP. There is no way he will not bring party into this mandate given to him; there is no way Akawor will perform beyond party affinity. If he is allowed to carrying on with this responsibility, what will be the fate of those in opposition to his party?”

The group also noted that all Local Government chairpersons appointed to take care of the sharing at the council levels are also chieftains of the PDP.

The group therefore raised eyebrows that Fubara may be trying to convert the efforts of the federal government to alleviate the suffering of the masses for cheap political settlement for members of his political party.

“These palliative were not provided for PDP as a party, so why handing it over to leaders of the party? We are calling on Governor Fubara to with immediate effect remove Desmond Akawor as the Chairman of the palliative distribution in the state because, the people of the state lack confidence that he can do the job without shutting out those who are to benefit, but are members of other political parties.

“We think that Fubara should be the governor of Rivers State and not a PDP representative in that office. If he wants to serve the state, then he should not start by bringing those who represent party to handle sensitive public responsibilities like this palliative distribution”.