Rivers 2015 Polls: Peterside unfolds his manifesto, appeals to Rivers people to vote for APC

Nwaorgu Faustinus

As you know, I have commenced rigorous political campaign in my quest to serve the good people of Rivers state as the next governor.  I have been travelling around the length and breadth of our rich and beautiful land and at each stop have received overwhelming welcome and embrace. I have felt and shared that spirit of expectation and hope expressed by the people as we match together from street to street, palace to palace and from community to community.  I will remain ever grateful to you all for your support and confidence in me.

In all my years as a public servant I have pursued my endeavours on the pillars of truth, transparency, social justice and equity. I have always considered the people my first constituency as I discharged my responsibilities with humility, accountability and fear of God.

As I embark on this journey and race to become your governor, to take our people to the next level from possibilities to greatness building on the indelible legacies of Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, I am convinced of the strong desire of you to see further development in an environment of peace, security, stability and opportunity.

I am not driven by the pomp and perks of office, or the gains or accolades that may accrue to me in office. Instead, I am driven by service. Service to my people, service to the elderly long forgotten, service to the fishermen whose rivers and creeks have been so polluted that they have to look for jobs in their old age, for the motherless cast off at the dump, for the youth with vision and talents but without structure to fulfil his dreams, for the single mum in the village without a support system to help her care for her children or rise again to pursue her dreams, service to our employable youths, to rescue them from idleness, despair and violence.

I am driven by the desire to give the professionals and businessmen a sense of belonging and an enabling environment to ply their trade and flourish; to create quality employment for our teeming youths and to empower our local businesses to grow; to deliver world class health services, quality education and vocational training to our young ones in a bid to providing them a sound foundation to secure their future and for the good people of Rivers State.

This drive is borne out of my core value base moored in the eternal doctrine and principle of leadership “praesis ut prosis ne ut imperes” – lead in order to serve, not in order to rule. I am your servant. I work for you and with you to make Rivers State a great state. I entreat you to share with me my vision of Rivers State: “to Create A Prosperous State Anchored On The Development of A Well Diversified Local Economy That Will Expand Economic Opportunities Through Wealth Creation, Employment Generation, Social Entrepreneurship & Values Re-orientation And Rapidly Uplift The Standard Of Living Of Rivers People in A Secure and Harmonious Environment of Equal & Boundless Opportunities.”

This vision for a greater Rivers State is hinged on four pillars as espoused in Our Roadmap to Prosperity, namely, Public Sector Accountability and Security of lives and Property, Employment Generation and Wealth Creation, Social and Human Capital Development and Empowerment, Institutional and Physical Infrastructural Development and Food Security.  This is further broken into twenty eight sub sections detailing measures and steps we will employ to deliver top notch services and enhance the living standards of our people.

I implore you to read Our Road to Prosperity document. You will see my pledge and social contract with you to make Rivers State a great state. I beg you to acquaint yourself with the content and see ways you can work with me to actualise them. Hold me to account when in office if I deviate from this social contract.

Rivers State is our one and only state. It behoves us to bequeath greatness to posterity. That journey to greatness starts with you. Your choice on 28th of February will either set us on that part or take us backwards. It is said that a people deserve the leadership they get.

The choice is yours and you alone have the power to cause change and progress to happen. It is in your vote and I therefore invite you to key into our vision for a greater, stronger, prosperous Rivers State.  Vote for the APC, vote for change you can see, feel and participate in.  Vote out the old order and vote in a new order of peace, security, equal opportunities and prosperity for everyone.

Your brother,

Dakuku Adol Peterside, PhD