In a bid to enhance the economic and general well-being of Rivers State residents and indigenes, the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has been urged to set up a Rivers State Economic Advisory Council (RSEAC) in the state.
In a statement he issued recently and sent to the Nigerian Tribune, a member of the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council, Aseme-Alabo Edward Bristol-Alagbariya, gave the advice, noting that the economic council, if established, would actualize the overall prosperity and sustainable progress of the state.
Bristol-Alagbariya, who is also the Dean, Faculty of Law, of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), noted that the economic council should be a network of eggheads of the entire population with representations from all political affiliations and component ethnic nationalities of the state.
He said the economic council would help to neutralise the deepening political divide, escalating tension, and rising anxiety in the state.
He said: “Again, I write to congratulate Your Excellency concerning the recent judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which reaffirmed your electioneering victory as the Executive Governor of Rivers State.
“Your Excellency, due to the urgent need for you to concentrate on governance, in order to strengthen the delivery of good governance, I hereby humbly and respectfully suggest and/or advise you to set up a Rivers State Economic Advisory Council (RSEAC) to assist in advising your administration on how best to enhance the wellbeing of the indigenes and residents of the state and thereby actualize overall prosperity and sustainable progress in the state.
“The proposed RSEAC, which could be made up of relevant eminent scholars of Rivers State extraction and other well-meaning Nigerian citizens, could assist your administration to succeed in many ways. For instance, the proposed RSEAC would be a think tank of your administration to enhance the economic and general well-being of the indigenes and residents of the state and to boost overall prosperity and sustainable progress in the state.
“Also, the proposed RSEAC would, as a Network of Eggheads of the entire citizens, all political affiliations and component ethnic nationalities of Rivers State, help to neutralise the deepening political divide, escalating tension, and rising anxiety in the state, so as to promote socio-economically sound and equitable progress as well as shared prosperity, towards all-embracing sustainable development in the state.
“The proposed RSEAC could thus leverage on the frameworks of the UN Agenda 21, Nigeria’s National Agenda 21, and the UN 2030 Agenda to vitalize, overhaul, and revamp the economic and other pillars of sustainable development, especially the governance (i.e., the good public sector governance [good governance]) sphere of sustainable development, to boost the wellbeing of the good people and residents of Rivers State, and thereby generate value-added contributions of the state towards the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the state,” he stated.
“Your Excellency, considering the persisting economic recession plaguing Rivers State, Nigeria at large, and the entire global community, my humble suggestion hereof is more pertinent and compelling because of the significant contributions of the erstwhile RSEAC, established by His Excellency, Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, which existed between 2007 and 2015, which is still being commended as a landmark indication of good governance in Rivers State by well-meaning Nigerians, especially opinion leaders and statesmen of Rivers State. Particularly, your predecessor and incumbent Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), His Excellency, Chief (Barrister) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has been full of respect and accolade to that RSEAC,” he added.