From Borokiri to Rumuokoro, there is one common feature that makes Port Harcourt what it is: the place is gradually carving a niche for itself as Nigeria�s garbage city. Things are even getting worse with the activities of militants, who have in the recent past, painted the oil city black. They have sentenced nightlife to a perpetual non-existence. Those who have decided to engage in gainful activities have taken over the roads.
They trade everywhere possible.
In fact, there is hardly any relaxation spot in Port Harcourt. It is not because the people cannot afford to relax. It is not because they do not like it. No. It is simply because there is no place to go. Those who led the state in the past did not think about this. Or, maybe they did not think it was necessary. Which perhaps explains why the former governor, Dr Peter Odili, decided to go to Calabar to invest in the N100 billion Tinapa resort on behalf of the Rivers State indigenes.
Last December, not a few Rivers State indigenes went to Calabar to have fun during the last Christmas festival.
Those who went there did not do so because they enjoyed driving that far to catch fun. They had no choice. And, with tears in their eyes, they moved over to Nigeria �s acclaimed cleanest and most organized state capital to spend their money and relax in a neat environment called Calabar.
These must have provoked Tonye Princewill, the leader of the Action Congress in Rivers State. Even if he could not win the 2007 election, he has not allowed his dreams for his state to die. But he is doing it in a very strange way.
Princewill, a prince himself, a leader of the opposition in the state, has chosen to go into a strange alliance with the Rotimi Amaechi, governor of the state who belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Even with criticisms that he ought not to have worked closely with a PDP government, he has gone a crazy step further to mount bill boards in some parts of the state capital with a simple message: support Amaechi as long as his administration lasts but vote the AC during the local government elections and in subsequent elections.
If you ask him why he has chosen to travel abroad to shop for investors in the state, or why he chose to convince the Silverbird group to come to Port Harcourt and promote tourism, re-awaken nightlife and give more meaning to trade and industry in the state, when the government of the day was being run by a PDP person, he will simply tell you that Amaechi is only a PDP member in name and a Rivers man at heart. If you press further, he will tell you that Amaechi, whom he refers to as his brother, is a governor for the Rivers people and not the governor of the PDP.
As far as he is concerned, the alliance is not strange. �Anybody who truly loves Rivers State should leave party politics or his pocket. To me, it is a sense of duty and responsibility. It is a sense of satisfaction to me that my dreams are becoming a reality. Without somebody like Amaechi, it would not have been possible. The reason why the people have agreed to come here is because they trust the person who is at the helms of affairs.
�We are building on that and I looked at it, that it is an opportunity to make things happen. I know people will say it is strange for someone in the opposition party to be working closely with the government in power. But for me, we have decided to encourage him to succeed.
�This government seems to be giving attention to the private sector to be a part of the development of the state. We need employments and we need to create the environment for employments to be generated,� he said.
He does not pretend about his hate for the face of Port Harcourt as it is currently. He hates to see the dirty gutters. He hates to see and hear that people can no longer have fun at night. He hates to see that roadside trading is becoming a way of life for Port Harcourt people. He hates to see that most of the youths who would have been useful to themselves, who may have been used and dumped by politicians in the past, and who are still willing and ready to carry guns for power seekers, have remained jobless. That was probably how the idea came to partner the Amaechi government and convince his friends in the business world at home and abroad to come and take the advantage of the various facilities in the state to change the face of Port Harcourt.
According to Princewill, the entertainment firm is to build a world-class shopping mall with their money. He said having travelled to many parts of the world; the sight of garbage in a Garden City was gory. He said his dream was to see a Port Harcourt that was clean, �not just physically, but morally. Cleaning up Port Harcourt in such a way that when people come, they know that human beings live here. I was in Calabar the other day and what I saw was amazing- a cool environment where you can relax. Port Harcourt used to be like that before, when you could drive to Aggrey Road , buy suya and enjoy yourself. I will like an environment where things are orderly. My dream Port Harcourt is a decongested place and the only way this can be achieved is to develop more cities. Port Harcourt is so crowded now that people are taking over the roads to do their business.�
He gave an insight into the Silverbird project, saying, �it is a concept that only civilized individuals can bear. On one side of the road, you are going to have a shopping mall, a four star hotel and a conference centre and we are going to start with the shopping mall.�
He said consideration was also being given to the construction of an underground rail system around the present Obi Wali Cultural Centre. Princewill gave the indication that the centre would soon be pulled down to allow for construction work to commence. The project, he said, would be completed in 18 months. �Some people will say don�t mind Princewill, he is pursuing his interest. But I am happy that I am using my money to get the people down. I know that I will benefit in the long run but my interest now is for the face of Port Harcourt to change.�
But how does he intenf to force Amechi, the man on the driving seat, to implement this dream of his? His answer: Amaechi has the same passion that I have for Rivers State , that is why we can work together. I can tell you that without somebody like him, it would have been difficult for things like this to work out.
Mar282008