Three Guber Candidates Honour Rivers NUJ Governorship Debate
2 min read
Edith CHUKU
Three gubernatorial candidates in the forthcoming March 11 governorship elections in Rivers State have reaffirmed their commitment to fulfilling their mandates if they emerge winners.
They are the gubernatorial candidate of Action Alliance, Dawari George, candidate of Accord, Dumo Lulu-Briggs and candidate of Booth, Tekena Iyagba.
It is not very clear why the governorship flagbearer of the ruling PDP in the state, Siminalayi Fubara, candidate of the SDP, Sen. Magnus Abe, candidate of the Labour Party, Beatrice Itubo, that of the APC, Tonye Cole appears to have failed to honour the NUJ invitation.
According to the NUJ Chairman, Mr. Stanley Job Stanley, in his welcome address, he stressed that the debate holding at the Press Centre, Moscow Road, is aimed at, “interrogating those aspiring to lead the state in all capacities, starting from governorship candidates. We thus would use what these highly respected patriots would promise today to hold whichever of them that takes over as Governor in May 2023.
“Every year, the NUJ would hold an Accountability Forum to score the Governor along the promises made here tonight and the manifesto submitted to the Rivers people.”
The NUJ Chair explained that, “It will no longer be business as usual because the state and the candidates have committed to Open Governance and open budget principles. Budgets of the state would have to be subjected to the global best practice known as Budget Breakdown to the media, Labour and Civil Society.”
Three Guber Candidates Honour Rivers NUJ Governorship Debate
He further drew their attention on the urgent need to, “revatilize Rivers State Government-owned media outfits into formidable institutions to lead in opinion and information befitting of the status of Rivers as a leading state in the south-south. We shall be handing a Memorandum of Request in this direction to each candidate so that such would be looked into from day one of taking over government, whoever it shall be.”
