Mr Bernard Mikko has purchased the All Progressives Congress (APC) Expression of Interest and Nomination forms at the cost of N50 million to join the Rivers 2023 governorship race.
Mikko, at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja, said his vision for Rivers is to harness the state’s resources for urgent and balanced development and economic growth.
The aspirant, who was the first to purchase the party’s governorship Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, said he is not in the race to acquire political power for aggrandisement and brigandage.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mikko represented Khana and Gokana Federal Constituency from 1999-2003 on Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform in the fourth National Assembly.
Mikko recalled that President Mohammadu Buhari, at the 11th APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, re-echoed his resolve to deliver credible and transparent electoral process to Nigerians before leaving office in 2023.
He said with Buhari’s resolve and advancement of Science and Technology, the electoral process or ballot could no longer be brazenly rigged, neither could a predetermined outcome be declared.
He said with the president’s resolve and the corresponding collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), “unjustifiable means could no longer lead to justifiable end”.
Mikko said the leadership recruitment process and the emergence of political office holders accounted for the challenges of poverty, corruption, weak or failed institutions and bad governance.
“As we continue to emphasise the need for good and strong institutions of government, we often overlook the importance of the personal qualities of those who make them work.
“It is in this regard that I offer myself as humble servant without blemish to fly the APC flag in Rivers and bring our party to a resounding victory in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
“I have offered myself to be Governor of Rivers not as a supreme leader of the multi ethnic state with a population of over five million people.
“But as a humble servant that will collaborate with the various cadres of traditional, cultural, social and political leadership that will define our collective priorities for the allocation of the resources for development and economic growth,” Mikko said.
He added that as a former legislator, he is conversant with the qualification for the office of a State Governor as enshrined in section 177 of the 1999 Constitution.
He dismissed reports making the rounds that a particular aspirant had been endorsed as the preferred candidate to fly the APC flag in 2023 governorship election, saying that the public should disregard the report.
He expressed optimism that all the APC needs to win Rivers in the coming elections, is to have a united front.
“As we begin the journey of reclaiming our state with consultation with our major stakeholders, delegates and party faithful, I appeal that you see this initiative as a significant source of hope to forge unity and prosperity to our people at home and in the Diaspora.
“For far too long, our people have been in the political limbo. I enjoin you all to join hands with us to bring back our state to work for everyone again to the glory of God Almighty,” he said.
Mikko said it is regrettable that there is water everywhere in the state but there is no clean and safe water to drink.
“I will work with you to provide clean, safe and potable water for all; instead of champagne for a few. Our development plan will entail a modest programme for security of both life and property,” he said.
He attributed insecurity in parts of Rivers to anxieties and schisms created by political campaigns of non-existence geographical dichotomies, ethnic profiling and racial epithets within an otherwise peaceful and united people.
Mikko said if elected as the next Rivers governor, he would embark on a rapid centrifugal mass transportation system that would encircle and create a ring road around the entire state.
According to him, this will make it possible to travel from country home to any part of the state within the shortest possible time or go to work in Port Harcourt within an hour of travelling.
“We will also generate adequate electricity supply from our huge natural gas reserve.
“We will rigorously tackle the problem of urban blight, particularly the environmental degradation and the hazardous air pollution that have turned our traditional garden city into an unfortunate garbage city and our natural heritage an endangered ecosystem,” he said.
He noted that the acid rain and black sooth that residents of the state are forced to contend with in the past few years, is a clear evidence of environmental terrorism meted out on the people.
This is because all efforts to seek redress and remediation as recommended in the UNEP report had not been adequately addressed.
“As we yearn for cleaner environment, comprehensive family health care system will be introduced to tackle maternal and infant mortality while also enforcing public hygiene and modern health care protocols.
“Our educational systems will be rejigged to produce graduates with relevant technical and entrepreneurial skills that will create jobs and address our social problems, and not turn out ineffectual graduates that will merely explain the societal problems rather than dominating and solving them.
“In doing this, our administration will be anchored on the voluntary obedience of the rule of law and social values with the engagement of traditional institutions,” Mikko said.
He added that if elected as the next Rivers governor, the state judicial reform would be inclined to social justice with the consideration of non-custodian sentences to decongest and improve prison conditions and reduce costs.