Pastor Tonye Patrick Cole mni, Rivers APC governorship candidate in the 2023 general election, has assured that his government when elected, will honour all APC members who lost their lives during the 2015 and 2019 elections in the state.
He declared that within his first 100 days in office as Governor, a list of those killed in the period under review, across the state, will be collated for adequate compensation and immortalization.
Architect Tonye Cole made the promise as he adressed the people of Ahoada East Tuesday, at the APC campaign flag-off rally for the local government area, also said his government will organize a service of honour in their remembrance.
“Bright Esoh; Bright in 2015 was one of the APC boys who died. He was shot and killed because of APC. I met his mother, Mrs. Ethel Esoh today, and for the last eight years Mrs. Esoh has been mourning her son. I told her something; everybody that died because of this party will not be forgotten”.
“We will collate a list of all those who were killed in 2015 and our government will make sure that their families are compensated. I know some in ONELGA, I know some in Ahoada East. They killed many people. Mrs. Ethel Esoh reminded me today”.
The frontline APC gubernatorial standard bearer expressed sympathy with the families, also used the opportunity to call for a minute of silence in honour of the departed and prayers were offered for the repose of their souls.
Pastor Tonye Cole emphasized that his government will not only restore hopes to their love ones and families they left behind, but will ensure their names are not forgotten.
“Within the first 100 days in office, we will compile a list of all those who were killed, we are going to hold a memorial service in their honour, we will meet with those they left behind and do for them whatever their lost ones would have done for them if they were alive”.
Tonye Cole berated the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for watching ordinary Rivers market women and traders suffer in the face of hardship necessitated by current monetary policy of the CBN.
He said Rivers State is blessed with enormous financial resources, and wondered why Gov. Wike can not consider embarking on conditional cash transfer, to cushion the effect of the cash crunch and hardship being experienced by vulnerable Rivers market women and traders at this time.
He advised the Governor to give every trader and market woman cash token every week to boast their small businesses.
“It is called ‘conditional cash transfer’. Go to the market, those who don’t have bank account, those at the bottom of the pyramid, they can not do transfers, what they need is cash. So you go to everybody and you give them a little trade money “.
“If the Rivers State Government had done this, people won’t be suffering as much as they do today. Rivers State has money but the monies are in the pockets of big men and the small people are suffering”.
Architect Tonye Cole appealed to the Rivers State Government to stop supporting political violence and vote buying, but rather redirect his attention towards alleviating the hardship being faced by local Rivers traders.
“I am begging Gov. Nyesom Wike, instead of sending Local Government Chairmen to stop us from campaigning, instead of sending people to break our canopies, please go to the market, go to the traders and give them little money, that’s all what we are asking from you”
“The cash is there, don’t use it for vote buying. Instead of buying votes, please feed the people, please think about the people, not politics”.
Earlier, the campaign train of Architect Tonye Cole and Dr Innocent Barikor had visited traditional institutions and people in Edeoha, Upata kingdom and Ahoada markets soliciting for votes for the APC.
