So why are we talking about ethnic or regional categories and dichotomies? Because this is Nigeria and our sense of fairness and equity are still rooted in the primordial emotions of ethnicity, tribalism and other similar expressions of divisive categories. Whether these categories are critical to our individual wellbeing and self-interest are still, at best, hazy and undetermined.
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Freedom is the oracle that resides in the shrine of democracy. Through this freedom we consult and examine the essence of governance and social planning. Without freedom the halls of democracy will be deserted by true followers and the nature of social planning and governance may never be known and will remain unknowable.
-- In Rivers State there are 23 Local Government Areas divided into six ethnic-affinity groups, geographically delineated in a Riverine-Upland Dichotomy namely:
- Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Bonny, Degema, Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru, Ogu/Bolo and Okrika (Ijaw Kin) RIVERINE
- Ikwerre, Etche, Emuoha (Ikwerre Kin) UPLAND
- Omuma, Oyigbo, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, (Igbo Kin) UPLAND
- Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West (Ekpeya Kin) UPLAND-RIVERINE
- Tai, Eleme, Gokhana and Khana (Ogoni Kin) UPLAND
- Obio/Apkor and Port Harcourt (Non-Indigenes, Ikwerre, Okrika) UPLAND-RIVERINE
In this configuration, no one group can stand-alone and produce the governor of the State, if group size was the only determinant. In an effectively two Party System, it further means that any one group dominating a Party (APC or PDP) can be voted out by the coalition of the remaining groups in the other Party.
Freedom is the oracle that resides in the shrine of democracy. Through this freedom we consult and examine the essence of governance and social planning. Without freedom the halls of democracy will be deserted by true followers and the nature of social planning and governance may never be known and will remain unknowable.
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