By Memoye Oghu
The just inaugurated Finance Committee of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may meet next week Wednesday, March 2, 2022 to map out plans on how to raise funds for the party in the state.
Chairman of the committee, Mr Maxwell Akwe, made the disclosure while speaking to newsmen shortly after their inauguration at the state party secretariat in Port Harcourt on Monday, February 21, 2022 by the state party chairman, Chief Emeka Beke.
Though he refused to disclose likely strategies to be adopted by the committee, he said, “If I say what and what I’ll be bringing, I’ll be taking over the job of the committee. The committee is made up of a lot of people, we’ll have to put our heads together and then come out with a blueprint. Like I said we’re meeting hopefully by 2nd of March and we’ll rub minds as party stalwarts. We have professionals.”
He advised party supporters to remain steadfast and be very supportive of the party in the state. “My advice to members is that APC has come to stay. We’ve surpassed a lot of problems, we want to win elections and it will take all hands on deck to get to that point.”
Reacting to the rumoured meeting between the Senator Magnus Abe faction of the party and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, on how to re-enact the 2019 scenario in which the party was legally barred from presenting candidates for the elections, he averred, “A lot of revelations are coming out; a lot of things are unfolding. People are beginning to realize that they’re used and they’ll not want to be used anymore. That’s why you’re seeing these things.”
While inaugurating the committees early, the chairman of Rivers State chapter of the APC, Chief Emeka Beke, charged members of the various committees to develop a model that will help the party to be more formidable, strong and viable.
He advised the Reconciliation committee to ensure that all aggrieved members of the party are contacted and brought back to the fold, while noting that disagreements and misunderstandings are inevitable among human.
The party chairman said that the party in the state will no longer tolerate any act of impersonation by party members, while adding that the time when members acted against the party’s guidelines and constitution in Rivers State was over.
Chief Beke made it clear that APC in Rivers State will occupy Government House in 2023, adding that Rivers people are tired of the present Government and are yearning seriously for a change of governance and narrative.
In separate responses, chairmen of the Finance committee, Mr Maxwel Akwe; Media committee, Chris Finebone and Reconciliation committee, Dr. Dawari George, respectively assured the party that they would put in their best to ensure victory for the party in 2023.
Prince Tonye Princewill, a chieftain of the party in the state who visited the state secretariat of the party after the inauguration with his supporters told our correspondent that he was still consulting on his gubernatorial ambition for 2023.
“If I storm this secretariat, there will be no room for anybody to enter. I just came and people followed me here. But if I was going to storm this place, there would be no space for people to enter. I’ve a lot of supporters; I’ve been in politics now for over 15 years and technically you can imagine that a lot of these people are still with me.
“On 2023, I’ve said that I’m going to consult and my consultations have started. The outcome of that consultations will determine whether I’m going to run or not.”
Commenting on a possible Amaechi presidency come 2023, Princewill said, “Amaechi is a result person. If you follow Amaechi you’ll know him very well. Amaechi meet challenges, he’s somebody who thrives on challenges and there’s no greater challenge than moving Nigeria forward.”