From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Former lawmaker representing the Rivers South East senatorial district, Senator Magnus Abe, has declared that neither him, nor anyone else could solve all the challenges confronting Rivers State.
The lawmaker has also acknowledged that he was part of the success story of the state and the mistakes in governance experienced by the state.
Senator Abe spoke at ian nteractive session with Rivers youths and young professionals in Port Harcourt, yesterday, stressing that it would be pretentious for anyone pretending to govern the state to claim that he or she has has all it takes to solve the state problems.
The former lawmaker, who still consulting towards contesting 2023 Rivers State governorship, admonished Rivers youths to stop relying on the godfather syndrome which has not brought about the society of their dream.
He said, “It’s pretense to say I have all the answers to whatever challenges our state is facing. Or to pretend that somehow, I am not part of whatever may have been the mistakes or issues of our states in the past.
“I am part of whatever success we have had in Rivers State because I have been in Rivers politics at least from 1998 or so. I am also part of whatever failures we may have had.
“But, in course of whatever success or failure we have put together, we have also acquired experience. We have better ideas. We know the things that will not work and can’t work.
“We know the thing that would work and can be made better. So, the temptation to throw away every old politician and want to start afresh is not the way to go. Somebody starting afresh would have to known what people already know should not be known.
“So, going forward, we must do things differently from the way we have done them before. If we continue to do things the way we have always done them, don’t be surprised that we will get the same results that our actions have always produced.”
He appealed to the youths to believe in themselves and support merit and competence, so that the society would have credible leadership that would give equal opportunity to the citizens.