Despite being the oldest divisional headquarters in Rivers State, the indigenous people of the town have lamented that the town has been marginalised politically and have not benefited from government projects.
Speakers at a stakeholders’ forum held in Degema on 3rd January demanded for more electoral wards, political appointments and siting of development projects in the community.
Mr. Bethuel Karibo, who presided over the forum, however said despite being marginalized it was also necessary for the people of Degema to raise their consciousness level and stand up to the issues that confront them.
“We are looking inwards now to find those things that are dragging us back. Why is it that we are not able to reach where we are supposed to go to? It’s a community where we had almost the same population with Tombia. How come Tombia has four wards and we have two? How come Tombia has produced Chairmen and we have not produced anyone? How come we have not produced chairmen of party, even vice-chairmen of party? These are the things that we are looking at now. What is it that we have not done well? So, we are looking inwards more than we are outside. Some people will say external factors. But here our emphasis is on internal factors: The factors that are militating against us especially, our political growth.”
Comrade Henry Ekine, a human rights lawyer, who spoke on “Minority Rights, The Degema Situation, said there was need for the people of Degema to unite, mobilize and educate themselves to speak up about the issues concerning them.
He said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter of Peoples Rights and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provided adequate grounds for the people to assert their rights and demand an end to the discrimination against them. “When your rights are violated, take deliberate steps to seek redress,” he said.
Another speaker, Dr. Miyante Agi, however said that it was important that the people should first identify internal factors militating against their progress as a people before looking out to external factors. “A basic part of our problem is rooted in our negative past. And until the Degema man sorts out who he is, he may not be able to chart his way forward,” Dr. Agi said.
He said Degema people were known for their intellect and hard work but those qualities were relaxed when the people wanted to be like others and allowed the succeeding generations to drift into antisocial lifestyles. “We have enslaved ourselves and we have to free ourselves,” he demanded.
Chief Precious Abadi said in a press interview at the event that only one ethnic group in Degema Local Government Area lorded it over the other three groups of Degema, Bukuma and Bille
“We have made frantic efforts with cries to the government to come to our aid, but all to no avail. So, we don’t know what to do. We are only waiting for divine intervention. We believe that it is only God that will intervene. And with God’s intervention, at least, the normal thing will be done,” he lamented.
Apart from political marginalization, Chief Abadi said Degema had not benefited from government projects for many years now. “It was during the Odili administration, Amaechi administration that we benefited a little. With this Wike’s administration, we are forgotten. All these roads, the secondary schools were during the military and administrations of Amaechi and Odili. Nothing has been done in the past seven years in Degema per se by the present administration. Political appointments? None; Infrastructural facilities? None. Employment? None. So, we are just like that waiting for God’s time.”
Other speakers were Mr. Lawrence Iruo, who spoke on Effects of Substance Intake On Our Youths; Mr. Peter Solomon, who urged Degema people to get involved in power struggle in his paper: Degema Trajectory in Local, State and Federal Government Politics; and Hon. Sweiyi Igaran, whose paper was on: Effects of Social Vices on our Youths.
Degema Local Government Area is made up of Kalabari, Degema, Bille and Bukuma communities.
