Jonathan, Amaechi And Reminisces Of ‘Port Harcourt Boys’

On Thursday, November 7, 2013, the Rivers State government held a symposium as part of activities to commemorate the centenary celebration of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, which was founded on August 1913.

The occasion, which was chaired by former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, attracted many ‘Port Harcourt boys’ including President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State Governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

 Fortunately, both Jonathan and Amaechi, who are currently regading eachother as political enemies due to the internal crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at one time or the other, lived in Diobu, the most populous section of Port Harcourt.

While the president lived in Diobu and in what is today known as ‘Old Port Harcourt Town’ as a Preventive Officer in the Customs and Excise Department, the governor lived all his youthful life in the area, believed to be dominated by artisans and traders.

In his reminisces as a ‘Port Harcourt boy’ at the symposium, President Jonathan, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Strategy, Research and Documentation, Hon. Oronto Douglas, said; “Permit me to recall my early attachment to this great city. I began life in Mile 1, Diobu from where I had to go to work in “Town” as a Preventive Officer in the Customs and Excise Department.

“Our means of transportation was the city’s many buses and taxis. I would trek to the road and wait for the next bus going my way. The bus conductors ever so energetic and agile, would jump out of the bus even before it came to a stop shouting “Borokiri”! “Borokiri”!! We all boarded in a hurry trying to beat the early morning rush to work.

“As the bus travelled through the many other bus stations, the conductor will shout at the top of his voice “Education dey?” Then it was the turn of “UTC”, “Leventis”, “Loco”, “Station”, etc. We would pass the surrounding city landmarks: the tall and majestic Point Block; the huge secretariat buildings, the Old Post Office, PABOD among others. In later years when travelling through the city, we listened to Radio Rivers and the news in Special English by Boma Erekosima. This was the journey of the Port Harcourt worker.”

On his own experience as a ‘Port Harcourt boy’, Amaechi said; “The city of Port Harcourt means different things to each one of us as we have had different experiences.  But one thing that is clear is that our city which I grew up in as a young boy, had my primary, secondary and tertiary education in Port Harcourt and so I can say at first hand of my Port Harcourt childhood life.

“I am quite nostalgic about what the city of Port Harcourt used to be. It was popularly called the ‘garden city’ because of the order that characterized our houses built in beautiful well planned layouts and the greens  and open spaces all over the city.  Port Harcourt was also serene and had a peaceful mien which explained why many people preferred to holiday in Port Harcourt.

 “You could leave your doors open to visit a friend in another street and return to still find your belongings intact. It was a city bubbling with life, where to be called a port Harcourt boy didn’t only mean that you had swag, like our youths will say today, but meant that you were responsible, responsive, respectable , intelligent, sociable and found dignity in any career path which you chose.

 “The residents of Port Harcourt were admired even when they go out of the state because they were hard working and had pride in their culture and of course we had all the oil companies around, doing their businesses without any iota of security challenge.”

 The governor however said over time, Port Harcourt City gradually changed from its original status as a ‘Garden City’, which forced his administration to take urgent steps to bring back the beauty of the city through its urban renewal programme.

 He said; “But over time, the Port Harcourt we used to know gradually changed from its grace and position of honour to a gory situation. There is no well meaning resident of the old city of Port Harcourt who does not strongly desire that the city returns to its original status. This explains why the present administration  from 2007 till date, has made and implemented clear urban renewal policies to return the city of Port Harcourt to the garden city it used to be. 

“I know that we may have forgotten the demolition exercises undertaken by this administration in our first tenure and even till now. This was not done to witch hunt anybody for whatever reasons, even though some persons perceived it as such. It is important to note that the Port Harcourt that we are going to leave behind will be far better than the   Port Harcourt that we met in 2007.

 “Besides our demolition programme of illegal structures on the right of way, the state government has done so much in terms of road construction; this job is still on- going as we can see in parts of Port Harcourt. The old port Harcourt Township is wearing a new look in terms of roads and drainages as well as the construction of several sports facilities in the area.”

 On his part, President Jonathan promised that the Federal Government would continue to contribute towards the development of Port Harcourt, considering the importance of the oil city to the growth and development of Nigeria.

 He said; “Port Harcourt in its first 100 years seemed to have formed a strong relationship with oil. In the colonial period, the trade in palm oil dominated the economic activities of the then Eastern Region of which Port Harcourt was a part. The city quickly assumed its reputation as an oil city as it became the centre of the palm oil trade. In post-colonial Nigeria, the city maintained its status as the centre of the oil business, with the emergence of crude oil as the economic mainstay of our great country. Whether palm oil or crude oil, Port Harcourt has remained an oil city.

“The city has transformed significantly in many ways through the years, but its unique essence as a magnet of hope for many from all walks of life has remained true. Its charm is irresistible. Its vibrancy is unmistakable. But perhaps, its most valuable component is its proud, amiable, resourceful, and enlightened people with their unique patois, cuisine, and style. This is what makes Port Harcourt, truly Port Harcourt.

“The Federal Government acknowledges Port Harcourt’s unique place in our development. We are resolved to continue to contribute to its development and the upliftment of the conditions of its people, and other Nigerians. The old, narrow Port Harcourt gauge rail system which was developed in 1916 to enable the smooth transfer of coal and other raw materials for export from Enugu and other parts of the Eastern Region, and which has been abandoned for so long, will soon be restored and operations will commence as soon as the Eastern corridor is fully rehabilitated.

“The Federal Government is providing infrastructure to enhance the quality of research and instruction at the University of Port Harcourt, the state owned Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and other institutions in this city.

“The Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) skill acquisition centre along Airport road estimated at a cost of 15 billion naira will be completed in the second quarter of next year. The centre will focus on human capital development in the area of ICT and other diagnostics for heavy duty equipment. The Federal Government is also committed to modernizing the Port Harcourt International Airport and upgrading it to befit the status of this great city.”