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Author: Nwaorgu Faustinus
Posted to the web: 2/9/2011 10:01:48 AM

Hon. DakukuPeterside: The House of Representative Candidate and His Political Movement.

 

 

Written By NwaorguFaustinus

 

 

Hon. Dakuku Peterside was born into the family of SeniboAdolphus Peterside, a scion of a famous warrior cum merchant who is called SeniboNibilagh Peterside. He graduated from OkrikaGrammar School, Okrika, Rivers Stateand gained admission into Rivers State University of Science and Technologywhere he studied Hematology and Management and obtained B.MLS and MBArespectively. He also has in his academic gear, a certificate in ProjectManagement which he obtained from a London basedinstitute among other executive programmes in and outside the shores of Nigeria.

 

 

 Hon. Peterside workedas a Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Student and YouthAffairs from 1999-2002, as Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Councilfrom 2002-2005. He was the Chief Executive Officer of EL-DARL Engineering Ltdfrom 2005-2007. He had previously served as a member of the Board of Centre forBlack and African Art and Civilization CBAAC.

 

 

He was the Executive Director of Development and LeadershipInstitute DLI. Politically, he had served as the State Officer of the DefunctAll Nigerian Congress ANC as well as Democratic Party of Nigeria DPN. He hadheld the position of a Youth Leader in Dr. Peter Odili Led Restoration Team, apolitical pressure group that supports and held sway during Dr. Peter Odiliâ'sadministration in Rivers State.

 

 

A student activist in the past, Hon. Dakuku Peterside wasthe first Opobo student to be elected as the National President of NationalUnion of Rivers State Students. He contributed alongside others to establishVanguard of Opobo Nation VON in 1994 and was its secretary. From 2000-2008,Hon. Dakuku was the National President of VON.

He has also served as Editor and columnist to some printmedia outfits.

 

 

Hon. Dakuku Peterside who has been the Commissioner of Worksin Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration for over 3 years andpresently the Peoples Democratic Party House of Representative candidate forAndoni/Opobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency in the forth coming April generalelections cuts the picture of a politician who is appreciative.

 

 

After defeating his fellow contenders for Andoni/Opobo-NkoroFederal Constituency during the PDP Primary in Rivers State, he treated hisnumerous supporters under the aegis of Real Choice for Change Campaign Organizationto a sumptuous dinner and expressed his gratitude this way, “I have called youspecifically to thank you because you have set a precedent for change in ourconstituency. You have all joined hands to convince the whole world that achange can be made without shedding blood. This attitude is what we must carryover to the elections in April. I will not forget your sacrifices andcontributions to my eventual election to represent the Andoni/Opobo-NkoroFederal Constituency in the House of Representatives after the April poll; youmust regard my victory as your victory and work for the overall success of thePDP and all the partyâ's candidates in the forthcoming general elections.” 

 

 

A non-violent per excellence politicians, Hon. DakukuPeterside knows the worth of human blood and life and that is why he hascontinued to preach for  peaceful conductof the recently concluded PDP primaries and forth coming election to all andsundry in order to perpetuate and sustain the democratic experiment. Hear him:Electoral victories like mine could only make meaning when it is wonwithout violence. I abhor violence; no victory in any election and indeed inany human endeavour in life is worth the blood of anyone; no victory is worththe life of any person.”

 

 

In an unprecedented move, first in the history of hisconstituency, he embarked on the visit of 70 churches to thank God for Hisimmeasurable goodness having served as a Commissioner of Works in GovernorChibuike administration for close to four years.

 

 

The first phase of the exercise which occurred recently tookHon. Dakuku Peterside initially to 10 churches in Andoni Local Government Area.The churches visited are; St. Phillipâ's Anglican Church, Ekede; St. Simonâ'sAnglican Church, Ikuru Town; Greater EvangelismWorld Crusade, Ngo Town; St. Barnabas Anglican Church,Ngo Town; St. Paulâ's Anglican Church, Agana; HolyTrinity Church, Egwede; Assemblies of God Church,Agwut-Obolo; Assemblies of God Church, Ilotombi;Greater Evangelism World Crusade, Ilotombi; and St. Patrickâ's Anglican Church,Isiama, Andoni.

 

 

In an effort to keep to the time of the dayâ's exercise, Mr.Goddy Peterside led another group to hold thanks giving service at the GreaterEvangelism World Crusade, St. James’ Anglican Church, Ataba and St. Andrewâ's Christ Army Church, Dema also inAndoni.

 

 

In the same vein, Barr. (Mrs.) Elima Dakuku Peterside ledanother equally powerful delegation to churches at the Opobo axis of thefederal constituency, where her team worshiped at Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church;The Apostolic Church; ChristArmy Church;Church of God Mission; Solid Rock KingdomChurch; and St. Paulâ's Anglican Church, all in Opobo Town.

 

At all the churches the candidate, his spouse and theirdelegations visited; it was prayers and showers of blessings for WariseniboDakuku Peterside.

 

 

In a press statement by Mr. Chrisfine Bone, the image makerof Hon. Dakuku said that at the St. Phillipâ's Anglican Church, Ekede where hisprincipal took the first Bible reading, the Vicar, Venerable S.L. Ntileadmonished Hon. Peterside to remain steadfast in his love for God so that allthings shall continue to be well with him.

 

 

“Do not be afraid; you will win; you have honoured Godtoday, God will honour you forever,” the man of Goddecreed.

 

 

As a Commissioner in Governor Amaechiâ's administrationbefore his decision and resolution to contest for Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro FederalConstituency in the forth coming generation elections, he used his position toattract state government project in Opobo. One of such projects was the sandfilling of Opobo New Layout, a project his community will ever grateful toGovernor Amaechi. At the time he was the Caretaker Committee Chairman ofOpobo/Nkoro Local Government, he impacted positively in development of hispeople. As a result this, coupled with his non-discriminatory behaviour a rareaward (Honourary Life Membership of the Opobo Legislative Assembly) wasconferred on him.

 

 

A politician who has the interest of the youth at heart,Hon. Dakuku Peterside oftentimes make personal sacrifices to put smile on thefaces of the youths, this accounts for the strong supports he has been gettingfrom them. At the onset of his campaign preparatory to the PDP primaries inRivers State, a youth political pressure group (Rivers Youth Alliance) thatbacks him has this to say: “We find the efforts of Dakuku Peterside topositively impact on the lives of youths of Rivers Stateas unprecedentedbecause no other politician at his level, now or in the past, has done so muchto better the lot of the average youth in the state.

“Hon. Dakuku Peterside is a huge asset to the youths ofRiversState and that is why we are saying that we the youths of Rivers Stateneed him even more than his constituency needs him. We need him in Abuja so that he will usehis connections and network to attract programmes and projects that will positivelyaffect the lives of every youth in the State and not just the people of hisconstituency. We know he can do it because he has done it before.

“Every time we were in problem and approached him as ourlast hope, he would deny himself his earnings as a Commissioner just to solveour problems. Few people, if any, have done this before; Dakuku is a jewel forthe teeming youths of Rivers State, the group declared”.

 

No doubt Hon. Dakuku Peterside has not only won the heartand mind of the youths but also that of his constituency, it is only theimagination of the mind where he will be after the 2011 April generalelections.

 

 

Nwaorgu Faustinus,writes from Igboetche, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Email: fausteness@yahoo.com. Tel: 08035601312