The Rivers State Unity House Foundation, a peace, social justice and good governance advocacy group, has called for the convening of an economic summit in Rivers to chart a development course for the state.

The Convener of the foundation, Kingsley Wali, made the call on Wednesday at a news briefing in Port Harcourt.

Mr Wali said the summit would be part of measures to change the negative narratives of Rivers.

He urged the state government and media to support the private initiative to convene the summit.

Mr Wali said that the essence of the summit was for both the public and private sectors to have linkages and share their inputs so that the government would open its safety valves for businesses to strive.

He expressed disappointment that good governance and the dividend of democracy had taken a flight in the state due to the political tussle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor and Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.

He therefore charged the media to downplay the political fight in the state and join in setting economic and investment agenda for the state.

He said that no serious potential investor would come to the state to do business under the present “rancorous political atmosphere.

“We play too much politics in Rivers, so we must have a conversation because no investor, both local or foreign, will risk a dime in the state under the never-ending negative narrative of the toxic political tussle between the governor and his predecessor in both local and foreign media.

“Let us just have a conversation about holding an economic summit. Holding a conversation on an economic summit would help us put aside all the politics, bitterness and rancour in the state. At the summit, we can draw a development plan, a 10-year development plan and part of the conversation will be how to protect the plan,” Mr Wali said.

According to him, the summit will help us to have conversations beyond constructions and award of contracts to what enhances commerce.

“So, if we have a plan, we use the Songhai farm and bring the banks to fund those and similar projects. The private sector brings in their inputs, seeks safety valves like a development plan that can get them to bring their money to run establishments, like Songhai farm,” he said.

Mr Wali said that the proposed summit would offer investment experts and potential investors the opportunity to discuss the investment potentials and set development agenda for the state.

“We are not asking the state government to sponsor it. All we want is for it to key into it and create an enabling political environment for willing private business concerns to set the agenda for businesses and commerce in the state,” Mr Wali said.

Mr Wali regretted that the state had abandoned the multi-billion naira Songhai Integrated Farm, the banana plantation, fish farms and others, which were capable of ensuring food sufficiency and generating revenue for the state and the country at large.

(NAN)