AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY COMR. NUBOR, OPTIMIST GOTEH, THE CHAIRMAN BUE AKPORO-SOGHO CDC/TOWN HALL COMMITTEE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL 500 CAPACITY GBENE-NSOO TOWN HALL BUILDING (FOUNDATION LAYING) LAUNCHING, HELD ON SAT. 11-11-2023
The distinguished Chairman/ Foundation Bearer: Sir Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Robinson
Dekor, (KJW), Khana/ Gokana Federal Constituency and Chairman House Committee on
Host Communities.
Special Guest of Honour:
Chief Hon. Thomas Bariere, Ph.D, DSSRS,
Executive Chairman, Khana LGA.
Chief Launcher:
Rt. Hon. (Barr) Dumle Maol
Deputy Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly
Mother of the Day:
Hon. Ethel Aluzim
Spiritual Fathers of the Day:
Pst. Dr. Moses Nsanam
Very Rev. Lucky Saro Opde
Guests of Honour:
Chief Hon. Sir, Okpe Friday Mbakpone, KSC, DSSRS, Executive Chairman Tai LGA
Sir Hon. Confidence Deeko Nyima, (KJW) DSSRS,
Executive Chairman, Gokana LGA.
Royal Fathers of the Day:
His Royal Majesty King (Dr) Suanu T.Y Baridam JP, ACA'RB, fins. MA'm, Amb.p,
Gbenemene & Kasimene Vii, of Ancient Bangha Kingdom.
His Royal Highness, Mene Frank Nule Nam JP
Mene Bua Sogho
Chief Host/Father of the Day:
Sir Mene Engr. Abel Torue Abalubu, (KJW)
Paramount Ruler of Akporo Sogho.
Co-Launchers, others representative of invited guests.
Excos of CDC/ Town Hall Building Committee,
Youth/Women Leadership,
Business Men/Women,
Elites, paste and present community Leader's,
Gentleman of the press,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
On behalf of the Bue Akporo Community Development Committee CDC/Town Hall
Building Committee, I heartily welcome you all to this historic event today in our life time.
I stand to speak before this distinguished audience today with the full awareness that this is
not only the most significant moments in my life as an individual, but also, one with rare
and extra ordinary significance that I can only regard as a sublime privilege to serve my
people and draw meaningful projects closer to you.
Distinguished guests, for the past four months, I dedicated myself to the onerous task of
being a leader of this Great Bue Akporo-Sogho, Confident in the belief that Heavenly
Father who enthrones leaders shall, by this esteem assemblage of able Distinguished
guests, Chiefs in council, guarantee our collective success today .
Respected guests, I therefore welcome you to this gathering, and also thank every one of
you for your sacrifice and love to be here and in making this day come true.
Fundamentally, I dedicate this to Heavenly Father for He has provided all that was needed
to make this day an important milestone in my leadership drives and administrative
profiles.
I specially thank the paramount ruler of Akporo-Sogho, Sir Mene Engr. Abel Torue
Abalubu KJW, for finding me Worthy to pilot the affairs of this great Community/
Committees at this critical time of transformation and development.
I also thank the Prince of the land, Hon. Abalubu Prince Lenee and the Leadership of Bue
Akporo Sogho and my Committee members for their self-evident pledge of positive
disposition to this administration in order to move it to lofty heights. I salute your
developmental mindset and commitment.
I most sincerely thank the clergy and churches for their prayers and to all our youth across
board, irrespective of your houses and challenges along the line. I urge you to, at all times,
and in all circumstances, always embrace the time honoured virtue of dialogue, shun all
social vices and stop all acts of criminology and remember that you and I are not above the
law of the land.
Today, we are all here sitting before history and to make/mark another history. Ladies and
gentlemen, please, I seek your humble permission to acknowledge the progress we have
made or achieves thus far:
The Town Hall Building Committee was formed and inaugurated on Tuesday 25th July,
2023, about 11:46am at Eete AKporo Sogho by the Chief and Council of Bue Akporo
Sogho. The Committee under my Leadership immediately went into action. The
Committee Members are person of trust, integrity, determination and are oriented
/educated in Community Development with experienced.
In our first meeting held same day, we took our time to review available documents/works
done by the previous Committee and we discovered that monies raised from their first
Launching were used for the purchase of 20 bags of cement and molding of over 700
blocks and other expenses related to their project.
On Saturday 26th August, 2023 at Eete Akporo, during her Town square meeting. The
committee was called upon by the paramount ruler of Akporo Sogho, Mene Sir. Engr. Abel
Torue Abalubu KJW, and Council to give report of our work, plans and actions so far. Well,
after our report, a motion was moved for the dissolvement of the previous CDC and
Committee led by Elder Nubor Hart Roland, due to what they said was their negligence
and noncommitmet to task at hand. Mene Sir. Engr. Abel Torue Abalubu KJW, on the
motion moved after critical review, dissolved them and adopted our committee on another
ground of motion as the new Community Development Committee CDC, of Bue Akporo
Sogho and was supported by 95% of those present at the Town square. Once again,
Congratulations to us and Bue Akporo Sogho.
Though it has not been easy with us, but we have always enjoyed the support of the chief in
Council and majority of our people. We have been arrested severally, summoned both at
the Alter and shrined. Our lives have been threatened and we ran for our safety. We have
been petitioned, called names even as cult Leaders. Our characters and integrity have been
damaged and assassinated unwarrantedly.
As a team of strategists and oriented in achieving set goals, we were not moved by this
distractors but all eyes on the ball. We actually planned for two launching, the mini
launching and the Official foundation laying/launching. On Saturday 31/9/2023, our
committee held her mini launching in the midst of threat where we were able to raised
reasonable amount of money. And today we have also gathered here for the official 500
Capacity Gbene-Nsoo Town Hall Building/foundation laying, under the distinguished
Chairmanship/ Foundation Bearer , Rt. Hon. Sir Dumnamene Robinson Dekor (KJW)
DSSRS, and all our distinguished/respected guests.
Again, our distinguished/respected guests. I am fully aware that many kept asking/saying,
how and where does this small Akporo have the money from to execute this magnificent
project in our history. Many, almost everyone are also aware that HYPREP visited us on
Monday 4/9/2023. Our Committee was a beneficiary of their coming as I was given
#210,000. As a Community and Leader, we sat down together knowing that there's a big
project before us. We agreed that CDC should remit #100,000, Youth #50,000, and
Women #20,000. Out of it, we bought 1000 blocks, one trip of 3/8, and embarked on many
steps that took us to here today. Others were shared among our people whether big or
small, accepted or denied.
After our mini launching on 31/9/2023, we also:
1. Bought 650 blocks
2. Paid for our building plan
3. Officially consults our landlord and performed all Compound rites, and we all know
what that means.
4. Made/ paid compensation to all those affected and are willing to accept it by the use of
the land.
5. Rebuild a new two room toilet for the family as demanded by one of the major
affectants.
6. Embark on other consultations to some designated families/compounds as required.
7. Clearing of site and other settlements.
8. Writing/sending of Courtesy letters, invitation cards/letters, and many others that aided
our gathering here today.
Distinguished/respected guests, sorry for taking much of your time on this attempt to put
some records straight. To me, it's pertinent, I do it in the midst of this unending war against
my Committee and the leadership of Bue Akporo Sogho by some individuals that have set
themselves out as "anti Development of Bue Akporo" and their continued defamation of
our reputation before the public and amongst their folks and where we hope to seek for
supports to aid this project.
Today, I extend my sincere call for inclusiveness and on all parties, groups, Sons and
Daughters of Akporo, and our helpers to trust this Committee under my Leadership with
your supports in cash or kind. Our door of peace and reconciliation has always been open
and will be open till tomorrow until we are all united, to build a better Akporo Community
for our generation ad children unborn.
Distinguished/respected guests, we were assigned a task of building Town Hall.
In this historic gathering today, I present to you the blueprint of the Town Hall.
Name: Gbene-Nsoo Peace Hall
Project site: Eete Akporo
Capacity: 500
2 Offices: CDC and Chief offices
Two Toilets
Fans, AC, electrification and all Furnishing equipments,
Musical set
FEW BENEFITS OF THE TOWN HALL: The hall shall serve as:
i. Event center
ii. Town hall meeting
iii. Special Government
iv. Meeting, training, etc.
On behalf of my committee and Bue Akporo Community, we are appealing for support
from you, our distinguished/respected guests, political Leaders and NGOs as well as wellmeaning
persons. Once again, we will accept all kind of donations and freewill support to
accomplish and achieve this project.
This is a day, the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us glorify God for His
marvelous deeds and because He is always in perfect control, even as mortals, waivers.
I am overwhelmed with joy with your present and Capacities, but at the same time
humbled that by the grace of God, this project will see the light of the day by your support.
Having set for ourselves ambitious and realizable goals, let us therefore come together as a
team to transform AKPORO SOGHO to a world class community. AKPORO will grow
from strength to strength. It will also emerge as the foremost community in Khana and
beyond so, once more, join us in this formidable and achievable challenge. Thank you all.
Yours faithfully,
Comr. Nubor Optimist Goteh
Chairman CDC/Town Hall Building Committee,
Bue Akporo Sogho.