Residents of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State
capital, have unveiled plans to use Facebook as a platform to return the city
to the ideals of its Garden City status.
This is as a former banker and Coordinator of The
Extra Steps Initiative (TESI), Eugene Abels, emerged winner of the 2019 of Port
Harcourt City Facebook Personality Award.
Abels beat two other nominees and social media
influencers, Ibiba Okunye and Kennedy Friday, to win the award.
Speaking at the presentation of the award at the weekend in Port Harcourt, Convener of Unity House Foundation (UHF) and initiator of the
award, Kingsley Wenenda Wali, said the essence of the award is to encourage
Facebook users not to see the platform as a battleground.
He noted that Port Harcourt had an ideal of
accommodation for everybody and different shades of opinions, but expressed
disappointment that the ideals were fast dying.
According to him, “I am saddened because my
generation has destroyed what was left of the ideals of Port Harcourt.
Unfortunately, the next generation even thinks that what it sees is the ideal
and wants to make it their way of thinking and of doing things.
“The younger generation should be told that
originally in Port Harcourt people may disagree but it was usually disagreement
on issues, and ideas. It never got to
insults or fisticuffs. The spirit of love and sharing was always there.”
On how the award was instituted, Wali said:
"Sometime last year, in one of my posts, I just thought that a time has
come for us to make the best out of Facebook platform and what it actually
represents.
"I thought that for some awkward reasons, we
are beginning to see Facebook as a battleground, a market place for insults and
even violence. I said to myself that one way to discourage people from seeing
Facebook as a battleground is to recognise those who present best posts for
public consumption.
"I said to myself, why we don’t start
something to recognise those who have conducted themselves well like gentlemen
and ladies. It was supposed to be something light but the response I got
overwhelmed me, and I said this is what everybody is waiting for. Let's see how
far we can go with it and make it something decent that we can look forward to it
every year.
"Somewhere along the line, there was this fear
about sincerity. Some people raised doubts because I am a politically exposed
person. But, before politics, I am a Port Harcourt person. I think this is my
own contribution of getting us back to where we used to be.
"This city was known for something and that is
love. Unfortunately, things had happened; some things are happening, and if we
are not careful, things will happen that will put a permanent death on the
essence of Port Harcourt."
Another ‘Port Harcourt Boy’ and businessman, Kio
Lawson, commended Wali for taking steps to return the city to its past ideals,
and said it was in the interest of the people.
He noted that incidents in the city and Rivers
State generally were being over-hyped, adding that there was need to change the
narrative.
“There is crime, especially kidnapping, everywhere in
Nigeria, but people are making it look as if Port Harcourt is the worst place
to live on earth. We need to tell people that life is good in Port Harcourt and
that people even go out as late as 1 to 2a.m. to enjoy themselves,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment