The governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has made it clear that his administration will not participate in needless disputes with those who oppose them.
He claimed they are committed to improving the socioeconomic standing of the Rivers people and raising the standard of leadership rather than squandering time and energy on pointless arguments.
Fubara reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering focus on delivering good governance, implementing people-centric policies, carrying out sustainable projects, and guaranteeing the ongoing delivery of democracy dividends to the people despite determined attempts by opponents to divert them from their goals.
These statements were made on Friday at the Okania-Ogbogoro Road project’s formal opening in the Obio/Akpor local government area.
“I have only one request, and that request is to ask you to continue to conduct yourselves peacefully in the face of all the assaults. They want us to miss our goal, they want to distract us.
“If we fight with them, we will be wasting our energy. So, what we need to do is to continue to do that thing which we have promised our people.
“Our style will be to set a standard that will be above them so that when they come, they will see what we are doing. Everybody will see that it is about the people, and they will say that they are working for the people. So, that will be our style of leadership,” Fubara said.
The governor promised that the road project would be finished and opened within the next five months, rather than stopping at the kick-off stage.
In the meantime, he tasked the leaders and citizens of the benefited communities with helping the contractor complete the project on time.
“At the end of the day, the project belongs to you. It is a project that brings about a better and more conducive environment for you and your children. On the part of the contractor: support constituted authority. Dialogue with the leaders of this area so that your work will also go on smoothly.
“I know a lot of people are wondering why we decided to think of this particular road now. We are already embarking on a very big project in this state, which is the Port Harcourt Ring Road, and a lot of our people are suffering because of the ongoing construction work on the Ring Road. There is pressure on the direct access areas used by the people.
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“Most of these roads, this one in particular, is a road that will take off some pressure from the main route that we are familiar with, and we thought it wise that it will be proper for us to fix this road at this time,” he stated.
Speaking further, he said, “Fixing this road will improve the economy of the people living here. It will also improve the security status of this environment. So, we are thinking, not just for ourselves, but also thinking for the good and wonderful people of our State.
“So, I want to say: support us so that we will continue to deliver on our promises. I want to say: stand with us, we will not fail you.
“I want to also thank you, the Akpor people, for your support before, during, and after our election. It’s an opportunity for me to return that thank to you, and what we are doing today is to tell you that we appreciate your support.”
Fubara praised the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, the state chapter, and leader of Simplified Movement in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Chijioke Ihunwo, for his steadfastness in his support of the administration.
Fubara said, “Let me say it here: any genuine request, coming from Chijioke Ihunwo, I will not turn it down. He has shown so much support. When people were scared, he stood with us, he stood with us at the detriment of his life. So, we will continue to support him, so that his people will know that his decision wasn’t a wrong one.
“He requested for hospital and school. Those are very key areas of our administration. I assure you, here and now that we will immediately commence the process to give a hospital to the community. We will also improve the state of your school. We will not end there: we will also visit your request for internal roads in the area.
“The Nyewali Akpor made a request too. He said he doesn’t have a palace. Here and now, let me also say that the Ministry of Special Projects will take over that project to ensure that we give His Majesty a befitting palace.”
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Atemea Briggs, explained that the road which was initially awarded by the immediate past administration in April 2017 was abandoned in March 2020, after preliminary works, leaving the unprotected roadbed, shoulders, and short stretches of drainages already achieved to collapse.
Briggs said, “This 5.0 Km long road cuts across the Okania community through the Ogbogoro community, and connects the Port Harcourt Ring Road project that is also under construction. The road is 10 meters wide with a drainage length of 2.5km.
