…Attributes Economic Drift In Rivers To Mismanagement
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has attributed the drift in prospective development of Rivers State as a high ranking economic hub and investors haven among the league of Nigerian States to mismanagement of the common wealth of the State.
The Governor however assured that Rivers State under his watch will be restored and transformed to its rightful position as an enviable and economically viable State.
Governor Fubara disclosed this while inaugurating the new board of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency at the Executive Council Chamber of Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday, and charged the new board to deploy their wealth of experience and expertise in different fields to restore the lost economic glory of the state.
The governor pointed out that although the state is blessed with enormous natural resources of oil, gas and improved Internally Generated Revenue IGR, much still need to be done to develop the State, and the Investment Promotion Agency is strategic to achieving the desired economic development in the state.
Governor Fubara who restated the commitment of his administration to fulfill the promises of developing every sphere of the State’s economy, enjoined the new agency to concentrate on agricultural development, manufacturing and production, wealth creation and employment, assuring that he will provide all the necessary support for them to succeed.
“People were leaving other places to come and stay, live and do business here. It got to a time when things turned around, maybe will I call it expansion of the State, because normally development comes with its own challenges. But in the other hand it is not really the cause, it was a mismanagement of our blessing. Channeling our blessings into the wrong cause, and this in one way or the other, set Rivers State to become pitiable economically.”
“We might be celebrating that we have a very fat allocation and we have been able to improve our IGR, but we still have a lot to do and that has to do with this Agency. The purpose of this agency is to give our people and to assure them that Rivers State can still come back to that enviable position that it once occupied.”
“Those people that were doing business in Rivers State that left for one reason or the other can still come back. People who intend to come back and invest, because Rivers State is blessed, it has oil, it has the most important item for development today, which is gas, it has it in abundance.”
“So, the purpose of this Agency, a lot of people don’t even understand why we have to take the pains to select this very respectable men who have made their names in their respective fields to man this agency so that they can be the gateway and one-stop shop.”
“People that are coming here will know that Rivers State is now serious. Rivers State is not about your coming and maybe I am interested in 10% and 20% of what you are coming with. That is not the purpose. The purpose is to build our State, and to grow this State economically in such a way and manner that even if we don’t get federal allocation anymore we can sustain ourselves with our IGR.”
“The responsibility of this agency is very big and challenging because I know they will want to fight back. But I know that these crops of men and women have what it takes, the discipline. A few of them that I have had interactions with, have shown that they are people who are principled and I am very convinced that they are going to lead Rivers State to where Rivers State would want to be.”
The governor emphasized the need for the agency to be proactive against anti development forces in the state and help to salvage the state from economic doldrum.
“Look at what is happening in Trans Amadi. We can make Trans Amadi come back to what it used to be. We can develop the resources we have in Onne, we have Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni gas hub. These are promises we made during our campaign and we must fulfill those promises.”
“So, I want to charge you, I know that by the special grace of God and when I say my personal assessment of the members of this Agency, I have no doubt that they are going to make us proud. Let me officially inaugurate you and wish you the best.”
“Not just issues of people coming to build houses, I want your concentration to be more on agriculture. People that are coming in to invest, people interested in building factories, because it is only when we start production that employment issues will be resolved.”
On his part, the Chairman of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency, Lawrence Fubara Anga, SAN, thanked Governor Fubara for the opportunity given to members of the agency to serve the state and commended the Governor for his foresight and vision for the development of Rivers State.
He assured that with the support of the Governor in providing the enabling environment for investment drive, and the collective efforts of all key stakeholders, including agencies and parastatals, the agency will achieve its mandate of economic transformation in the state.
“The charge is to restore it to be the treasure base of the nation. The charge is to make the Rivers State economy to be probably the 10th or 12th largest economy in Africa standing on its own. The charge is to turn Rivers State to the Dubai of Africa, that is what you have told us to do. ”
“It’s not going to happen overnight and it is not going to happen just through us, it is a collective effort. But we are convinced that with your support and the kind of leadership that you are already providing, it is very possible in the shortest period of time to start the transformation to change the narrative.”
“Your Excellency investors’ money have choices, no matter how potentially attractive a business proposition is, where there is insecurity, confusion, and bureaucratic red-tape they will run away because they have choices, money is a coward”
The newly inaugurated Board of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency consists of Lawrence Fubara Anga, SAN, Chairman, Dr Chamberlain Peterside, Director General, Tamunoibuemi Life-George, Secretary, Goodliffe Mmekini, member, Barr Harvey Ideozu, Member, and Baritorlenu Kpagih, member.
