The Executive Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Joseph Fubara has restated his administration’s commitment towards delivering the critical infrastructure and putting smiles on the faces of Rivers people.
Fubara who spoke during the commissioning of the reconstructed Okocha road and spurs in Rumuolumeni, Obio Akpor Local Government Area on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 said his administration owes Rivers people the commitment to improve their living standards as mark of gratitude for their overwhelming support.
The Governor who urged the people of Rumuolumeni to continue to be peace loving and law abiding, explained that the reconstruction and commissioning of the road which was previously in a terrible state has alleviated the plight of its teeming users.
He assured that he will continue to work with the people of Rumuolumeni to deliver more dividends of good governance in the area, noting, “What I am doing here today is to say thank you for believing in us and supporting us and standing by us. The little we can do is to make your life better.”
“This Road is very significant to us because it removes tears from the faces of the people living here. It was in a terrible state and the living conditions here was unimaginable but to the glory of God today those things are now history. You can see joy on the faces of the people. Moreover the residents here are mainly non-indigenes.”
“My advice will only go this way, politics is not about who supports you or who is against you. Politics should include attending to the needs of the people. At this particular time if I were an evil person I will say I won’t come here considering the nature and the locality of this place.”
“But it is our duty in government to provide services, protect lives and property, we have to come to make sure that our people here are happy. It is not about me, it is about the government.”
“Continue to be peace loving, be law abiding and stay out of trouble and continue to support the right thing which is important for everyone of us.”
Gov. Fubara assured them of executing other projects which include working on adjourning roads in the area as well as directing the Commissioner for Education to urgently look into the Community Secondary School in the area which they requested for additional classroom blocks to accommodate the students population.
Speaking to commission the project, the special guest of honour, Senator John Azuta Mbata thanked Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the “Government under your able leadership has proven once more that you are committed and dedicated to doing all that is within your power to ensure that the welfare and security of our people are guaranteed.
He said “The sensitivity of this government to the needs of the people as has been exhibited here is second to none. The government has always reacted and responded to every need of our people. Since last week we have moved from community to community and from project to project commissioning the effort of the government to address the needs of our people.”
Senator Mbata particularly noted that the government has gone out of its way to execute projects in areas that ordinarily would not be accommodated as demonstrated in providing accommodations for Airforce personnel at the Airforce Base, Port Harcourt.
He said despite distractions, “you have warmed the hearts of the people, and our people gravitate towards you effortlessly despite the vicissitude and the vagaries of the politics of our State. You have continued to do your duty and implement projects and you have refused to be distracted by all the legal and political unrighteousness that have been hurled at you and you have remained focused on the discharge of your responsibility as the governor of Rivers State without fear, favour or discrimination.
Senator Mbata advised political leaders in the State to leave footprints in the sands of time, adding that they should not build and also use their own hands to destroy what they built.
Describing the project, the Commissioner for Works, Elloka Tasie-amadi applauded Governor Siminalayi Fubara for reconstructing the road which has been in a deplorable state.
He said the road is strategically located between Nkpor road and Aker road and the only road that links these two roads and moves on to the ongoing Trans-Kalabari road project stressing that for many years the road which should have been the hope for the people was more a symbol of neglect and a very bad shape.
According to him, “This road is about 1.55kilometers long, the spur of it is about 405 meters, the width is an average of 7 meters and in our design specifications we have a thickness of 150 millimeters of stone base and asphaltic pavement is 60 millimeters of binder course and 40 millimeters of wearing course and in total we have about 2.7 kilometers of drains on both sides of the road. Today I can say once again that the hopes of the people on Okocha road have been renewed and their joy restored.”
In his welcome address, the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Amb. Chijioke Ihunwo thanked Governor Siminalayi Fubara for all his developmental efforts in Obio/Akpo especially in tarring the Okocha road that was once impassable.
While expressing the support of the Obio/Akpor people, Amb. Ihunwo appealed to Gov. Fubara to reconstruct adjourning streets in the area and build additional classrooms for the only Community Secondary School in the area due to over population.
