Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara, has urged detractors to stop demarketing the State.
This, he said would attract punishment from God against Rivers State detractors.
Gov. Fubara disclosed this today, Wednesday, December 18, 2024 when he led Alabo Senator Adawari Michael People to inaugurate Kalaibiama Road in Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area of the State.
Gov. Fubara said Rivers belongs to everyone of them and vowed that he would not create dangerous media war in the State.
He, however, described as barbaric people from the state coming out openly to declare that their mission is to run down Rivers.
The governor said: ” I want to assure everyone especially our leaders, Rivers State belongs to everyone of us. The best we can do is to contribute our own quota to better Rivers State. The State as at today even in the face of wonderful things we are doing that people are beginning to see, I will not create dangerous media war.
“In the past, it was not barbaric like what we see today where people will come out openly and say their mission is to demarket the State. Are you demarketing Rivers State for Fubara, it has nothing to do with Fubara, it has to do with all of us.
‘We had a session with the Joint Tax Board and they were asking, is this Rivers State that we hear about as if you are moving they will shoot at you? This is our state, what we owe this state is wherever we find ourselves, wherever God has placed us, contribute to the betterment of Rivers State not to run it down.
He pointed out, “But God also has a way of punishing those people who have decided to be evil. I will leave the punishment to God, let Him continue to punish them the way He likes”.
Gov. Fubara expressed sadness that he was inaugurating the road in the absence of three notable people from the area, who died before the completion of the project.
Speaking about the deceased, the governor said: “Today is not a memorable day for me. I feel sad as we commission this road in Kalaibiama. This would have been memorable if some persons were here with us. I had a very wonderful party chairman, who followed me when this journey started, this would have been one of his happiest day, Hon. Daniel Legg-Jack of blessed memory.
“I had another wonderful supporter here, Hon. Adonye Kelly Diri, a former member of the State House of Assembly, also late. I had one who is always patient, always knowing where to belong. He is not somebody who follows sentiment, he reads my body language. If he knows that I am not interested in anything you can never see him there. He is Amaopusenibo Hon. Dagogo Eli Legg-Jack
“These are great men that we have lost in this ward 1 of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area. I want to say that this project is dedicated to these three personalities. I wish they were alive to witness this in their lifetime that something like this happened in Kalaibiama.”
The governor remembered the political strength of Alabo Senator Adawari Michael Pepple, Senator John Azuta Mbata and other senators from the State saying they made the State proud during their days at the National Assembly.
Gov. Fubara said the hallmark of leadership should not be the title but the care the leader must provide for his people, and explained that the road project was conceived to connect Opobo satellite communities from Epellema adding that there is no way to connect Epellema to the Unity road into Opobo town without considering the Kalaibiama axis.
He said the road and bridge connecting Epellema were still ongoing and would be completed in the middle of next year.
The governor told the Nkoro people not to panic because his government will also be inaugurating a project in their area in the next six months.
“The best of it is if I don’t do it for you, just know that no other person will do it. It will be considered that you had your turn. So I will do it for everybody to have a sense of belonging in this Government in Opobo/Nkoro”.
Inaugurating the project, Alabo Senator Pepple described Gov. Fubara as a man of few words saying that on December 13 God disgraced the governor’s enemies.
He said the Senate President was wrong to have used his office to make remarks against Gov. Fubara.
Senator Pepple said the governor is constructing roads and other infrastructures adding that the governor had inaugurated the highest number of projects ever by any administration in the past 18 years in the State.
He noted that Gov. Fubara’s work will speak for him disclosing that his work in the health sector is unbeatable.
He said: “They came all the way from Abuja to celebrate victory, because I won’t call it birthday. They did not do the celebration at the Dome in their village they brought it to the gate of Government House with the hope that when the verdict comes there will be gunshots, there will be popping of champaigne and there will be drinking of 40 years whisky, but God didn’t let it be.
“To the contrary, my people I think when you want to do a birthday you will cut your cake?They didn’t cut their cake because when the decision came, they were like in a dream. They couldn’t believe it. And so God will continue to elevate you our governor and God will continue to conquer your enemies for you.
According to him, “Gov. Fubara has commissioned 28 roads, totalling 291.36km and has 26 ongoing projects. Who has done that before? Before now they would flag-off, and do media parade to inspect the project and commissioning will be a session to abuse elders.
“You have not done any of these rather you are achieving quietly. Again, you have been able to achieve 72 basic things under the education sector. Who has done that before, nobody”.
He added: “In the health sector, all the primary health facilities not less than 38 have been renovated and brought back to use in the three senatorial districts. Who can beat the records? I wouldn’t want to call you Mr. anything, I would have said Mr. Commissioning, but I would rather call you Mr. Infrastructural Development.
“Even when the birthday party never looked good, I am of a particular constituency that you know. I have been a Principal Officer in the red Chamber alongside my colleague, Senator John Azuta Mbata, it was a dignified place. No Senate President, and nobody in that chamber will just make careless statements about another person’s State, it is never done.
“I am sure my late colleagues who were supposedly Akpabio’s contemporaries, Senator Evan Enwerem and Senator Chuba Okadigbo will be turning in their graves. In fact, across this river there is a State, in 1999 there was a governor who left in 2007 and handed over to somebody.
“The one that handed over to somebody did not come back to check whether he forgot a pin, why do you want the one of Rivers State to be different? We respect, as Opobo people but we do not fear. Let me say that unnecessary comments by an institution like the Senate is uncalled for.
Senator Pepple also used the occasion to reply the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, over his weekend’s statement questioning the political philosophy of the State governor.
Describing the project the Commissioner for Special Projects, Dr Roland Obed-Whyte commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for changing the development narrative in the rural communities saying the almost 3 kilometer road is built to serve for the socioeconomic benefit of the people.
On his part the Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, Rt. Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam thanked Gov. Fubara for paying attention to the local government and assured him of the unwavering support of the people.
