The Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to delivering social services and infrastructure projects despite efforts to deprive the state of funds.
Speaking on Wednesday at the inauguration of the reconstructed 11.8-kilometre Okehi-Umuola-Eberi Link Road along the Okehi-Omuma Road in the Etche Local Government Area, Fubara highlighted his administration’s resilience in overcoming challenges to improve the state.
The governor announced that 14 days in December 2024 had been designated to showcase key projects completed under his administration, underscoring the transformative impact these initiatives have on the socio-economic well-being of benefiting communities.
“Our goal remains to make the people happy under the ‘Rivers First’ mantra,” Fubara stated, emphasising his focus on delivering projects without political interference.
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He continued: “Today, we are showcasing what we’ve achieved in those months when people questioned what we were doing and where the funds were. I am proud to say that this administration has not borrowed to execute projects. The only borrowing we undertook was for the Ring Road project, and that was transparent.
“Check with the Debt Management Office; we have not requested any other loans. We are judiciously applying the little we receive.”
Fubara’s remarks come amid an ongoing battle for supremacy with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as the FCT minister. This political crisis has factionalised the state House of Assembly, resulting in several lawsuits. One such case halted the federal government from releasing further federal allocations to Rivers State until Fubara re-presents the 2024 appropriation bill to the assembly faction led by Martins Amaewhule, a loyalist of Wike.
Despite these challenges, Fubara highlighted his administration’s fulfilment of its promise to civil servants by implementing a new minimum wage of N85,000, significantly higher than the national minimum wage of N70,000. He described this as a testament to his government’s commitment to the people of Rivers State.
Acknowledging the political and economic challenges faced by his administration, Fubara noted the importance of maintaining peace and security while ensuring essential services are delivered.
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