President Bola Tinubu has said that neither Rivers State nor Nigeria has any business being associated with poverty, insecurity or under-development, having been blessed with enormous human capacity and natural resource wealth.
He stated this on Thursday while welcoming a high-powered 62-man delegation, comprising leaders from both the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the State House, Abuja.
The president assured that under his leadership, the narrative will be permanently and positively changed.
President Tinubu said the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had left big shoes to fill for the new Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and that as one of his most trusted allies, Rivers State will always have direct access to him in their joint march toward sustainable development.
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“We are not meant to be in a position to be poor. We will turn the tide! Somewhere, somehow in this storm, there’s a quiet and peaceful place for us. We will locate it!
“We are not lazy people. We are richly endowed. We just need to be our brother’s keeper, and good neighbours to one another. I am not a president that will give excuses. I will work hard for our nation with purpose, determination and dedication to create wealth for all Nigerians. We have no reason to be poor! We will not look back, we will run aggressively forward.
“Today, we may be swimming against the tide. But the waves will soon propel us forward from behind. We will achieve the goals and dreams of our forefathers. I am inspired by the nation of people I now lead,” the president said in a statement by his spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale.
The president said that concerning infrastructure development in Rivers State, he had heard the cries of prominent Rivers sons, with particular reference to the Eleme Junction-One axis of the East-West Road, linking the Port Harcourt Refinery.
On this, the president said the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, is a strong adviser, and would follow up on the issue for prompt action.
“The Honourable Minister, Wike, is not just the Minister of FCT, he is also my adviser and an admirer of mine. He has hit the ground running and he should be encouraged by the state,” he said.
In his remarks, the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, told the president that the delegation, which included leaders of political parties, past and present members of the State and National Assemblies across parties, was on a solidarity and thank you visit.
The governor applauded the president for attracting a $14 billion dollars investment approval for projects nationwide during the G-20 Summit, including the expansion of Indorama Petrochemicals in Eleme, Rivers State, adding that the state had just allocated 209 hectares of land in support of the new investment.
