The coming into office by Rivers State Executive Governor Siminialayi Fubara was not an easy one as many politicians in River State People’s Democractic Party positioned themselves with the hope of clinching the coveted seat of executive Governor of the state. But with last minute surprise from the former governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike, the then Accountant General of Rivers State Siminialayi Fubara, emerged the choice of the party.
In the process of selling his candidacy to Rivers people, Sir Siminialayi Fubara began a sensitization tour of the 23 Local Government Areas calling on the people to go out and obtain their voters cards. When the electioneering campaign was lifted by the Independent National Electoral Commission -INEC, his political party hit the road in grassroots mobilization of the 23 Local Government Areas and 319 electoral wards in Rivers State.
Sir Fubara, is not a man of oratory savvy but direct in putting actions to his words. No wonder the good people of Rivers State followed his message of peaceful and developmental agenda.
His message of consolidation and continuity sunk deeply in the hearts of the electorates during the process of garnering electorates fortunes through the ballot boxes in the governorship election.
When eventually he was announced the winner on the 28th of March, 2023 election, he took it with humility and a sense of responsibility. In the inauguration at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium Port Harcourt on 29th of May, 2023, he promised to begin work in the Port Harcourt Ring Road project to decongest the city and provide jobs for the teeming youths. In his inaugural address, he promised to carry the business community along and the women also. He promised to provide enabling environment for all citizens living in Rivers State to do businesses.
Upon his first 100 days in office, he took a bold step by sending a N200B appropriation bill to Rivers State House of Assembly and thereafter followed it with his public groundbreaking activity of the Port Harcourt Ring Road project 50.1 kilometres at the total cost of N195B with N175B already paid to Mesrrs Julius Berger Construction Company Plc which stands at 77% of the project’s total sum. He made sure that 16 road projects his predecessor began were all completed in his first 100-Days in office.
His Excellency Sir Siminialayi Fubara in his first one hundred days in office established N4B revolving fund in partnership with Bank of Industries for enterprise development projects. This has micro cum small and medium scale enterprise funding targeted at the youths and women entrepreneurs.
His golden steps of leadership in the first 100 days in office also witnessed his nomination among Nigerian Governors’ Forum. His bold voice in speaking the truth on national issues especially, the Surveillance of the Oil pipelines in Niger Delta region also reverberated across the borders of Nigeria and to the international Oil Companies IOCs. His call for equity and inclusiveness of the oil pipelines surveillance contract awarded to one man should be decentralized so that others with the capacity and expertise to do the job would be given the opportunity to part-take in the projects.
In his magnanity, he gave the sum of N50m to the River State Female Handball Team, known as Rivers Queens who won the National Female Handball Championship recently.
With the first one hundred days in office he has been able to sustain the tempo of infrastructural projects delivery that his predecessor began. In the Health sector he has completed the rehabilitation of two secondary level hospital facilities such as Prof. Kesley Harrison Hospital located at 11 Emenike Street, Mile 2, Diobu Port Harcourt and the reconstructed Maxifacial Ear Nose and Throat ENT Hospital located at Ogbum Abali community by Garrison junction Aba Expressway Port Harcourt, all equipped with ultra modern medical facilities with Dr. (Mrs.) Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, the daughter of Rivers State former Governor Dr. Peter Odili as Health Commissioner who in her commitment to excellence in the healthcare sector has been working assiduously for the completion of the medical facilities in Rivers State. The Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, former Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital and the ongoing construction of renal centre have been completed with equipment supplied for use.
In rural development, the government of Rivers State Governor, Fubara has been serious in visiting project sites of ongoing constructions of rural roads with the Egbema to Omoku town road’s contract revoked and reawarded and the former N12.7B contract reviwed.
Again, he reawarded the Unity road project Andoni Local Government Area. His vision of bringing development to the urban city center also witnessed his visit to Budu ama community in Port Harcourt township, where he ordered for rehabilitation of roads to commence. Also at Elelenwo community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, he flagged off construction of roads in that axis to boost urban renewal of the city center.
On youth development, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, being a youth himself, has engaged with Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC in the utilization of existing Rivers State owned Information Communication and Technology ICT Centre located at Aba Expressway opposite Pleasure Park Port Harcourt. Here youths will be trained in various skills in ICT.
Mitigating the hardship occasioned by the withdrawal of Fuel subsidy, he put on the road 17 luxurious buses to cover major routes in Port Harcourt with some of them dedicated to Civil Servants. His disbursement of the N2B palliative to the poorest citizens and residents had been seamlessly handled through a committee he set up which had Ambassador Desmond Akawor as Chairman and the 23 LGA Chairmen consulted for smooth delivery of foodstuff and cash provisions to the vulnerable members of the public.
His ability of fostering bonds and conviviality with the citizens has been his game changing strategy of holding sway in the leadership style of his administration. Many youths have been appointed as Special Assistants and his style of visiting disaster scenes without wasting time, has endeared him to the hearth of the people of Rivers State.
His frugal spending of the state monthly allocation and donations coming from international agencies has been commendable.
– Emeka AmaeFula
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