• Pledges Cooperation With State Assembly, Inclusive Governance
• Emergency Rule Took Rivers 60 Years Backwards – Stakeholders
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has assured residents of the state that his government would continue to work towards improving their well being, appreciating them for the warm reception they granted him at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
This came as many stakeholders in the state have said that the six-month emergency has taken the state backwards, calling for concerted efforts to enable the governor recover lost developmental grounds.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after his arrival at the Government House on Friday, Fubara described the reception as a display of love, confidence, and solidarity.
“Let me first of all appreciate the wonderful people of Rivers State. I am really humbled by what I saw at the airport. I was briefed with some photographs of what happened here yesterday. That reception really humbled me,” he said.
Fubara noted that the massive reception was not just a celebration but a reaffirmation of the bond between his government and the people. He added: “It showed love, confidence and solidarity. I want to say that it is not just the celebration, the massive reception by the number of people who came out to celebrate, but the display and reaffirmation of the bond between this government and the people that we are serving. ”
The governor assured the people that his government would continue to do what has made them love his administration. He said: “I want to assure you that we will by the grace of God, continue to do those things that have made you people love us. I want to appreciate everyone and to say that we love you but God loves you more.”
He further pledged that every stakeholder, authority, and institution that contributed to the restoration of peace and normalcy in the state would be duly recognised in his statewide broadcast scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday.
Speaking during the scheduled broadcast at., Fubara pledged to work harmoniously with the Rivers State House of Assembly to recover lost grounds and accelerate the advancement of social and economic development of the state.
He described the period of emergency as one of the most challenging moments for the state, saying his decision not to contest the presidential declaration was guided by a conviction that no sacrifice was too great for peace in Rivers State.
“The President graciously brokered peace during this period, and we all accepted it, though not without the hard lessons learnt, during the emergency rule,” he said.
He added that the responsibility now lies with leaders to put aside personal interests and pursue the common good. Fubara expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a “fatherly intervention” that restored full democratic governance to Rivers State.
He also acknowledged the role of his political leader, former Governor Nyesom Wike, alongside the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and other stakeholders in sustaining peace.
The governor extended his gratitude to the Speaker and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for their cooperation. He, however, noted the concerns of his supporters and assured them that “not everything is irretrievably lost” and that opportunities remain ahead.
He stated that “the costly peace is cheaper than the cheapest war,” stressing the need to build a more prosperous Rivers State. He recalled his administration’s achievements before the emergency rule and promised to resume funding ongoing projects to ensure their completion. He further reiterated his commitment to working with the House of Assembly in the interest of the state, while thanking the people of Rivers State for their resilience, peaceful conduct, and prayers.
Meanwhile, a professor of Monetary Economics at the University of Port Harcourt, Peter Medee, has applauded President Bola Tinubu for returning democratic structures to Rivers State, noting, however, that the emergency regime took Rivers State 60 years backward.
According to Medee, who is a former Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, the opportunities the state would have harvested in the last six months of the emergency rule were huge.
Medee, who lectures at the Department of Economics, said: “Rivers State has been taken backwards; the opportunity cost or what is called the ‘forgone alternatives’ that would have been achieved in this past six months is wasted.
“In all, Rivers people are grateful for life. Anything could have happened but there was no human causality; there was only causality in terms of development, peace and progress but we will recover with the efforts of the governor and support from everyone.”
Similarly, former Commissioner for Environment, Sydney Gbara, expressed confidence for accelerated progress and development across the state, especially in the areas of completing abandoned projects and ensuring human capital developments. Gbara urged all and sundry to work together and support the governor to achieve speedy progress and recover the opportunities that were lost.
“We are grateful for the return of the governor. Before the emergency rule was declared, there were lots of projects ongoing; some were flagged off but were stopped. Joyfully, there will be speed in completing those projects. Also, we will see deliberate actions by the governor on human capital development. The state already has a partnership with the Bank of Industry to empower the people and many others,” he said.
Also speaking, former Nigerian Ambassador to Netherlands, Orji Ngofa, called for total support for the governor, stressing that the emergency rule ridiculed Rivers State and stunted its development.
“It will take concerted efforts to recover the lost grounds,” he emphasised. Therefore, the governor has been urged to get competent men and women with expertise to navigate the challenges ahead and ensure the remaining time he has left is properly utilised for the benefit of the people.
A human rights advocate and Programme Manager of Social Action, Peter Mazi, who described the overwhelming celebration of Fubara’s return to office as unnecessary, emphasised that priority should be given to things that add value, not jamborees.
He urged the governor to focus on recovering the lost months by delivering values to the people and not to be distracted by welcome back parties.
Mazi called for the probe of the ex-sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), saying: “Those who have controlled the resources of the state for the past six months, we need to establish clearly how state funds were spent.”
Meanwhile, a conflict resolution specialist, Ndamzi Ekwulo, has urged the three lawmakers who supported Fubara during the crisis period to resume sitting alongside others.
Ekwulo said: “The three lawmakers who supported the governor in the political crisis were absent at the plenary. It is expected that all legislators return to their legislative duties to ensure proper representation to their constituents.
“The issues behind the political crisis have already been resolved. They were not appointed, they were elected. Therefore, both parties should sheath their swords; everyone should resume and join hands with the governor to move the state forward; and we appeal to the Speaker, Martins Amaehule, to ensure there is cohesion among the legislators.”
