BY Ebunoluwa Olafusi
Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, says his administration’s achievements in three months have exceeded the performance “of those who spent eight years” in office.
Fubara spoke on Saturday in Ngo Town at the inauguration of the Andoni section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road project in Andoni LGA of the state.
The Rivers governor, however, did not mention the administration he was referring to.
He said a recent assessment of the state in health enrollment and availability of facilities showed that Rivers performance was below the set benchmark.
The governor assured the people that within the next six months, the state would witness a total change.
“I was at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) meeting on Wednesday, and we were given an update from the chart on the medical position of all the states. It was in zones,” Fubara said.
“You won’t believe that in that chart, everything that has to do with enrollment, even the level of facilities that is on ground in that assessment, Rivers state was classified as below benchmark.
“It is a pity. It is not something that just happened in a day. It is not something that just happened within my time in government. No, no. It is statistics collated over a period of time. So, it means when we tell you that our target is education, healthcare and agriculture, we didn’t make any mistake.
“We might have done other things but we know that those key areas have not been attended to.
“We promise our people that by the special grace of God, in the next six months, there will be a total change.
“Continue to be peaceful in the face of unwarranted provocation. What is important is that we have a direction and we will continue to look towards that direction.
“We will not allow anybody to distract us. We have to be focused in this situation.
“Like I said the other day, we just started. We started about three or four months ago but I am very happy that if we have to assess ourselves within that three months, we have done better than people who stayed for eight years.
“I stand to be challenged.”
The governor thanked Peter Odili, a former governor of the state, for initiating the construction of the road.
“But, I just want to say this, what is important today is the section of the Unity Road that connects Andoni to Ogoni and Opobo/Nkoro has come to reality. That is the important thing,” he said.
“We have to thank first, the initiator, Dr Peter Odili. We have to thank other successive governments, which also contributed before we finally made this day to be.
“The beauty of it is that we are not owing any dime on this particular project. We are happy its happening in our own time. Our motto remains the people first.
“Anything that has to do with the people, we must take it serious.
“I want to say here that we need to develop our own and if we have to do it, we have to do it ourselves. I promise my people that we are going to do more jobs, more connecting roads for the Andoni by the special grace of God.”
He thanked the people for supporting his government “not minding the situation we find ourselves”.
“A lot of people were thinking this place will be empty. They had other plans; to the glory of God, we’re getting natural support. People we didn’t pay money. They are here today that ‘we identify with this government. We appreciate what this government is doing’.”
‘WE HAVE TO SUPPORT GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRE’
The governor urged the people to also support the government at the centre.
“Continue to show good faith in the governance of this country. The success of the centre is the success of the subnational,” he said.
“When the subnational, which is the state, succeeds, the local government succeeds, it means more projects, more life changing activities in your domain.”
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