Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has stated that his administration is facing sabotage from some unrelenting forces but is determined to govern the state with a sense of purpose and commitment to good governance.
The Governor also disclosed that his legacy will not be limited to the construction of roads and bridges but development of human capacity and other critical infrastructures like health care and education to put the state on its deserving trajectory of growth and development.
Governor Fubara made this known while addressing members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors led by its President , Eze Anaba and other media executives at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Port Harcourt on Sunday.
The Governor said such opposing forces were resolute in frustrating the efforts of his administration to service the state on a legitimate and constitutional mandate but he will not be deterred from delivering the dividends of democracy in the state.
Gov. Fubara explained that such calculated attempts to scuttle the process of governance in the state were demonstrated during the celebration of his one year in office, when notable personalities invited to speak at the economic and investment summit were called not to honour the invitation but it took few courageous personalities to turn up.
He further explained that in the course of continuing with the Port Harcourt International Automobile Spare Parts and Commercial Centre the previous contractors handling the project were instigated to take the state government to court, despite the fact that his government settled and paid off the contractor, but the contractors declined to heed to the planned sabotage.
Similarly, Governor Fubara said the land duly acquired and paid for by the Chibuike Amaechi-led administration at the Greater Port Harcourt area are being encroached by some people over ownership claims at the instance of the saboteurs of his administration and as the twenty thousand housing project is ongoing, over 52 litigations were instituted against the government for frivolous claim of ownership.
Despite all these challenges, Governor Fubara stated that his administration has recorded remarkable successes within one year in office and will not rest on its oars to serve the interest of the state.
“We are a government legitimately and constitutionally constituted in the state. It is our duty to carry out the function and act of governance properly, but somehow we have some issues which I won’t want to dwell on. But we have to move on, and moving on is where we are today. By the special grace of God we have recorded successes. We might not have gotten it the way it would have been if everything was fine, it takes a government that is courageous to do what we have done.”
He said at the inception of his administration, efforts were put in place to step up the Internally Generated Revenue IGR and money was saved which is now committed to projects that are now ongoing in the state.
The Governor said his administration’s decision to execute the land mark Port Harcourt Ring Road Project, costing a whopping sum of N195bn, of which 77% of the sum amounting to N147bn has been paid to the contractors, the Trans-Kalabari Road project, with a total cost of N225bn, out of which 30%, that is, N67bn paid, is to improve the economic well-being of the people.
He added that the ongoing N80bn, Elele-Omoku road, which was in a hitherto bad shape and a death trap, being embarked on by his administration, of which N40bn, has been paid, will check crime in the area and alleviate the plight of the users.
The governor also explained that projects inherited from the immediate past administration were being completed, adding that his administration has plans to revive the health and education sectors which are presently assessed as being below bench mark.
