Focus
Coronavirus: FG’s Deadly Double Standard In Rivers
The politicisation of the fight against the spread of Coronavirus has brought to the fore the deadly application of exclusive list by officials of the Federal Government when it comes to issues that relate to Rivers State and the safety of its people.
This morning (April 12, 2020) as I perused through the newspapers, one report published by Punch Newspaper caught my attention. This report exposed the deadly double standards against Rivers State and her people. It also exposes the underlying deliberate plot to undermine the health security system of the state.
The report: “Chinese doctors’ flight: How three airline crew members ‘disappeared’ from Lagos quarantine centre” highlighted how the Federal Government is collaborating with the Lagos State Government to quarantine pilots and crew members of Air Peace who flew in Chinese doctors into the country. These pilots and crew members will be isolated from the rest of the Lagos community for 14 days to ascertain their Coronavirus status.
Please click this link to read the full report: https://punchng.com/chinese-doctors-flight-how-three-airline-crew-members-disappeared-from-lagos-quarantine-centre/
From the report, the Lagos State Government has quarantined 17 personnel of Air Peace who went on that national assignment on behalf of the Federal Government, operators of the ALMIGHTY EXCLUSIVE LIST. Amongst these 17 personnel are pilots and flight attendants.
Reading through the report, it is clear that the quarantine procedure is mandatory, especially when such crew members have entered a Coronavirus impacted territory. In the case of Nigeria, Lagos State is a Coronavirus-impacted territory.
The Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, declared that community transmission of Coronavirus is in full swing in the state. With this public declaration, it is necessary that precautionary measures be taken as long as the persons are coming from that location.
Please read this report for the confirmation of community transmission of Coronavirus in Lagos: https://businessday.ng/exclusives/article/rising-community-transmission-of-covid-19-strengthens-case-for-social-distancing/
Recall that the Federal Government has quarantined the Chinese doctors that are in the country to carry out medical outreach on behalf of the Federal Government.
This brings me to the main point that I have set out to make. The Federal Government that has emphasised EXCLUSIVE LIST every step of the way in relation to interactions with pilots and AVIATION, has willingly allowed the LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT to quarantine 17 Air Peace pilots and crew to stem the spread of Coronavirus.
In fact, three crew members that escaped from quarantine were located by the joint team of the Federal and Lagos State Governments to apprehend them for the overall safety of Lagos State.
Air Peace did not raise alarm. The Federal Government did not raise alarm to warn the Lagos State Government that it has touched the ALMIGHTY EXCLUSIVE LIST.
The quarantine of the 17 Air Peace personnel who were on National Service was never programmed to be an issue during the daily press conferences at Abuja. Therefore, the Minister of Aviation, Alhaji Hadi Sirika, the chief advocate of EXCLUSIVE LIST had no reason to insult the Lagos State Governor the way he insulted Governor Wike for defending the people of Rivers State and the health security system of the state.
If you read through the report of Punch on the issue, it was programmed to present Lagos State Government as caring for her people. Several Pro-APC Media will replicate this report. Pro-Lagos Editorials will be written about the proactive isolation of these Air Peace personnel on National Service.
I will also throw up another point highlighted in the Pro-APC Report on the quarantine of the Air Peace personnel by the Lagos State Government. There is a standing order of the Federal Ministry of Health that persons flying from Coronavirus-impacted territories be quarantined to check the virus.
Let me quote a paragraph from the said Sunday Punch report of April 12, 2020 that underlines the preferential treatment accorded Lagos State and the unfortunate politicisation of the fight against Coronavirus by the agencies of the Federal Government, operators of the EXCLUSIVE LIST.
“The 17 pilots and flight attendants later on Wednesday proceeded to Lagos to be quarantined by the Lagos State Government in line with an agreement the Ministry of Health reached with the carrier’s management. The Chinese medical personnel were quarantined in Abuja,” Sunday Punch wrote.
The above paragraph indicates that each time a flight leaves and returns, necessary precautionary measures must be taken to check the spread of Coronavirus and the general transmission of the virus. In Lagos State and Abuja, the Federal Government is ever ready to observe the established health protocols to check the spread of Coronavirus.
But when it comes to Rivers State, the operators of EXCLUSIVE LIST are willing to risk the lives of over six million Rivers people and Nigerians just to drill barrels of oil. They are willing to insult the Rivers State Governor everyday on National Television and Mainstream Media for insisting on the implementation of an agreement for the observation of basic health protocols to protect the lives of Nigerians, wherever they may be.
This is what the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said about the observation of the health protocols on flights.
He said, “They knew that before they came and have undergone tests before they left their country. Nevertheless, they will be in quarantine for 14 days. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control has gone to see where they will be quarantined.”
To think that two leading national newspapers allowed themselves to be used to lampoon the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, for insisting on the operation of the health protocols underscores the rot in the country. The hatred for the truth is nauseating, embarrassing and unfortunate.
If 17 personnel of a leading airline who flew 14 hours nonstop to China to ferry essential health equipment to tackle Coronavirus for the overall safety of Nigeria could be quarantined for 14 days in line with established health protocols, why would anyone justify the reckless flights into Port Harcourt by Caverton Helicopters, who consistently refused to observe health protocols?
If the Federal authorities allowed the Lagos State Health Authorities to freely operate at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, where they apprehend pilots on essential services and quarantine them for the safety of Lagos people, why embolden CAVERTON HELICOPTERS to disregard health protocols when they fly into Rivers State?
The entire world is singing from one hymn page to ensure the safety of everyone. But in Nigeria, the situation is different. The Federal Government has instituted measures that frustrate the fight against Coronavirus in major opposition states. Aside encouraging private businesses to compromise the health security system of Rivers State at this critical time, there is no federal support for Governor Wike to carry out this herculean task.
With the 17 Air Peace personnel on compulsory quarantine, nobody has heard of threats from the Airline Operators of Nigeria threatening fire and brimstone. But they issued deadlines on Rivers State Government because they were primed to do so, even though they know of the health protocols operational at this time.
It is sad that the Federal Government will engage in this needless game of double standards. Introducing politics into the fight against the spread of Coronavirus is counterproductive. It makes the entire country vulnerable and weakens the health defence mechanism of all the 36 states.
The objective of the fight against Coronavirus is to stop the virus from decimating the Nigerian population. In this fight, all established health protocols must be respected whether in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt or Enugu. Undermining health protocols in Port Harcourt because Rivers State is on another political path, is dangerous and would undermine the national struggle.
This double standard is deadly. It is unnecessary and it is unfortunate. Nobody should fuel the spread of the virus in one part of the country because of the irregular application of EXCLUSIVE LIST. God has exposed this aspect with the quarantine of Air Peace personnel by the Lagos State Government. All Nigerians should begin to reason along the safety of the population and not the falsehood of operators of EXCLUSIVE LIST.
It is in our national interest for the Federal Government to discard the politicisation of the fight against Coronavirus and enthrone national respect for the operation of the established health protocols agreed by all tiers of government. What is EXCLUSIVE LIST in the face of national ill-health?
I conclude with Governor Wike’s advice to the Federal Government on the dangers of politicising the fight against Coronavirus.
He said: “It is quite unfortunate that the containment of Coronavirus has been politicized by the Federal Government. Every state is important in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus. Therefore, no state should be singled out for special treatment. The Federal Government should prevail or its agencies that connive with Aero Contractors and Caverton Helicopters to fly in workers on essential services to the state to ensure that the health status of these individuals as it relates to COVID-19 is ascertained.”
Nwakaudu is Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media
Focus
Fubara : That Akpabio’s Needless Outburst
Sir Siminalayi Fubara is the current Governor of Rivers State. Godswill Akpabio is the current President of the ninth Senate. The latter was two-time Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs. The former was the Accountant-General of Rivers State under then Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, with whom he is now estrangedz.
Both Amaopusenibo Siminalayi (Sim) Joseph Black-Fubara and Godswill Obot Akpabio met on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the funeral ceremony of late Access Bank chief, Herbert Wigwe, who died alongside his wife, son, and a friend in a helicopter crash in the United States.
Fubara, being the governor of the late Wigwe’s State, was the chief host of the retinue of mourners at the obsequies of the Wigwes, while Akpabio who also hails from the South South geopolitical zone as the deceased and the governor, represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
You would expect that protocols allowed the governor to dictate the pace of the ceremony even if the President of Nigeria or his representative was there.
I dare to say that Akpabio misrepresented the President of the federation by what he said thereafter.
Ask me how.
A grieving Fubara took to the stage to explain the vanity of life. He did it so eloquently and his speech reminded those present that this life is not worth the struggle. He wondered why we had to struggle to kill, maim, get political power, become rich only to die the way the Wigwes died.
“This one has to do with our political class. What is all this struggle about? You want to kill…, you want to bury. What is it all about?” he asked.
His speech was moving, even though it sounded too harsh on the political class to which he belonged. It moved many to tears. Those who thought they had shed enough tears since the deaths occurred cried a little bit more considering the circumstances and its connection with the governor’s speech.
But not for Akpabio. Everything to him is politics. There are no bounds when it comes to playing it. It does not matter whether the occasion is a burial ceremony or a church service. He must seize every opportunity to play to the gallery, and that was exactly what he did at Isiopko last Saturday.
“If there’s nothing in it, don’t struggle,” he fired back at the governor. No respect for protocols. No regards to the nonagenarian father of Herbert.
He took the microphone and told Fubara to stop shedding crocodile tears. He told the state chief mourner that if he felt the struggle was not worth it, he should not get involved in it.
He did not understand the import of the governor’s speech. He could not just as he did not understand that he goofed when he announced in the hallowed chambers of the Senate that money had been transferred to the accounts of the Senators to enable them to celebrate Christmas. When his attention was drawn to the gaffe, he tried to correct himself in the most annoying manner possible. He gleefully announced that it was not money that was sent but prayers.
Watching him that day, I felt like a child in a kindergarten. I wondered if he understood the harm his open microphone gaffe did to struggling Nigerians who were irked that while they were thinking about where their next meal will come from, their leaders were sharing money like children sharing cabin biscuits at a children’s end of year party.
He is known to have spoken on many occasions in a manner that is beneath the office he has occupied and the current one he occupies.
Nigerians may have gotten used to politicians’ loose talk that nobody bothers anymore. Many public officers speak in like manner when discussing serious issues ailing the nation.
But what surprised zzmany was that at Akpabio’s level and the position he occupies, he ought to know that certain things are better left unsaid. Even if Fubara did not sound tough like his predecessor/godfather, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, the fact that the occasion was a funeral ceremony would have taught him to exercise restraint and leave that petulant response for another time, maybe when they meet to settle the roforofo fight between Fubara and Wike.
You see, my friends, in civilised climes, the likes of Akpabio should be in one federal correctional centre, awaiting trial over corrupt allegations levelled against him while serving as governor.
Unfortunately, ours is not a sane clime or a civilised one. Therefore, no court of law has, will ever commit such characters to jail terms for what they did while holding public trust.
It is for this and other reasons that the likes of Akpabio will never learn that words have meaning and that, like the Yoruba will say, ‘it is not every cloth that is spread outside.’
Akpabio displayed a worrying behaviour in his response to the speech by the governor, and all who have his ears should whispper to him that the future generation looks up to leaders like him to show them the way. He should be told that, like Fubara said, this life is fleeting and is not worth the fights and struggles.
Here today. Gone tomorrow.
The Wigwes were here and they are now gone forever.
So shall Akpabio and all those who are privileged to hold publuc offices and who see politics as ‘door or die affair,’ and who have no qualms how it is played.
Words have meaning. Let those who use them weigh their public utterances. History does not forget.
Chukwuelobe is a public affairs analyst and former media aide to former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili.
By:
Fred Chukwuelobe
Focus
The Wigwes: Didactics For The Living
On Saturday, March 9, 2024 the remains of Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe were committed to mother-earth in his home town, Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. Herbert Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba and son, Chizi died in a helicopter crash near Nipton-California in United States on February 9, 2024.
The week-long beehive of funeral activities began on March 4, 2024 at Eko Hotel in Lagos with presentation of “Professional Legacy of Wigwe”. It was followed by a Night of Tribute at Eko Hotel on March 5; a combined service of songs at Resurrection Parish, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Lekki Lagos on March 7. Friday, March 8 was a Christian Wake at Umueke, Isiokpo which was attended by some dignitaries, including the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Presidential Election, Peter Obi. The body had earlier arrived at the Palace of the king of Isiokpo Clan and was received with 21 canon shots in each of the ten villages that make up Isiokpo Kingdom.
The demise of the Wigwes at a time least expected is a constant reminder of the brevity of life and that everyone is a sojourner or a pilgrim.
It is certainly not saying a new thing that life is transient and at its very best, life is as brief and evaporative as the vapour. No wonder, the Bible King Solomon said unequivocally, “I made me great works, I builded me houses, I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits. I made me pools of water to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees. I got me servants and maidens, also I had great possession…So I was great and increased more than all that were before me…And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them. I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labour. Then I looked at all the works my hand hath wrought, and the labour that I had labored to do, and behold all was vanity and vexation of Spirit, and there was no profit under the sun…”(Ecclesiastes 2:4-10).
Solomon’s wise saying is timeless, finds expressions daily as people fail to see life as vanity, and a “passing through” according to Jim Reeves (of blessed memory).
Speaking at the well attended funeral service at Lion of Judah Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Isiokpo, on Saturday March 9, 2024, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalaye Fubara echoed the wise saying of the King Solomon, warning politicians of the emptiness of the inordinate quest for power and promised to sustain the legacy of Wigwe University.
According to a statement signed by Boniface Onyedi, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara “challenged the political class to reflect on the essence of the struggle for power when it is not actually deployed in impacting society positively”.
Sir Fubara pointed to the three corpses of persons who used their time, within the short period they lived to make enormous and impactful contributions to humanity.
“Here lies our brother, his wife and son, everyone has come to celebrate them. It means even in the short period that they lived, they lived impactful lives. They made great contributions to humanity.
“Here is a man, though not a politician, he made his money through our investments. He had the world in his palm financially. He even controlled the political class.
“This takes me to my question to the political class. What is all this struggle all about? You want to kill and bury, to what end?
“But today, with all the power financially, he couldn’t control life. Is it not enough for us to ask ourselves, why are we struggling?
“Why are we not making enough impact in the life of our people. Please, let the political class reflect on this”
Governor Fubara said in immortalising the deceased, the state government will work with Herbert Wigwe Foundation to ensure that the Wigwe University is sustained in accordance with the dreams of Herbert Wigwe.
In his address, Nigeria Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who represented the federal government at the event, said Nigerians, the political class, and indeed Africa leaders will continue to mourn the passing of an iconic personality as Herbert Wigwe.
In his sermon, Vice Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Rivers State, Pastor Adesoji Oni said God by the death of Herbert Wigwe reminded everyone to be prepared for eternity because it will come when they least expected it.
Several dignitaries attended the nights of tributes in Lagos and funeral at Isiokpo his home town. They included the Senate President,Godswill Akpabio, Governors of Akwa Ibom state, Governor Umo Eno, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa, Governor Alex Otti of Abia, Former Emir of Kano, Mohammed Sanusi, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi..
Earlier at the Night of Tributes in Lagos on Wednesday March 6, the 14th Emir of Kano State and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mohammed Sanusi recounted in tears how the late Herbert Wigwe helped him after he had been dethroned and sent out of the State.
According to Sanusi, “When I had problems in Kano, I called him (Wigwe) about six months before I was to leave Kano and I said to him, ‘Herbert I know you will give all your best to solve all these problems but I am convinced that this is what is going to happen. And he said to me, ‘Your Highness, don’t worry, whatever happens don’t worry we are here for you.
“On that day I heard on the radio that I have been dethroned, the night before it happened, I called and said I wanted to come to Lagos. The announcement was made by 9 am and by noon; Herbert had a plane at the tarmac in Kano ready. I put my family on that plane, no message, no phone call, l put them on that plane. Herbert received them, put them in an hotel and later got them accommodation for months…”, Emir Sanusi who broke down in tears thrice narrated.
Recall that Dr. Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe was born at Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos, to Pastor Shyngle and Pastor (Mrs) Stella Wigwe on August 15, 1966. The nation was in the midst of severe political crisis which eventually led to the outbreak of the civil war the following year. Herbert’s father had enlisted as a captain in the Nigerian Army in 1963 and was based Kaduna; but he relocated to Lagos just before the military coup of January 15, 1966. Herbert was their third child, coming after Osita and Chilo; and was followed by Emeka, Peggy and Stella. During the civil war, his family settled in various South Eastern cities, including Calabar. It was at this time that Herbert learnt the Efik language which he spoke fluently, in addition to his native Ikwerre.
After the war, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe commenced his famed career as a broadcast professional in the state and federal service, working in Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Benin, and rising to become the Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority. Herbert’s mother, who studied nursing in the United Kingdom, managed the growing family with clinical efficiency.
Herbert therefore grew up in a typical post-independence civil service household, imbibing traditional values of integrity, meritocracy, respect and accountability which typified the character of Nigeria’s public servants in the 1960s. Herbert commenced his formal education at Port Harcourt Primary School; he was admitted into Federal Government College, Sokoto in 1977, but after his first form, he transferred to Federal Government College, Warri, where he completed his secondary education in 1982. His detribalized, patriotic worldview was formed very early in life. Herbert related with and treated everybody with kindness and respect irrespective of class, social status, ethnicity and religion. He made friends from across the country and the world and was always embraced, at work and home, by Nigerians from different parts of the country.
As a young man, Herbert was also mentored by his father’s younger brother, Chief Henry Ikechi Wigwe, a very successful entrepreneur. Herbert continuously sought the approval of his father, a strict disciplinarian who prioritized education and ensured that his children went to the best schools an honest public servant could afford. Herbert’s love for mathematics and his skills in numeracy were apparent even at an early age, prompting Emeka, his younger brother, to nickname him ACG, short for ‘Accountant-General’, predicting that Herbert would one day become Nigeria’s Accountant-General.
In 1983, Herbert was admitted into the University of Nigeria to study accountancy. He graduated with a Second-Class Upper division degree in 1987, maintaining his strong academic track record. But his outstanding academic capabilities did not come at the expense of other aspects of his life. His love for music, particularly Herbie Hancock and his zest for the finer things were apparent to those who knew him.
Igbiki Benibo
Focus
Opobo Agog For Governor Fubara
Everyone has a moment in history which belongs particularly to him. He carries the stamp of that passing moment for ever, and the appeal of that moment shapes his generational impact.
Beyond the return of an illustrious and exceptional son to his root, Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State, home of the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on Sunday, January 28th, 2024 witnessed a momentous and historic moment as it played host to throngs of visitors and guests from far and near.
The mission was to felicitate the Rivers State Governor, Sir Fubara in the double celebration of his 49th birthday and his victory at the Supreme Court as the duly elected Governor of the State.
Before this auspicious occasion and outright vindication of Governor Fubara in the contentious legal tussle, the State had been caught up in a web of impending political explosion that kept everyone in suspense.
Then came the Supreme Court verdict which cleared the legal barriers and affirmed Sir Fubara as the man with legitimate clout to navigate the course of governance in the oil rich State that bears the enviable sobriquet; “Treasure Base of the Nation”.
There was relief in the air, as the teeming Rivers population who have come to trust their brand new, genial, affable, benevolent and resourceful Governor hailed the verdict in unison.
As a man who has premised his elevations and breakthroughs in life on providence and divine endorsement, Governor Fubara chose to celebrate his political victory and 49th birthday in a grand thanksgiving to God who made everything possible.
But Rivers people stepped in and in full solidarity to honour their new leader, a man in whom they are pleased. Thus, Governor Fubara was amazed and astonished as he beheld the warmth, acceptance and show of love by his family, kinsmen, supporters and well wishers who thronged in their numbers to felicitate him in his double celebration.
The tumultuous reception by Governor Fubara’s kith and kin and the larger Rivers family at Opobo Town, signalled a new dawn in the annals of Rivers political history. There was nothing unusual about the gathering in terms of regular political estimation but there was everything different about the mood of the people and their declarations which were explicit in demands and hope of redemption into a new era of economic prosperity under Governor Fubara.
The event was held at the St Paul’s Anglican Church, Opobo Town in Opobo/ Nkoro Local Government Area, and fully attended by all strata of the society; the business community, the religious community, the political class, the academia, the traditional institution, and the masses, the popular base very much at home with, and grateful to the Rivers State Governor for giving them a sense of belonging in his governance.
There were also those who braced up against skewed, vested political control and surveillance to identify with the people’s Governor. It was an interesting scenario laden with intrigues, fanfare and great expectations.
The festivities that graced the event were akin to a carnival as the people of ancient Opobo Kingdom rolled out their drums to honour their son. Chiefs, elders, women, youths and children revelled in unbridled excitement as they celebrated the Governor in sonorous and enthralling renditions.
During the intensive thanksgiving service at the St Paul’s Anglican Church, Opobo Town, the Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese, the Most Rev, Bishop Emmanuel Oko Jaja had taken time to explain the importance of leadership and execution of leadership responsibilities.
In delivering his homily, the Bishop harped on the importance of forgiveness and thanksgiving as a key leadership function.
According to the revered cleric, “thanking God is a sign of gratitude, and we are under obligation to thank God as God honours faith and dependability on him life’s circumstances”.
He said now that the Supreme Court has declared him the authentic helmsman in Rivers State, Governor Fubara should, “forgive those who have hurt you for God to continue to fight for you and crown you with more victories”, while the aggrieved should, “sheathe their swords, respect the office of the Governor and pursue peace to promote development in the State.
The Bishop further urged the Governor to expand development to all sectors of the Rivers economy and prioritise youth and women empowerment to boost enterprise development in the state.
In his admonition, the Bishop of Ikwere Diocese of the church, Most Rev Bishop Blessing Enyinda urged the Governor not to be distracted by the onslaught of his opponents but should remain focused to give Rivers State the best to be the envy of all States. He congratulated the Governor and urged him to hold on to God and pursue peace.
Special prayers were offered forthe peace of Rivers State and for the Governor to have clear vision and wisdom to lead the State.
Addressing the people shortly after reading the only lesson in service taken from Luke 17, 11 to 19, Governor Fubara expressed deep appreciation to God and Rivers people for their contributions and support which had propped him up in the evolving political tension in the State, before, during and after his election as Governor.
The Rivers State Governor said he drew his strength and encouragement from God and people’s huge support base to tread on in the task of governance, stating that the development on the State depended on total peace..
The Governor who dedicated his Supreme Court victory to the endearing peace process in the State urged those persecuted for standing for the truth to count it as a blessing and sacrifice for the development of the State.
He commended the security agencies for maintaining peace in the State, noting that Rivers State remains peaceful despite the heightened political tensions in the State.
While thanking the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his fatherly support during his travail, Governor Fubara noted that the battle was yet over as there were still ploys to create disharmony in the State.
But Governor Fubara perceives such trappings as raw materials for the glorious exploits of his administration which is poised to bequeath an endearing legacy of peace and development in Rivers State.
He called on religious leaders and Rivers people to continue to pray for the peace of the state.
“We have a lot of distractions but I strongly believe that while we navigate the path of peace, prayer is also needed for us to pass over this phase. Continue to put us in your prayers, there’s nothing God can’t do”
“A lot of people who started this journey with us ought to have been here with us but unfortunately they are not here. God knows why. We can’t question the Almighty.
“But one thing we can’t take away is that God does not make any mistake. Whatever happens, and when it happens, it is for a purpose.
“I am happy to return this glory to God Almighty, to say thank you to God, and ask for extra energy to continue with the task of governance. But no battle can be bigger than God.”
While celebrating the surmounting of a critical stage his journey to the exercise of his electoral mandate, Governor Fubara believes that the grave challenges, trials and ominous signs of chaos that hung over the State were enough lessons to be learnt to have a collective rethink on the positive way forward for the development of the state.
He emphasised that the hope of the future was tied to the collective responsibilities of the people to embrace peace and keep faith with the Rivers dream above individual interest.
In his characteristic conviviality and deep sense of accommodation, Governor extended the olive branch across political divides to jointly build the State, stressing rectitude as a political culture of strengthening the prospects of development in the State.
Most importantly, the Governor expressed concern over the need for his team to bequeath an endearing legacy of prestige, excellence and positive impact on both the office of the governor and the development of the State at large.
In outright detestation, Governor Fubara dissociated his administration from predatory and vindictive politics, noting that his administration will not yield to the trappings of anarchy but remain open to reconciliation and accommodation of constructive criticisms and divergence in views to place Rivers State on its deserving pedestal among the comity of Nigerian States.
A cursory appraisal of Governor Fubara’s political antics shows that as an active catalytic administrator, he approaches political governance from a practical mindset inclined towards achieving the goals of development and devoid of an abrasive and infringing order, a philosophy mistaken to be weakness by his traducers, and detractors.
In his welcome address, the Intercontinental Youth Pastor of RCCG, Pastor Belemina Obunge acknowledged the immense support RCCG had received from the state government towards the hosting of the rally, which he noted has prophetically coincided with the birthday of Governor Fubara.
Earlier on the eventful Sunday at the Port Harcourt Holy Ghost Rally organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium Governor Fubara had declared that the foundation of his administration was anchored on God who has given him unfettered promotion and breakthrough in the face of glaring challenges.
Governor Fubara described the theme of this year’s edition of the Port Harcourt Holy Ghost Rally, “Promoted for a Purpose”, which coincided with is birthday and Supreme Court Victory, as a personal gift from the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
“Let me take that theme to be a personal gift from the Redeemed Christian Church of God, because the theme isn’t different from my story, I was promoted by God, first through my party, and leaders of my party, promotion comes from God alone.”
“I want to say a big thank you to the Redeemed Christian family for your support before, during and after our elections, your prayers have kept us going. Our government will continue to support this programme in this State, continue to pray for us so that the purpose of governance will be achieved in the State.”
The Governor expressed special gratitude to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye for his love for Rivers State as demonstrated by the choice of Port Harcourt for the Special Holy Ghost Rally and blessings at the beginning of every year.
The Intercontinental Youth Pastor of RCCG, Pastor Belemina Obunge who officiated the Port Harcourt Holy Ghost Rally thanked the Governor for his commitment and support towards the success of the rally.
Governor Fubara’s deep sense of humility, civility, pragmatism and magnetic aura has continued to attract the support of Rivers people who see in him the sincerity of purpose to promote people-oriented policies and sustainable development in the State. In an enigmatic and metaphorical coinage, Governor Fubara sees himself as a man of destiny that God uses even his enemies to bless.
Taneh Beemene
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