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We’ve Almost Decided On Presidential Candidate To Support, Wike Hints …I’ll Invest In Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Others, Fubara Assures
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has hinted that talks with his political allies on the presidential candidate to support in the February 25 election would soon be finalised.
The governor maintained that the people of the state know their political bearings and would not play second fiddle concerning the general election slated for February 25 and March 11, 2023.
Wike spoke at St. Martin’s Anglican Church, Omagwa Town, venue of the Campaign Flag-off Rally of the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikwerre Local Government Area, yesterday.
The governor explained that Rivers people have been duly sensitised and told to vote the candidates of PDP for governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly.
He explained that the beauty of the forthcoming election was that it would leave no room for any form of electoral manipulation and intimidation from security personnel.
Wike, allegorically, told the crowd to be sure that all votes must be put in one basket in favour of candidates of the PDP in the state.
“This time, no Army will do anything. No Akin Fakorode will do anything. No police will do anything. Now, it is one man, one vote. All the votes must be in one basket from governorship to House of Assembly. The other one we are concluding. When we conclude, you will be told.
“Nobody should intimidate you. Nobody should tell you any story. We are free born of this country. We are not second class citizens. Nobody can tell us anything. I dare them. Let anybody do any funny thing: We’ll tell them we are from Rivers State.”
He emphasised that it would be a case of one man, one vote, adding that no blackmail can dissuade or thwart the collective resolve of the people on who to support with their votes.
The governor, who urged the people to be calm, maintained that when the final decision of the presidential candidate the state would support would be taken, Rivers electorate would be notified.
“As we finish from here now, you’ll go home and start working before the appropriate time when we will ring the bell. When you hear the bell being rang, know that the decision has been taken.”
Wike explained that governance was not about story telling but in performance that translates into making living easier for the people and seeing them happy.
He said the successes of his administration were what the consolidation team, to be headed by the PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, would consolidate, and therefore, should be elected to continue from where he would stop.
That is why, Wike insisted, that the forthcoming election would be a fight to finish so that those who have now placed themselves as enemies of the state, to sell it for pottage, would be taught a lesson.
Wike told the people of Ikwerre Local Government that in 2015 and 2019, he came to seek their support, made promises and had fulfilled all of them with development projects evenly distributed in all the 13 political wards.
The governor said the members of the consolidation team he was asking the people to vote into power were men and women with capacity to continue the tenets of good governance, and would certainly not disappoint them.
Wike disclosed that the Rivers State Government had awarded contract for the construction of Ubima-Ozuoha Road.
In his speech, Rivers State PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, vowed to invest massively in road construction, schools, hospitals, and security in Ikwerre Local Government Area, when elected governor of Rivers State on March 11.
Fubara also pledged to continue and consolidate on the widely commendable impactful development programmes of the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike in the area.
He said he was part of the administration of Wike that had provided good governance and driven unparalleled infrastructure development agenda.
Fubara pointed out that a vote for him would be an expression of confidence in what Wike had done, which he would consolidate, when elected.
He assured of committing to good governance, providing services to make life better for the citizenry, including delivering more roads, making health facilities offer quality healthcare services, and improving security in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
“We are in a LGA that is very significant to our cause. We came here to ask for your support in 2015, you told us the things you want us to do for you, Governor NyesomWike promised to do them for you, almost eight years later, and you can all attest that we have fulfilled those promises made to you.
“We are here again to seek your support, we are here to tell you that, that faith you had in us in 2015 and 2019 because of our performance, you should also have the same faith in us in 2023, because we will not fail you, we will even do more this time.
“The administration of our Principal and Leader built a model secondary school in the community of the former governor of this state; constructed internal roads in virtually all the communities in this LGA. I will continue from wherever he stops.
“Our mission here is to tell you to continue to support us for continuity and consolidation. We will provide good governance because that is what we stand for and that is what our Principal has provided for you since 2015.
“The few roads that are remaining in Ikwerre Local Government Area will be constructed by us. We will improve on your health services. Governor Wike has been able to tackle insecurity in this LGA; we will improve on that to maintain the peace you are currently enjoying. We will reconstruct and equip more schools in this LGA,” the guber candidate added.
“The few roads that are remaining in Ikwerre, we will do it. Your health services, we will improve on them and upgrade them. On security, you know those days when they kidnap in Elele, they will enter Ubima forest. Today, we have been able to smoke those criminals out and you have peace.”
The Director General of Rivers PDP Campaign Council, Bro Felix Obuah, noted the massive show of solidarity by the people at the rally.
He said Rivers people have witnessed the tremendous performance of Wike in office, adding that voting Sir SiminialayiFubara and other PDP candidates would ensure consolidation of the successes of the Wike-led administration.
Rivers State Chairman of PDP, Amb Desmond Akawor, who presented flags to the various candidates contesting various positions in the Rivers East Senatorial District, described Wike as the leader of the people and emancipator of the downtrodden.
The Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, warned that those who took Wike for granted would on February 25, realise their great mistake.
In his speech, Chief Mike Elechi said Wike had kept his 2015 and 2019 promises of delivery of development projects.
He vowed that the people had resolved to appreciate him as a father and brother by tripling the votes given to him in 2015 and 2019 to the consolidation team.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. ChineduMmom, said those gathered for the campaign rally were all registered voters who, as faithful PDP members, would vote all the candidates of the party.
On behalf of the women, Mrs.OwhuchukuObiandu, noted how Wike had in 2015, promised and ensured that women were brought into mainstream politics in the state.
As a show of gratitude, she said women were well mobilised to vote all PDP candidates in the state.
Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of his administration’s commitment to supporting and strengthening the scheme in the State.
Fubara gave the assurance last Friday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area in the State, during the swearing-in ceremony of 2026 Batch B Stream II orientation course.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Promise Oguzie, the governor said the State Government would remain intentional in providing the necessary support to improve the NYSC scheme and enhance the experiences of corps members deployed to the state.
He charged the corps members to be role models and quality nation-builders in their service to the good people of Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria at large.
“I charge you to be exemplary, dedicated and committed in all you do. Take full advantage of all the camp programmes and activities to enrich yourselves”, he said.
In his welcome address, the State Coordinator of NYSC in Rivers State, Mr. Moses Oleghe, urged corps members to see their deployment to Rivers State as a “veritable opportunity to make meaningful contribution to the growth of the State in particular and Nigeria at large.”
He further charged them to serve with all sense of “integrity, discipline, and the fear of God, especially when they will be engaged as INEC ad-hoc staff that will conduct the 2027 general elections.”
A total of 3,584 corps members composed of 1,421 males and 2,163 females were sworn in by the Chief Judge of Rivers State, who was represented by Justice Godspower Aguma.
Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, says Nigeria needs God-fearing leaders for the nation to move in the right direction and make meaningful progress.
The Governor stated this yesterday when he received in audience, the World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler; his wife, Andriene Marques Kohler; daughter Mariana Marques Kohler and a retinue of ministers of the church at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara who hailed the Seventh Day Adventist Church for its contributions to education and the grooming of future leaders in Nigeria, expressed delight that the Church had over the years, been investing in education at various levels and currently runs two universities in the country.
He commended the church for not only using its institutions to spread the gospel of Christianity but to groom future leaders for the country.
According to him, religion should not be just about defending one’s faith, but also making meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
He said that by floating these educational institutions, the church has demonstrated capacity to support Nigeria in the task of producing not only educated people but a breed of God-fearing leaders.
“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation, you’ll go beyond the line and that is what has brought us to where we are today.
“So, I feel very happy that you are contributing to the development of our future leaders in this country. We need the right people being in the right place; prepared properly with good minds; that is what we need, not just in Nigeria but round the whole world.,” he said.
Governor Fubara further observed that the absence of God-fearing people in high places to take the right decisions that could impact positively on the society, has also given rise to other problems such as social inequality, poverty, corruption and criminality. According to him, Nigeria needs a system where the average parent could afford quality education for their children and a guarantee that upon graduation, the average child will have the capacity to compete favourably with anybody, anywhere in the world.
“If we have a situation where the little money that you’re being paid as wage can also afford you quality healthcare and after working at least for 15-20 years, you have a roof over your head, tell me why you should be involved in any kind of crime? At that point, you’ll feel secured and this attitude of insecurity about the future that leads to all the social vices we have today won’t be there,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the delegation for the visit and for their prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his continued support for their programmes in the state.
Leader of the delegation and World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler said he was in Nigeria for a special conference of the church during which thousands of the church’s ministers will be undergoing an empowerment programme to further equip them for the task of herding their flocks and serving the society.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception accorded his entourage, saying the memory of the visit will linger in his mind for a lifetime.
Kohler disclosed that the Church has over twenty -four million (24,000,000) members and more than 182,000 places of worship, spread across 212 countries of the world.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has approved the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.
The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.
Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.
Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.
He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.
The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.
During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.
The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.
Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.
Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.
The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.
According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.
Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.
The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.
King Onunwor