Politics
One Year In Office: Gov Fubara Answering Critics With Projects Delivery (1)

Against the surging wave of high political brinkmanship almost immediately after assuming office on May 29, 2023, Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has continued to prove his mettle as a committed and focused leader, dispensing quality governance to the State and its people.
This is evident in the harvest of projects delivered in the State as he celebrates one year in office as the Chief Executive of Rivers State in the face of unabating distraction and provocations.
Activities marking the anniversary celebration started on Monday, May 13, with the commissioning of the Ebubu, Ete-o- Aleto road, also known as old Bori Road, in Eleme Local Government Area.
Speaking during the project commissioning, Governor Fubara declared that his response to the provocations by his detractors will be to deliver good governance and execute quality projects that will have positive impact on the lives of the people.
Accompanied by his Abia State counterpart, Governor Alex Otti, who was the Special Guest of Honour, and other critical stakeholders at the event, the Rivers State Governor said he embarked on the project, which is a by pass, to lesson the burden on the East-West Road, and as such complement the efforts of the Federal Government.
He explained further that his administration has the full support of the Federal Government but was being sabotaged by self serving unpatriotic politicians, and faulted the insinuations by political dissidents in the State that his administration was not in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Against the claims of non-indebtedness by the previous administration on projects executed, Governor Fubara revealed that contractors who handled projects under the immediate past administration were still coming to demand balance of payment.
“I’ll continue to identify with good governance, I will continue to identify with those that want to better the lots of the people. We are aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda to complement the efforts of the Federal Government with good projects”, he said.
The Governor who started his early years of career development in Eleme, thanked the people for their support to his administration and cooperation with the contractors which led to the successful completion of the project, and assured that his administration will execute more projects in the area.
He pointed out that he invited the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, to commission the project because he is not a man of artificial integrity but a man of action who is embarking on transformational projects in his State in the face of daunting challenges as well.
In his remarks, Dr Otti said Governor Fubara came prepared to serve Rivers State as nothing would distract him from attending to the welfare needs of the citizenry and urged Rivers people to continue to support the administration of Governor Fubara.
On Thursday, May 16, Governor Fubara flagged off the 33km Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road at Egbeda Town in Ikwerre Local Government Area, with a commitment to continue to deliver quality projects across the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Fubara condemned the attack on his supporters at Eleme by some unscrupulous elements shortly after the commissioning of the Aleto, Ete-o Ebubu, (Old Bori Road ), stating that such actions intended to justify loyalty to a political overlord was totally unacceptable.
He cautioned local council chairmen across the State to guard their utterances and actions, reminding them that they were left with only a few days in office and would be made to pay for hurting anyone unlawfully.
Governor Fubara maintained that he had endured the verbal abuses of his person and attacks on his followers because he had opted to tow the path of peace based on the promise he made to President Bola Tinubu, warning that his peaceful disposition should not be taken for granted.
The Governor declared that his administration came prepared for governance and was ready to account for every money spent in projects delivery, stating that he invited Senator John Mbata as the Special Guest of Honour for the flag off because the Mbata dynasty is a repository of honour and integrity in Ikwerre in particular, and Rivers State in general.
He pointed out that the dualisation of the Elele-Egbeda- Omoku road project will be financed through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and 50per cent of the total cost of the contract had been paid to the contractors in advance in order to avoid variations as a result of fluctuation of prices while charging the contractors to deliver the project in record time.
“Our mission isn’t different from President Tinibu’s Renewed Hope to Nigerians; we’re here to give hope, we’re doing it genuinely for the service of the people. We’ve started our journey of showcasing what we’ve done in the state.
“We’re a government that’s ready to serve the people; we’re transparent and genuinely care about the people. When the road is completed, commercial activities will become easy, that’s caring for the people. We’re ready and prepared for the task of governance”, he stated.
In his remarks, Senator John Mbata congratulated Governor Fubara on his one year in office and expressed delight that Rivers State has a governor of his caliber at this period in time.
He commended the Governor for his “humanity, humility, propensity and preference for peace and tranquility”, and assured to join force with stakeholders to support the Governor to emancipate the people and bring development to Rivers State.
On Friday, May 17, the newly constructed Emuoha – Kalabari Road was commissioned by former governor of Bayelsa State and serving Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
In his speech at the commissioning ceremony, which held at Tema junction in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Governor Fubara stated that his administration will not misappropriate funds but judiciously use the resources of the state and tax payer’s money for the development of the state.
“ Out of the total cost of N22billion, the previous administration paid N6billion. I can boldly say that the balance of N16billion, which is 70per cent of the total cost, has been completely paid, therefore we can boldly say that this project was delivered by this administration”, he said.
The Governor further approved the extension of the Emuoha-Kalabari Road from Tema junction to Abonnema Town, assuring that the Ifoko extension will be completed before the end of his administration.
In his remarks, Senator Dickson commended the Rivers State Governor for prioritising peace as the necessary recipe for development and his taste for life changing projects in Rivers State, noting that the construction of roads in the Niger Delta region is difficult and only a governor that has the love for his people can embark on such ventures.
“As a lover of Niger Delta culture and tradition, I’ve taken this road several times to most of the communities in Kalabari Kingdom. I share in the joy of those who are directly impacted”, he said.
He described Governor Fubara as a man of discipline, focus and prudence, with the capacity to rise above the altitude of distraction to dispense good governance to the people, and urged Rivers people to give the governor their unrelenting support to succeed.
From there, Governor Fubara, on Saturday, May 18, commissioned the Andoni Section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road project, completed by his administration after 24 years, declaring that the achievements recorded by his administration within the past three months have surpassed those of the previous eight years.
At the commissioning ceremony at Ngo Town, headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Governor Fubara commended the efforts of previous administrations on the project, stating that its completion and commissioning will positively impact the lives of the people of Andoni.
The governor thanked the people of Andoni for their support during his election and directed the award of contract for the extension of the road from Ngo to Oyorokoto, a coastal fishing community that is reputed to be the largest fishing settlement in West Africa.
Governor Fubara who promised to focus the attention of his administration on the development of the health, education and agriculture sectors, along other critical sectors of the state’s economy, decried a recent statistical report that scored Rivers State below benchmark in healthcare delivery, declared that his administration will carry out a total overhaul of the sector within the next six months.
By: Taneh Beemene
Politics
INEC Denies Registering New Political Parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has not registered any new political parties.
The commission gave the clarification in a statement on its X (formerly Twitter) handle last Wednesday.
It described the purported report circulated by some online social media platforms on the registration of two new political parties by INEC as fake.
“The attention of INEC has been drawn to a fake report making the rounds about the registration of two new political parties, namely “Independent Democrats (ID)” and “Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM)”.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the commission has not yet registered any new party. The current number of registered political parties in Nigeria is 19 and nothing has been added,” it stated.
The commission recalled that both ID and PDM were registered as political parties in August 2013.
INEC further recalled that the two were deregistered in February 2020 in accordance with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The commission, therefore, urged the public to disregard the said report.
Politics
You Weren’t Elected To Bury People, Tinubu Tells Alia

President Bola Tinubu has asked Governor Hyacinth Alia to work more for peace and development of Benue State, saying he was elected to govern, not to bury people.
The President said this while addressing stakeholders at the Government House, Markudi, last Wednesday.
He also called on the governor to set up a peace committee to address some of the issues in the state.
The meeting included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, traditional rulers, and former governors of the state.
The governors of Kwara, Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, and Nasarawa states also attended the meeting.
“Let us meet again in Abuja. Let’s fashion out a framework for lasting peace. I am ready to invest in that peace. I assure you, we will find peace. We will convert this tragedy into prosperity,” he said.
President Tinubu urged Governor Alia to allocate land for ranching and directed the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to follow up.
“I wanted to come here to commission projects, to reassure you of hope and prosperity, not to see gloomy faces. But peace is vital to development.
“The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people”, he stressed.
He charged Governor Alia on working with the Federal Government to restore peace.
“Governor Alia, you were elected under the progressive banner to ensure peace, stability, and progress. You are not elected to bury people or comfort widows and orphans. We will work with you to achieve that peace. You must also work with us”, he said.
In his remarks, Governor Alia appealed to the Federal Government to establish a Special Intervention Fund for communities affected by repeated violent attacks across the state.
“Your Excellency, while we continue to mourn our losses and rebuild from the ashes of pain, we humbly urge the Federal Government to consider establishing a special intervention fund for communities affected by these incessant attacks in Benue State,” he said.
Governor Alia said the fund would support the rehabilitation of displaced persons, reconstruction of destroyed homes and infrastructure, and the restoration of livelihoods, especially for farmers.
He reiterated his support for establishing state police as a lasting solution to insecurity.
The governor pledged his administration’s full commitment to building a safe, stable, prosperous Benue State.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Rulers Council, Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh, Prof. James Ayatse, praised President Tinubu for being the first sitting President to personally visit victims in the hospital in the wake of such a tragedy.
He thanked the President for appointing notable Benue indigenes into key positions, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, while expressing hope that more appointments would follow.
Politics
Gowon Explains Why Aburi Accord Failed
Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (ret’d), says the Aburi accord collapsed because Chukwuemeka Ojukwu wanted regional governors to control military zones.
Gen. Gowon was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1966 until 1975 when he was deposed in a bloodless coup while Ojukwu was military governor of the then Eastern Region in that span.
In a live television interview recently, Gen. Gowon narrated what transpired after the agreement was reached in Aburi, a town in Ghana.
The meeting that led to the accord took place from January 4 to 5, 1967, with delegates from both sides of the divide making inputs.
The goal was to resolve the political impasse threatening the country’s unity.
The point of the agreement was that each region should be responsible for its own affairs.
During the meeting, delegates arrived at certain resolutions on control and structure of the military. However, the exact agreement reached was the subject of controversy.
The failure of the Aburi accord culminated in Nigeria’s civil war, which lasted from July 6, 1967, to January 15, 1970.
Speaking on what transpired after the agreement, Gen. Gowon said the resolutions should have been discussed further and finalised.
The ex-military leader said he took ill after arriving in Nigeria from Aburi and that Ojukwu went on to make unauthorised statements about the accord.
Gen. Gowon said he did not know where Ojukwu got his version of the agreement from.
“We just went there (Aburi), as far as we were concerned, to meet as officers and then agree to get back home and resolve the problem at home. That was my understanding. But that was not his (Ojukwu) understanding,” he said.
Gen. Gowon said Ojukwu declined the invitation, citing safety concerns.
“I don’t know what accord he (Ojukwu) was reading because he came to the meeting with prepared papers of things he wanted. And, of course, we discussed them one by one, greed on some and disagreed on some.
“For example, to give one of the major issues, we said that the military would be zoned, but the control… He wanted those zones to be commanded by the governor.
“When you have a military zone in the north, it would be commanded by the governor of the military in the north, the military zone in the east would be commanded by him. Of course, we did not agree with that one”, Gen. Gowon added.
Ojukwu died on November 26, 2011 at the age of 78.
-
Sports6 hours ago
Ekiti Honour Contingents On National AGILE Games’ Feats
-
Business4 hours ago
MWUN Backs Nigeria’s Bid For IMO’s Category C Seat
-
Politics5 hours ago
LG Autonomy: ICPC Hails S’Court Decision, Decries Councils’ Funds Misuse
-
Politics4 hours ago
Eno’s Defection: Collaborate With PDP Defectors, Akpabio Urges APC Members
-
News4 hours ago
Media Powerful, Central Player In Fight Against Insurgency -CDS
-
Business6 hours ago
PINL Initiatives, Operational Etiquette Excites Bayelsa Stakeholders
-
Rivers4 hours ago
Emohua Gears For Food Production, Employment Opportunities
-
Politics5 hours ago
Members’ Ego Responsible For PDP Crisis, Not About Atiku Alone -Gov Lawal