As Rivers State marks its 58th anniversary, today, the State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), has called on citizens to reflect on past achievements while embracing unity and collaboration to build a more prosperous future.<\/p>\n
The Sole Administrator gave the charge while speaking at a Special Inter-denominational Thanksgiving Service held at the Ecumenical Centre in Port Harcourt on Sunday.<\/p>\n
This was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Adviser to Sole Administrator on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo.<\/p>\n
Ibas emphasized that the strength of Rivers State lies not only in its diversity but in the shared identity, harmony, and common purpose of its people.<\/p>\n
He urged political, traditional, religious, and community leaders to prioritize the collective good of the state above divisions.<\/p>\n
“We are bonded together by a common destiny\u2014the hope of a better tomorrow where every Rivers citizen can thrive, contribute, and belong,” he said. “Let us not only celebrate our past but also commit to shaping a future where our children are confident in their identity, faithful to their heritage, innovative in enterprise, and God-fearing in character,” he said.<\/p>\n
The Administrator described the thanksgiving service as more than a ceremonial event but a sacred moment for reflection, forgiveness, and reconciliation.<\/p>\n
He expressed confidence that despite historical challenges \u2014political uncertainties, economic difficulties, and social transformations, Rivers State would emerge stronger and more united.<\/p>\n
“Through every season of trial, God has preserved this land and its people. I am certain that our current challenges, whatever they may be, shall pass. By His grace, Rivers State will rise stronger and more determined than ever before,” he declared.<\/p>\n
Addressing critical developmental gaps, Ibas highlighted the need for improved infrastructure, quality education, and accessible skills acquisition programmes for youths, srressing that development must be inclusive, not a privilege reserved for a few.<\/p>\n
“Our public institutions must be transparent, accountable, and responsive. Development must be a shared experience\u2014fair to every community, village, and local government. This is the standard we must uphold,” he stated.<\/p>\n
In his sermon, Chaplain of the Chapel of Everlasting Grace, Government House, Pastor Barasin Ogan, emphasized the power of thanksgiving as a divine command that unlocks blessings and acknowledges God as the source of all prosperity.<\/p>\n
The service featured a Bible reading from Psalm 100:1-5, delivered by the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika.<\/p>\n
As Rivers State celebrates 58 years, the government reaffirms its commitment to fostering unity, equitable growth, and sustainable development for all its citizens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As Rivers State marks its 58th anniversary, today, the State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), has called on citizens to reflect on past achievements while embracing unity and collaboration to build a more prosperous future. The Sole Administrator gave the charge while speaking at a Special Inter-denominational Thanksgiving Service held at the Ecumenical Centre […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":344402,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[688],"class_list":["post-344380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-city-crime","tag-front-pix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=344380"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":344403,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344380\/revisions\/344403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/344402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=344380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=344380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=344380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}