Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara said on Tuesday that he did not start governing the state fully until February 2024 – eight months after assuming office.
Inaugurating Egbeda internal roads in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state, the governor said that since he started confronting governance fully in February, he had done remarkably well and earned the commendation of the people.
Fubara did not give reasons why he did not start governing fully for the first eight months in office but he has been embroiled in a political crisis with his predecessor and estranged political godfather, Barrister Nyesom Wike.
Last October, Fubara survived an impeachment plot by members of the state House of Assembly loyal to Wike.
On two occasions, members of his cabinet in the Wike camp resigned, while the state Assembly has also been factionalised, fuelling crisis in the state.
But, on Tuesday, Fubara assured the people of the state of quality projects.
He said: “We are just starting but I assure you more attention. If in four months we can do this, and we are getting this level of applause, you can imagine what will happen when we do one year of our record time, two years of our own record time. Rivers State would have experienced something different from the regular governance.
“I know why I said four months. We started full governance in February 2024. That was when we started taking decisions, when we started confronting governance. And I am proud to say that our people are happy with what we have done.
“What we want to do is to bring governance to our people, service delivery at record time, and in a cost-effective way”.
Fubara said he was operating a government of transparency, adding that there was a record of all his activities.
He said: “Everything that we are doing is in my White Paper. I carry it along, so, there is no issue of any manipulation. Call me any day, anytime, it is there. Even the ones I did before this time, I still have all the records.
“If you call me any day, I will bring the records of all my activities in government, because I know that as a civil servant, what is most important is record-keeping so that if you are not there, and something happens, it is just for somebody to pick up the file and he will see the history.
“That is how I am trained, and I have that in my mind before I do anything. So, I am not scared of anything. Anybody who calls me any day, anytime, I have my records to show. I have all the approvals to show that I acted based on approval and not personal decision”.
