The rejected stone in Rivers State seems to have become the corner stone in other places. Gov Sim Fubara is rated ‘minus zero’ by the opposition APC Caretaker committee in Rivers State led by Tony Okocha, but, few weeks after, another rating has come from an independent online media group that has just rated the governor the number one in Nigeria.
Okocha addressed a huge press conference where he announced the rating of ‘minus zero.’ He was taken to task by media people who reminded him that the governor flagged off three mega road projects alone at N501.2bn plus 20,000 housing units, N4bn to SMEs (small businesses) many other road projects, and numerous other feats such as promotion of civil servants for the first time in many years, clearance of pensions, and plans to employ 10,000 workers.
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Okocha tried to explain that those projects were being sponsored from an illegitimate budget even when some of them such the PH Ring Road, the 20,000-housing scheme, promotions, pensions, many roads were sponsored from the 2023 budget that had no controversy.
Most citizens however seemed to differ with the APC pointing at one achievement or the other that they said the new administration had achieved and wondered how such score came about. They refused to accept the excuse that all projects were started by the former governor or that to continue them amounted to zero achievement.
Now, the governor says he is excited at an independent assessment carried out by some online media platforms that rated the State high in terms of projects’ delivery by first time governors in Nigeria.
The governor said though he was not given to media hype, his performance in service and projects’ delivery, was in the public domain, visible to everybody, as life-changing strides of his administration.
Gov Fubara spoke during the Sallah solidarity visit by a delegation led by the Vice President General and Chairman, Association of South-South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, the alhaji, Nasir Awhelebe Uhor, to Government House in Port Harcourt on Monday, June 17, 2024.
Uhor is also chairman, Rivers State Council for Islamic Affairs (RSCIA).
The governor said most people have continued to talk about the modest achievements that the administration has achieved in one year, which were being celebrated because they were genuine development efforts.
Fubara said: “We are not talking about a 2-kilometre road project. We are not talking about building one primary school. We are talking about life-changing projects; and that is why you don’t need to argue with anybody about what we have done. We don’t need to beat our drums because what we have done is there for the world to see.”
Gov Fubara emphasised the grace of God that he said was at work, enabling his administration to steady governance, and assured that the mark of development will leave Rivers State better.
“So, I can say boldly that God has been very faithful to us against the expectations of a lot of people. He’s been guiding us, holding us forth, and we can boldly beat our chest to say: so far, we have shown that we are a responsible government.
“We have shown that we mean well for Rivers’ people. We have shown that this is not just a government that merely wants to control.”
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He said that his administration would continue to do everything possible to promote coexistence among all residents despite their religious inclinations while accommodating each other.
He promised look into some complaints put before him by the Muslims. “Whether we like it or not, it is not a mistake when you see churches. It is not a mistake when you see a lot of mosques. It helps to reduce crime, because when people go to worship centres, they listen to the word and the fear of God comes. He sued for obedience to laws of the land.
In his speech, Uhor said they were excited at the publicly stated commitment of the governor to promote freedom of worship and fully implement inclusive policies.
As a result, he noted that there was inter-religious tolerance, zero attacks on Moslem faithful in the State, mutual agreement between Moslem and Christian groups to meet and pray together for peace of the state.
Alhaji Uhor restated the resolve of Moslems in Rivers State not to align with efforts that will truncate governance and the good policies to drive development agenda of the Governor Fubara-led administration.
