At last, Fubara appoints information commissioner

…Unveils giant economic steps with new bills

Rivers State has at last got an information and communications commissioner five months after the new administration came into office. Tongues were beginning to wag wondering what was holding back the new governor’s hands.

The new commissioner, Joe Johnson is a seasoned media practitioner in the state with full grasp of information issues to push forward the plans of the Gov Sim Fubara administration.

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His choice in a very strong field of media experts in the state and top media managers available from the Peter Odili to Nyesom Wike administration that are willing to help shape the information policy of the state seems to be no easy task. Gov Fubara has thus, charged newly sworn-in commissioners to cultivate the culture of team work by mobilising staff in their ministries of posting to ensure higher productivity and promotion of the interest of the state.

Those sworn-in were Gift Worlu (Housing), Austin Ben Chioma (Environment), Isaac Umejuru (Physical Planning & Uran Development, Joseph Johnson (Information & Communication), and Victor Kii (Agric). Each is regarded as key ministry because of huge load of work expected by the citizens.

Gov Fubara said to deliver his electioneering promises, he needs capable and competent people on board to create a greater Rivers and that they have been chosen to contribute their best to achieve that goal.

According to the governor: “We have in our midst today very capable people who are going to add value to our system. Some of you might have been nominated from your local government after deliberations but here, you are not representing your local governments, you are working for the State.

“The task is to deliver for the State. Your loyalty is to the State because if you don’t do that, when you leave, whether you like it or not, the records will be there to show what you did while you served as a commissioner. So, I charge you to leave your local issues and focus on promoting the interest of our State. That is the only way the theme that we all agreed on, consolidation and continuity, can be felt in our State.”

Fubara, a career civil servant, advised them against administering their assigned ministries as sole administrators but work as team leaders galvernising the permanent secretaries, directors and other levels of staff to achieve given task.

Johnson is expected to work closely with the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) on media, Boniface Onyeadi, a seasoned professional Journalist who has been holding the forte soon after the May 29, 2023 takeoff of the new administration.

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Rivers State is perceived as a very volatile state and this easily tumbles the information section of any government. There is usually information hailstorm between every immediate past governor and the sitting one. Yet, the opposition usually haul stones at the sitting administration requiring the media managers to keep standing on their toes against both friends ad foes.

This seems to get nastier after the first two years as groups begin to angle to push every governor toward second term goalposts. In this, Johnson and Onyeadi may have their jobs cut out for them soon after the honeymoon.

Again, Fubara tips his hand on economic front

Meanwhile, the Fubara administration that was looking vague on economic front seems to be unfolding a lot of things like a giant snail.

Apart from hints when he met manufacturers in the week where he was said to have shown big enthusiasm for the economy, manufacturing hub, industrialisation, etc, he has rolled out four bills that may form the fulcrum of his economic runway.

Now, the Rivers State Executive Council has proposed four Executive Bills for presentation before the Rivers State House of Assembly for passage into law.

This was disclosed by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the professor, Zacheous Adangor, and the Commissioner for Power, another professor, Henry Ogiri, during a Press briefing at Government House shortly after the 4th State Executive Council meeting presided over by the governor on Friday.

Adangor said the State Executive Council approved three draft Bills, namely, “the New Town Development Authority Bill 2023 to decongest the single city status of Rivers State and promote the development of new towns in the state, the Rivers State Youth Entrepreneurship Development Trust Fund Bill, 2023 to promote entrepreneurial growth and tackle the challenges of job creation and employment generation in the state and the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency Bill 2023 to establish an agency to promote investment drive in the state.”

On his part, the Commissioner for Power disclosed plans by the Rivers State Government to key into Federal Government’s policy on Power Sector deregulation through the

establishment of Power Sector Regulatory Commission in the state.

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The Commissioner, who described power as critical to infrastructure and development, pointed out that the Power Sector Regulatory Commission Bill when passed into law by the Rivers State House of Assembly, would liberalise the power sector and boost economic development in Rivers State.