We Acted to Salvage Rivers State – Governor Fubara

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State delivered a powerful speech yesterday as he inaugurated the 23 elected chairmen and their deputies following the controversial local government elections. Amid political tension, Fubara framed the election process as a decisive move to protect the state’s local government system from impending collapse, stating that his administration had “salvaged” Rivers from a political crisis.

Speaking at the Executive Council Chamber of the Government House in Port Harcourt, Fubara emphasized that the successful completion of the election marked the beginning of a new era for Rivers. “A new Rivers State has been birthed,” he declared, attributing the success to the cooperation and resilience of the people. He positioned his government as the protector of democracy in the state, while decrying forces he claimed sought to derail the system.

Fubara’s speech was filled with strong rhetoric, underscoring the urgency of the situation leading up to the polls. He revealed that just three days before the election, there was an attempt to disrupt the process by invading the headquarters of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). However, the governor praised the swift response of his administration and the people in safeguarding the election. “Desperate situations require desperate measures,” he said, adding, “We were confronted with a situation where the local government system of this state was heading to doom, but we acted to salvage it.”

In his call to the newly sworn-in chairmen, Fubara urged them to serve the people with humility and integrity, stressing the importance of leadership by example. “See yourselves as servants,” he told them. “Once you view yourself as an emperor, that’s where the crisis begins. But if you see this as a call to serve the people, development will follow.”

The governor also highlighted the need for peace, warning the chairmen against engaging in violent confrontations, even in the face of opposition. He noted reports that political detractors were allegedly mobilizing to disrupt the chairmen’s work but urged calm and patience, stating, “Please, if they come with violence, avoid them. The peace of this state is too important to us.”

Fubara’s speech also contained a warning against greed, cautioning the newly elected leaders against indiscriminate accumulation of wealth. “Greed will make you lose everything,” he said, calling on them to honor their responsibility to the people and make their tenure a “landmark” in the state’s development.

In addition to addressing the state’s political landscape, Governor Fubara took the opportunity to express gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, acknowledging his role in maintaining the democratic process. “I want to thank President Tinubu for his democratic approach and for standing by Rivers State,” Fubara stated, as he reaffirmed his commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The governor’s speech resonated with a call for unity and patience, framing his administration as a stabilizing force amid the state’s political turbulence. He pledged to closely monitor the activities of the 23 local government areas to ensure progress and development, promising that his government would remain on the side of peace and law.

With the election behind them, Fubara made it clear that the future of Rivers State rests in the hands of the newly sworn-in leaders, urging them to work diligently for the betterment of their constituencies. “This is the beginning of a new Rivers State,” he concluded, expressing confidence that his administration would usher in a period of growth and stability for the state.