Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called on elders, political leaders and community stakeholders to join hands with his administration in sustaining peace and unity in the state.
Fubara made the appeal on Monday while commissioning a network of 10 internal roads spanning 8.6 kilometres in Omademe, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The governor said Rivers State was now “working as one” and urged leaders to sustain the prevailing atmosphere of peace and work collectively for the development of the state.
“Our leaders, this message is to all of you. You must join hands with me,” Fubara said.
He stressed that the responsibility of building a peaceful and prosperous state should not be left to government alone, assuring that his administration would continue to add value to the lives of Rivers people until the last day of its tenure.
“It’s not about the number of days, but what matters in the life of every administration is the value that is added. We will continue to add value till the last day,” he said.
Fubara also defended the recently concluded verification exercise of local government workers, saying it was aimed at addressing concerns over bloated payrolls and identifying genuine workers.
He said the exercise was conducted without political considerations, insisting that all Rivers people should be treated equally.
“It doesn’t matter whether the people are my supporters. It doesn’t matter whether the people are people from the other side. There is no other side. We are all Rivers people. I ensured that the right thing be done,” he said.
The governor said the recommendations from the verification exercise had been approved, adding that genuine vacancies would be filled through a proper recruitment process.
He urged stakeholders to avoid attaching political motives to every government decision, saying, “Everything about this state mustn’t be tied to politics. Please, at times be very objective. Look beyond the issue of politics and look at facts.”
On the Omademe road project, Fubara said the development reflected his administration’s commitment to adding value to projects inherited from previous administrations.
“What is most important today is we have added value to what we met. We strongly believe that that is the purpose of governance,” he said.
The governor also assured residents of Omademe that their requests for improved electricity supply and additional road infrastructure would receive government attention, while urging Rivers people to remain hopeful and united.
